After breaking ground in April on a new beachfront sidewalk in Pass Christian, Mayor Jimmy Rafferty has issued an update on when the pedestrian walkway may come to fruition and how it’s getting paid for.
In an email obtained by The Gazebo Gazette, Rafferty informed city employees that no local government entity would need to spare a dime to make the walkway happen. Instead, all funding up to this point has come from Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) grants.
“The project is fully funded by GOMESA grants with no City contribution and Pass Christian has already been awarded $5 million for the first two phases and hopes to be awarded the funds for the final phases in 2025 and 2026,” Rafferty wrote. “The most important factor is to make a safe pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists enjoying the walkway near the beach.”
The walkway, which begins at the Bay St. Louis Bridge in Pass Christian, will complete a pedestrian-friendly stretch that goes over 20 miles east throughout Harrison County and ends in Biloxi.
Rafferty added that, while the 10-foot-wide sidewalk is another lively way to allow residents and tourists alike to enjoy Mississippi’s 26 miles of beaches, he praised the project as a resource in protecting motorists too. An 18-inch ridge will be included as part of the walkway to help stop sand from blowing onto Highway 90.
“The Mississippi Department of Transportation and Harrison County spend well over $5 million each year to remove sand from Highway 90,” the email continued. “The stretch of concrete boardwalk completed in Biloxi in 2022 has already proven to be effective in reducing the sand blown onto Highway 90, and in the process, making Highway 90 safer for motorists.”
The cost of the project in Pass Christian is approximately $10 million and will consist of four phases. A tentative completion date for phase one is December 2024.
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