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The Lt. Governor's office submiZed the aZached quesKons pertaining to the Lakeland widening project. The aZached
quesKons and answers were sent in response to their quesKons.
The Lt. Governor then sent word that he was aggravated and wanted a definiKve construcKon le]ng date.
The staff and I have prepared a response leZer to this latest request. We have hopefully explained the funding
quandary which exist while providing him the answer to his primary quesKon.
Thanks,
Melinda
-----Original Message-----
From: Arnemann, Michael B
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 9:44 AM
To: kellis@senate.ms.gov; Kenny Ellis
Subject: Lakeland widening
Hey, man. Sorry for the delay. We wanted to get y'all something with some substance in the short term; but we were
having trouble ge]ng firm info on uKlity movements.
Also no firm date can be given on programming the project for construcKon unKl we are know the uKliKes are fully
moved. See aZached. Hope this helps.
Arnemann
Jr-r-F-N
Mark C. McConnell Lisa M. Hancock
Deputy Executive Director/ Deputy Executive Director/
Chief Engineer Administration
Melinda L. McGrath
Executive Director
P O. Box 1BS0 I Jackson, MS 99215-1850 lTetephone (601) 359-7249 I FAX (601) 359-7050 I GoMDOT-com
August 4,2014
Per your request, we have reviewed the five year plan and the schedule for the Highway 25
Lakeland drive six lane project from Old Fannin Road to Grants Ferry Road (Lakeland Phase 1).
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) recognizes the frustrations of the daily
commuters along this corridor and other similar corridors across the state as the agency is forced
to shift to a system preservation progrilm.
Over the past several years, costs of repairing and replacing the rapidly aging road network far
exceed available revenues. Costs specific to the construction and maintenance of highways have
increased approximately 300% over the last twenty years. This coupled with the uncertainty of
long term federal transportation funding causes the capacity component of the otherwise
excellent Vision 21 legislation to languish.
During the first few years of the Obama Administration, Recovery Act funding along with the
General Obligation Bonds approved during the 2010 Mississippi Legislative Session allowed
MDOT to continue to add lanes while preserving the existing system. Unfortunately, these one-
time sources of funding are no longer available.
MDOT struggles under its current program to simply manage the repair and rehabilitation of the
aging state highway network through urban and rural areas. It is exceedingly important to
recognize that reconstruction of deteriorated roadways costs the taxpayer and stakeholders
significantly more in terms of time, money and safety than routine maintenance and repair. The
Transportation Commission has expressed to the Legislature that existing infrastructure
preservation requirements far exceed the annual appropriation.
As a result, the fiscally-constrained five year plan reflects a progftrm focused towards system
preservation (bridge replacement and pavement rehabilitation) with new construction indefinitely
delayed. The five year plan, determined by anticipated special funds (dedicated state and federal
transportation revenues) is reflected in the budget request. Budget reductions suggested by the
Legislative Budget Office not substantiated by anticipated declines in revenue superfluously
impact the statewide transportation program. As such, restoring the MDOT appropriation back
to the requested level does not provide additional funding, contrary to popular belief.
In order for Lakeland Phase 1 to proceed to contract by January 1,2016, the following must take
place:
o Acquire right of way
o Relocate utilities
o Authorize MDOT to use the remainder of GO Bond proceeds in the construction phase
o Absence of catastrophic transportation events
o Federal funding available to MDOT does not decrease
Lastly, MDOT must identiff and delay approximately $35 million in projects currently
scheduled in FY 2016 and repeat this for each subsequent year in the five year plan in order to
fund Lakeland Phase l. To comply with PEER's transparency recornmendations, as part of the
2013 efficiency review, MDOT must make these and all other changes to the plan available to
the public.
Sincerely,
Melinda L. McGrath, PE
Executive Director
Summary:
Once the utilities determine the extent of their conflicts, permit agreement will be
prepared and executed; utility will design their relocation; and relocate conflict. Upon
completion of design, utility company will give a relocation completion date.
I like the leHer. We are leKng him know another project will be detained in order to do the Lakeland project. I will
call A M on my way to the coast
Should your first sentence not read "from Highway 475 (Airport Blvd) to Grants Ferry" rather than from "Old Fannin"?
Sent from my iP
I’m on it…
The hold up has been AT&T geXng easements from the businesses in the Grant’s Ferry shopping
center. Lisa says that it has taken so long that now AT&T plans to put their lines on Entergy’s
poles (like Comcast plans to do) instead of using the easements. AT&T should have included this
informa\on in the update below. Lisa thinks that if everybody will stay on task and not pull off
and go to another job, they can be finished by mid July which will allow a September leXng.
Lisa is holding an AT&T permit at Gluckstadt. Should she con\nue to hold it un\l AT&T is
complete on Lakeland? Do you want me to get Michael to make some calls to Comcast and
AT&T and ask them to make this project a priority?
Amy Mood, PE
Assistant Chief Engineer Preconstruc\on
Mississippi Department of Transporta\on
phone: (601)359-7007
mailto:amood@mdot.state.ms.us
FYI. For Lakeland Drive, please see the u\lity status below. With AT&T having an
ECD of 8/31/2015, we will barely make an October leXng. Unless instructed
otherwise, we will keep the October leXng even if we have to do a restricted u\lity
cer\fica\on.
