In partnership with Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi, my administration developed the LOU Transportation Plan that was adopted in 2019. This is an in-depth guide to Oxford’s transportation needs and plans to be implemented over the next 25 years, and allows us to prioritize City of Oxford’s needs together and seek funding with a unified voice and plan.
Oxford’s transportation infrastructure remains one of the greatest challenges for our growing community. I am so proud of the improvements that have been realized over the past eight years with the completion and opening of two major thoroughfares: George G. “Pat” Patterson Parkway (connecting West Oxford Loop to College Hill Road) and F. D. “Buddy” East Parkway (connecting Sisk Avenue Extended to Highway 6 and Highway 334). Instead of waiting on MDOT to improve the intersection of Highway 7 and Sisk Avenue, the City of Oxford partnered with a local developer and utilizing the City’s first Tax Increment Financing (“TIF”) Program completed three roundabouts in 55 days making access to schools, businesses and the Oxford Conference Center much easier. Other transportation projects including a roundabout at South Lamar Boulevard and Belk, the realignment of Office Park Drive and Azalea Drive, Brittany Woods Connector Road – Forrest Circle Drive, roundabout at Chickasaw and Molly Barr Road, Highway 30 improvements at Colonnade Crossing, Oxford Way connecting South Lamar and Old Taylor Road, and others were completed. Paving projects have been completed across our community over the past eight years including Jackson Avenue West and Bramlett Boulevard.
There are numerous projects in the planning stages or under construction including intersection improvements at the University Avenue/Highway 7 Interchange, the four-laning of Highway 7 South, Pegues Road connection to Commonwealth Drive, roundabout at North Lamar Boulevard and Molly Barr Road, and improvements to North Lamar Boulevard from Price Street to the intersection at Molly Barr Road.
Focus on Transportation Needs
My administration has secured $246M in funds from the State Legislature and federal partners over the past eight years that will be utilized to improve our transportation infrastructure, facility upgrades and capital improvements.
While our 20th-century transportation grid was designed around the automobile, 21st-century cities must embrace an integrated approach to public transportation. Oxford has done this well. Our Oxford University Transit System is incredibly effective and successful carrying more than 1,000,000 passengers each of the past four years.
Sidewalks and bike paths are important to our future needs in moving people from place to place. We will continue to consider all means of transportation as Oxford grows.
Water, Sewer and Capital Improvements
Oxford has many infrastructure needs both above ground and underground. Our sewer and water systems are aging and in need of major upgrades to support the number of people in our community. We have been blessed to have had both good leaders and adequate funding to repair and replace it over the years, but we are still in need of extensive upgrades.
Over the past eight years, water and sewer upgrades have been facilitated across our community – from upgrades at several of our water treatment plants, sewer rehabilitation and extensions, new lift stations and extending water and sewer to new water tanks at the old Whirlpool location and in Oxford Commons. We were proud to secure $1.7M from the Army Corps of Engineers to help with the costs of these projects.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, capital improvements including the new Ulysses “Coach” Howell Activity Center, the Parking Garage, the Armory Pavilion, and turfing of fields at mTrade Park, a storm water detention project on the site of the parking lot behind City Grocery, a new Oxford Police Department building and a new City Pool that will open in summer of 2025.
It is astonishing to look back over the past eight years and see that more than $246M in new infrastructure, facility upgrades and capital improvement have been completed or are under construction with no cost to our taxpayers! We have been busy, but our work is not done.