City eyes Parkway crosswalks renovation project
By Randy Bell
Mayor Will Purdie says the City of Clinton is “actively pursuing a solution” to a bumpy problem. For the second time this year, the Board of Aldermen has discussed renovating the brick crosswalks at the Clinton Parkway’s College Street and Main Street intersections.
“It’s absolutely on our radar and something we recognize needs to be done,” Purdie says.
The eight crosswalks were replaced about seven years ago but, over time, the bricks have settled, rattling vehicles as they roll through the intersections.
“They will jar your car and jar you,” says Ward 3 Alderwoman Amanda Jones, who raised the issue during the Board’s August 31 work session. “It’s a beautiful Parkway, and I think it’s time for us to take a look at fixing those crosswalks, all eight of them.”
There’s general agreement among City leaders that stamped concrete would be a better alternative than bricks for the crosswalks.
“It looks like brick, you can’t tell [that it’s not], and it’s very smooth to ride over,” Jones says.
The project, as Purdie describes it, would basically involve pulling out all the bricks, re-milling the street and putting down the stamped concrete. And for those who might be concerned that Clinton could lose some of its unique character if the crosswalk bricks are removed, the mayor points out that there’s not much history attached to them.
“They’ve only been there since 2019,” he says, “So, they’re not too historic to begin with.”
The question now is money to pay for the project. There’s no official cost estimate yet, because Consulting City Engineer Bill Owen says no design work has been done, and it’s not known exactly what would be required. But a ballpark figure of $350,00-$400,000 was mentioned at the August 31 meeting.
Owen notes that the Parkway is eligible for federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds administered by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). Clinton has had a good track record with that program.
In 2025, the City got a $1.35 million STBG grant to resurface Clinton Boulevard and a portion of Springridge Road south of I-20.
In May, Clinton received word that its grant application to repave a portion of Pinehaven Drive had been approved. The City will get $1.08 million from MDOT and will contribute a local match of about $460,000. Owen says that work from north of Arrow Drive to Williamson Road will likely get underway next summer.
The next request for STBG grant applications isn’t expected until late 2027 or early 2028, which would be the earliest Clinton could seek funding from that program for the Parkway crosswalks.
