State aims to curb Highway 12 accidents with medians
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) – Starkville’s main commercial artery, Highway 12, is considered one of north Mississippi’s most dangerous roads.
Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert tells The Commercial Dispatch the Mississippi Department of Transportation officials hope to curb its high accident amounts with landscaped medians.
Tagert says the plan calls for replacing portions of the thoroughfare’s continuous two-way turning lane with a raised median.
He says the plan was developed after a safety study was conducted and also suggests implementing signal upgrades to help with traffic congestion, driveway modifications and site-specific turning radius improvements.
MDOT is aiming to begin construction efforts in 2017, an ambitious goal Tagert said could be made possible since the entire project will occur within public right of way.
