Board of Supervisors Approves Bids for West Oxford Loop and Sisk Expansions

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors on Monday accepted bids for expansions of Sisk Avenue and West Oxford Loop, which will cost the county $3,515,350 for their portion of the project.

After years of planning, Supervisor Kevin Frye said the board is excited to finally see the projects come to fruition.
“This has been a long time coming,” Frye said. “The two road projects are a perfect example of cooperation between the city and the county and the university, and that’s cooperation we should all respect as we grow rapidly in our community.”
While the Mississippi Department of Transportation had promised the expansion nearly a decade ago, the project was pulled from the agenda due to a lack of funding. 
“As a county, we decided we had to do something,” Frye said. 
After negotiations between the City of Oxford and Lafayette County leaders for a number of years, the long-awaited projects are now set to move forward. 
West Oxford Loop will be extended to connect with Old Sardis Road near FNC Park in hopes of relieving traffic congestion on West Jackson Avenue, and Sisk Avenue will be extended east to connect to Highway 6, creating another route to the quickly growing Oxford Commons area. The two new roads are expected to cost about $14 million. 
County engineer Larry Britt said the early construction stages are expected to begin within two to three weeks. Sisk Avenue’s extension is expected to take approximately 18 months while West Oxford Loop’s extension will take closer to two years to complete. 
For more information on the expansions, read Mississippi Legislators Approve Three Million for West Oxford Loop Expansion and Traffic Issues Inspire Major Road Changes in Oxford.

By Randall Haley. She can be reached by emailing randall.haley@hottytoddy.com.