Brittney Nguyen
Belhaven University
Jackson Public Works has begun its Street Resurfacing Program in Jackson, extending into the Belhaven Historic District and downtown Jackson.
In August 2023, construction began on the second phase of the Mississippi Museum Trail–a multi-million-dollar initiative aimed at improving connectivity in Jackson. The trail will eventually link the LeFleur Museum District to Belhaven and downtown Jackson, enhancing commuter and recreational access. The project, funded by a combination of federal transportation grants and local sales tax revenue, includes resurfacing streets around the Belhaven neighborhood.
Roads in disrepair remain a citywide issue, with some areas waiting years for attention. WLBT states that some North Jackson residents have even waited over a decade for new streets.
According to WLBT, in September 2023, the Jackson City Council approved a $5.1 million contract for the repaving of only 31 neighborhood streets out of over 1,400 deemed to be in failure status. The short list of streets includes Peachtree Street, which runs directly through Belhaven University’s campus and the iconic neighborhood surrounding it.
Oversight of road maintenance falls to the city’s Infrastructure Management Division under the Department of Public Works. Funding comes primarily from a 1% local-option sales tax approved by voters in 2014, which generates around $14 million annually. In late 2023, the city also approved a $40 million bond, to be repaid over 16 years using online sales tax revenues, to support infrastructure projects.
However, administrative and logistical setbacks have stalled progress. The Public Works Department faces severe staffing shortages, with 14 vacant positions across key operational areas. Among the vacancies is an opening for a city engineer, as Jackson Public Works’ Interim Director and city engineer Robert Lee retired in 2024. These vacancies slow repair timelines and limit the scope of active projects.
Photo: Brittney NguyenIn addition to staffing and funding challenges, the ground beneath Jackson, itself, complicates road maintenance. Much of the city is built on yazoo clay, a type of soil that expands when wet and contracts when extremely dry. These movements wreak havoc on pavement, causing frequent cracking, buckling, bumps, and potholes. According to mechanics, this geological factor significantly shortens the lifespan of newly paved roads and increases long-term maintenance costs.
Griffin Sullivan, the Mississippi Department of Transport’s state materials engineer, describes the constant expansion and retraction of the Yazoo clay as a cycle, and Jerry Clark with Independent Security seconds this statement. “Once a pothole has been fixed, it’s not long before it opens back up and creates a bigger problem than there was before,” Clark states.
The economic impact of poor roads is significant. Drivers face costly vehicle repairs from damaged tires and realignments. A study by the Construction Materials Research Center at Mississippi State University found that Mississippi drivers lose nearly $3 billion annually due to vehicle wear and time lost to traffic congestion—much of which is attributed to substandard roads.
Tonnie Clark with Independent Security is no stranger to this vehicle wear. Clark states, “I’ve had a few (tire) blowouts going down Woodrow Wilson in my car because of potholes.” He notes the expensive repairs he has made to his vehicle in just the past year, including tire replacements, front-end realignments, and shock absorber replacements, totaling just over $1000.
While the Belhaven project has created temporary traffic slowdowns, community reactions have been mixed but largely positive. Students and residents near Belhaven University have expressed relief at long-awaited repairs. However, some have voiced frustration over the disruption and questioned why similar efforts aren’t seen in other neglected parts of Jackson.
Noah Leibe, a Belhaven University student, detailed the severe damage done to his vehicle during his commute from school in early 2024. A single pothole popped his left front tire, dented the tire’s rim, and off-put his vehicle’s alignment. The tire replacement and realignment cost Leibe a hefty $700, and a rim repair cost an additional $200. Leibe voices his relief at the road repairs and states, “I’m glad the roads around campus are getting fixed, especially with all the low-riding cars like mine driving around. I just wish they’d fix the rest of Jackson.”
The Mississippi Museum Trail initiative, which includes the Belhaven section, is managed through partnerships between city planners, cultural institutions, and MDOT. Its focus on improving cultural and recreational connectivity has helped secure funding, but critics argue that basic residential infrastructure should receive equal priority.
Jerry Clark remarks, “There’s money out there, but what they’re doing with it is what we don’t know.”
Despite these improvements in Belhaven, many neighborhoods across Jackson remain burdened by roads riddled with potholes and degradation. Progress, while visible in select areas, remains slow and scattered. With such a significant portion of the city’s streets in disrepair and an understaffed department struggling to keep up, a comprehensive, long-term infrastructure strategy remains elusive.
While the Belhaven Street Resurfacing Program marks a step forward for part of the city, it also serves as a reminder of how far Jackson has to go in addressing its road crisis. Without substantial and sustained investment, better planning, and more efficient execution, the city’s streets may remain symbolic of broader issues–neglect, disrepair, and uneven progress.
