Leaders in Jackson are one step closer to connecting museums in the LeFleur’s Bluff area for pedestrians to navigate their way to and from by foot.
On Friday, lawmakers on Capitol Hill passed the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Act, which includes $5 million for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Lakeland Drive. The bridge would link the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame with the Mississippi Children’s Museum and the Museum of Natural Science.
“I’m grateful to Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker for leading the effort in the Senate and recognizing the importance of visionary projects that enhance access to our state’s top assets,” Great City Foundation Executive Director Taylor Nicholas said.
“This project will ultimately connect the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum to the Two Mississippi Museums downtown. It’s an important step toward a functional multi-use trail system that will provide a significant economic impact for our state’s capital city.”
The bridge is a portion of the LeFleur’s Bluff Masterplan. Over $10 million of capital improvements have already been made and enjoyed by more than 750,000 visitors, including $5.5 million of private investment into capital projects. Additional private and state resources have been secured to execute additional improvements for outdoor recreation, education, and tourism impacts to connect to the Lakeland bridge project.
“This is an important piece in ensuring destination tourism for our Mississippi museum assets,” Mississippi Children’s Museum President and CEO Susan Garrard said. “Connecting communities and enhancing pedestrian access to all museums creates new opportunities for exponential growth.”
In 2021, LeFleur Museum District Museums produced nearly $10 million of overall value-added impact for Hinds County, supporting 179 jobs and over $6.5 million in labor income.
The Museum Trail is a multi-use trail and partial rail-to-trail project that has been constructed from downtown Jackson to LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. The planned bridge will safely extend and connect this system, enabling safe pedestrian passage across the busiest intersection in the state of Mississippi. Future hopes for the trail include extending connectivity south and west through downtown Jackson beyond Jackson State University and north to eventually connect to trails in Ridgeland and Flowood.
Following Friday’s advancement, community and state leaders will continue working toward making the bridge a reality, including requesting matching funds from the state legislature. In addition, the plans require final approval from the Mississippi Department of Transportation before construction can begin.
