Would extending Arkansas Avenue to Eagle Day Avenue alleviate traffic problems?
It’s a question city officials discussed briefly during the Jan. 16 meeting and may look at in the future.
“I wanted to find a good answer as to why Arkansas Avenue was ever closed going into Eagle Day,” Mayor Justin McKenzie told the Board. “I asked around earlier and nobody knew. But from Lumberton Road to Eagle Day, why wouldn’t we open Arkansas Avenue up where it would eliminate you having to drive out and go out onto Highway 98 and turn right back onto Eagle Day to cut through there? This is food for thought for the future. I think it makes pretty good sense.”
McKenzie said the road would continue on its previous path and that a culvert would be needed and would alleviate traffic issues.
“That through traffic, if we made improvements at Duckworth Park in the future, making it a community park, a civic center or a skate park or whatever, I think that open access road and improvements to our property, in the south side of Arkansas Avenue, would triple the values of the properties around that area,” he said. “Everyone in that neighborhood should like that with increased values and more traffic flow. It would mean less congestion at U.S. 98 and Mississippi 13. It’s something to think about.”
The Board also discussed changes at Duckworth Park, including tearing down the current Duckworth Center, which has been the topic of many discussions due to declining conditions. Roof and structural issues have forced city officials to examine the costs of the building’s upkeep in recent years.
“I had a guy who has an interest in the pecan floor and said he would pay us for the building,” McKenzie said. “He said he would look at it and give us a written offer if you chose to do that in the future. He said they would come and tear it down. They want the floor and lumber out of that building; if that’s the route you (Board) choose to go.”
Ward 1 Alderman Wendell Hammond, whose ward includes Duckworth Park, offered a replacement suggestion.
“We already have that shell with a roof next to it,” he said. “We could enclose it. It’s got bathrooms on one end already built into it. It has electricity.”
McKenzie said he would get estimates on enclosing it.
“This guy wants to come look at the other building and we can decide what we want to do with it, based on what we find out,” he said. “It won’t be long and ball season will start, so we need to move with it if we want to.”
The Board will likely discuss the options further at future meetings. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Columbia Board of Aldermen is set for 4 p.m. on Feb. 6 at City Hall.
Pictured Above: Arkansas Avenue currently ends before it gets to Eagle Day Avenue. City officials have discussed extending it. | Photo by Mark Rogers
