Natchez Trace Parkway Closure South of Ridgeland
Milepost 92.9 to 101.1

November 5, 2012 Update - The National Park Service has completed repairs to a damaged section of the Natchez Trace Parkway at milepost 94.9, south of Ridgeland, MS, and will reopen the Parkway to vehicular traffic on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. This section has been closed to motorized vehicles since March 14, 2012, after engineers identified a major safety hazard that had the potential to lead to a collapse of the roadway due to embankment instability. The National Park Service partnered with the Federal Highway Administration to make repairs to the roadway.

The closed section of the Natchez Trace Parkway has remained open to bicyclists during the construction period. When reopened, motorists are reminded adhere to the 3-foot passing requirement when encountering bicyclists on the Parkway. Bicyclists are reminded to ride single file and wear highly visible clothing.

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The National Park Service closed an 8-mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway to vehicular traffic on March 14, 2012, due to a major safety hazard that has developed near milepost 94.8 between Ridgeland, MS, and Clinton, MS. Engineers have identified the potential for collapse of the roadway due to instability in the embankment. Over the past year, several emergency repairs were completed; however, the section has continued to deteriorate to the point where it is unsafe for vehicular traffic. See map below.

July 10, 2012 Update - Road construction will begin July 11, 2012 on a damaged section of the Natchez Trace Parkway at Milepost 94.8, south of Ridgeland, MS. This section has been closed since March due to a failure in the road base that made the road unsafe for vehicular travel. The National Park Service (NPS) had continued to allow bicycle use within the closed section after determining it was safe for bicyclists to pass over the damaged portion of Parkway. However, the arrival of construction crews will require bicyclists to detour around the active construction zone for a distance of
1/2 mile (see Bicycle Traffic below).

Car Detour:

The closure will be in effect between I-55 and US 49. Additional travel time should be less than 10 minutes.

• Southbound traffic will exit the Parkway at I-55 South (MP 101.1), to I-220, to US 49 North, where traffic may reenter the Parkway.
• Northbound traffic will exit the Parkway at US 49 South (MP 92.9), to I-220 North, to I-55 North, where traffic may reenter the Parkway.

Bicycle Traffic:

In an effort to keep the Parkway open for bicycling, during the construction period, bicyclists will be able to continue using the closed section of Parkway. However, bicyclists will not be able to ride through the construction zone. This means that as bicyclists approach the construction area, they will be directed around the closure. This will require bicyclists to dismount and walk down a 26 degree slope, then walk the bikes past the construction area, and up the slope on the other side. Bicyclists are encouraged to use extreme caution when walking past the construction area. The National Park Service will monitor this detour and may close the section to bicyclists if it becomes necessary.

Duration:

The National Park Service is working with the Federal Highway Administration to make repairs to the roadway section. The duration of the closure could exceed one year.

Note: The Ridgeland / Natchez Trace Multi-Use Path/Trail is partially open in the affected area. For more information, follow this link.