VICKSBURG, Miss. - On Feb. 1, the National Park Service (NPS) will start road repairs on ten segments of road throughout the park. The repairs are scheduled to be complete by July. This project will repair road segments that are currently open to the public. These repairs will not address closed sections of road nor increase visitor access. This work will provide much needed repairs on already open sections of roads to prevent further closures.
Work will involve repairs to slides and scours, replacement of guardrails, storm drains (culverts, inlets, paved waterways, riprap) pavements, and curbs.
“This is significant step in addressing much needed emergency repairs and moving the park towards a more sustainable road system" said Superintendent Carrie Mardorf.
Repairs will be made at two locations on Confederate Ave, three locations along Union Ave between the Memorial Arch and Ransom’s Gun Path, and five locations along Union Ave in the South Loop. The majority of the work will only require limited temporary closures for short periods of time, often just a few minutes to allow for movement of equipment. Flaggers will be present for traffic control. Please check the park social media pages for closure notifications.
To accommodate work on Union Ave south of Ransom’s Gun Path, a detour will be in effect from February 7 to late April. There will be full closure for vehicles and pedestrians of Union Ave from the Shirley House to Graveyard Road. The public will still have access to the Shirley House, Illinois Memorial, and Third Louisiana Redan. Cars and buses will be able to drive down the gravel section of Jackson Road to Confederate Avenue. Confederate Avenue will be made two-way during the project. Visitors can turn right and follow Confederate Ave to Connecting Ave to reach the National Cemetery and the USS Cairo. Visitors will also be able to turn onto Graveyard Road from Confederate Rd and then follow Union Avenue to Grant Avenue to access Sherman Circle and the African American Monument. Visitors can then the return to Confederate Avenue via Graveyard Rd.
For more information and updates about the project, visit: h https://www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/road-repairs-2022.htm
The following areas are closed indefinitely:
* Grant Avenue beyond the African America Monument including Grant Circle is closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
* Union Avenue from Grant Avenue to the USS Cairo Museum is closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
* Vicksburg National Cemetery is closed to vehicles and the area within the chain link fence is closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
Addressing the closed sections of road is part of the Parkwide Road Study. Explore more details on the study at: https://www.nps.gov/vick/planyourvisit/park-wide-road-system-study.htm
About Vicksburg National Military Park: Vicksburg National Military Park preserves and tells the story of the Civil War Campaign for Vicksburg. This turning-point in American History helped determine the outcome of the Civil War and its impacts continue to transcend our culture today. For more information visit www.nps.gov/vick
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
