‘It’s costing me a few dollars’: Business owner says bridge closure in West Jackson causing big inconvenience

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A bridge in West Jackson closed for weeks has been described as an inconvenience by local residents.

It’s located on Martin Luther King Drive, which is right across the street from Corner Stone Missionary Baptist Church.

“It’s just been a big mess ever since it happened,” said David Coleman, who owns D&D Auto Detail and Repair, which sits down the street from the bridge closure.

Coleman admits, not only is it an inconvenience, but it’s costing him money.

”I won’t say it’s in the thousands, but it’s costing me a few dollars,” said Coleman. “A lot of times when they come this way and they see it, they go back and go back the other way and say I didn’t see your business. You’ve got to really know your way around here to know how to come around because Fortification is closed also, so there’s not a back area.”

Coleman said the bridge has been closed for roughly four weeks. It’s a heavily traveled area.

Drivers now have to be rerouted whenever they travel through the area.

”This is the lifeline,” said Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who represents Ward 3. “This is how people get to downtown Jackson, this is how they get to Baptist Hospital, it’s how they get to Jackson State University. This is Martin Luther King Drive; this is the main artery of transportation for these neighborhoods.”

The councilman wanted answers on why the bridge was closed in the first place, so 3 On Your Side went digging to find out. The bridge was initially shut down by JXN Water.

Crews thought there was a drainage or sewage issue.

It turns out that wasn’t the case. However, since the bridge was already in bad shape, the city was already planning to have it replaced.

While he’s happy to know work is being done, the councilman said he wants more transparency from city leaders.

”Give us a timeframe when it’s going to be repaired, that’s all we’re saying,” said Stokes. “You may have been right in closing the bridge. We don’t want no car falling into the bridge and someone is killed, but don’t close the bridge forever, When are you going to come, make the necessary bridge on the bridge, and let’s open the bridge back up.”

WLTB will keep you updated on the status of repairs.

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