Amy Mood, PE
Assistant Chief Engineer Preconstruc\on
Mississippi Department of Transporta\on
phone: (601)359-7007
mailto:amood@mdot.state.ms.us
City of Flowood:
6/10/15 At this \me, the contractor has requested 20 addi\onal days added to the
contract end \me of June 23. This puts us at mid-July before finishing up. We have
not granted this as of today, but at our current comple\on level of about 40%, it
looks like we’ll be right at that date.
Entergy:
6/9/15 I spoke with the construc\on group today. The only work we have
remaining on Hwy 25 is the Grants Ferry intersec\on. They are having to hand dig
the holes for the poles due to all the u\li\es in the ground in this area. We are
expec\ng to get the last ROW signed this week for the Grants Ferry corner. We
hope to finish by the 15th of this month, but a more realis\c date will be the end
of the month due to the other buried facili\es and complica\ons with pending
ROW’s.
Comcast:
6/9/15 We will start when Entergy finishes their work.
They started placing poles today. We are monitoring their work so that we can
immediately start placing our new plant and w/o our old.
I can only say they have gone at a slow pace star\ng so I assume they will be two
weeks geXng done at Grants Ferry.
We are currently not working on this final conflict of the Hwy 25 job, all other
conflicts are 100% completed.
We will start as soon as the site has the needed pole facili\es and Entergy is
complete.
Our comple\on as far as this final conflict area at Grants Ferry is 0%
AT & T:
6/10/15 We are working on the last sec\on of cable to relocate along Hwy 25
itself. I’d say we are 80% complete with reloca\on on Hwy 25. We have not been
able to start on the Grants Ferry Rd reloca\on yet. We should be able to start
working on this area in the next week or so. However our work in this area along
Grants Ferry Rd is also dependent on Entergy and Comcast comple\ng their work
along Grants Ferry and Hwy 25. We will be anaching to several of the new poles
Entergy is placing. Also we just received the last signed easement yesterday that
will allow us to relocate our facili\es to behind the exis\ng businesses on Grants
Ferry Rd. We have an ECD of 8/31/2015.
Amy, I’m not going to let up on the u\li\es, I will s\ll be pushing them.
Subject: Re: Highway 25 u/lity work
Date: Friday, June 12, 2015 at 8:43:05 PM Central Daylight Time
From: McGrath, Melinda
To: Arnemann, Michael B
"Thanks for the response, Randy. When I wrote "ribbon cuZng" in the 2nd of 2 emails I've wri[en on
this topic, I was ci/ng (verba/m) what the Lt. Gov's office said. I suspect they meant groundbreaking,
but the seman/cs are not as important as the universally-known goal of geZng this thing under
construc/on by August at the latest, as the Lt. Gov. requested. Hopefully we can all work together to
con/nue the forward progress. Thanks, and let me know if you have any addi/onal ques/ons. "
Mike,
Thanks for the update. Your email stated the goal for reloca/on. Can you tell me how
you have a ribbon cuZng when the job will not let un/l August? Did I miss an email or
something today?
Randal C. Russell
cell
All:
I was contacted by the Lt. Governor’s office this aiernoon looking for
an update on Highway 25/Lakeland construc/on project. Please be
aware that the Lt. Gov. is an/cipa/ng holding a ribbon cuZng late July
or August at the latest.
Michael
Michael B. Arnemann
Government Affairs
Mississippi Department of Transportation
(601) 906-9828
Team:
MDOT Staff tells me there are some hiccups with u/lity movement
which could cause a delay on the Highway 25/Lakeland drive leZng.
Please see the notes I’ve copied and pasted below from MDOT staff.
Hopefully we can collaborate to get this back moving.
---
Entergy:
6/9/15 I spoke with the construc0on group today. The only work we
have remaining on Hwy 25 is the Grants Ferry intersec0on. They are
having to hand dig the holes for the poles due to all the u0li0es in the
ground in this area. We are expec0ng to get the last ROW signed this
week for the Grants Ferry corner. We hope to finish by the 15th of this
month, but a more realis0c date will be the end of the month due to
the other buried facili0es and complica0ons with pending ROW’s.
Comcast:
6/9/15 We will start when Entergy finishes their work.
They started placing poles today. We are monitoring their work so
that we can immediately start placing our new plant and w/o our old.
We are currently not working on this final conflict (Grants Ferry) of the
Hwy 25 job, all other conflicts are 100% completed.
We will start as soon as the site has the needed pole facili0es and
Entergy is complete.
Our comple0on as far as this final conflict area at Grants Ferry is 0%
AT & T:
6/10/15 We are working on the last sec0on of cable to relocate along
Hwy 25 itself. I’d say we are 80% complete with reloca0on on Hwy
25. We have not been able to start on the Grants Ferry Rd reloca0on
yet. We should be able to start working on this area in the next week
or so. However our work in this area along Grants Ferry Rd is also
dependent on Entergy and Comcast comple0ng their work along
Grants Ferry and Hwy 25. We will be aSaching to several of the new
poles Entergy is placing. Also we just received the last signed
easement yesterday that will allow us to relocate our facili0es to
behind the exis0ng businesses on Grants Ferry Rd.
---
Michael
Michael B. Arnemann
Government Affairs
Mississippi Department of Transportation
(601) 906-9828