The Sunflower County Board of Supervisors made a unanimous decision on Monday to designate the thoroughfare, known as Airport Road, located west of Indianola, as a “No Thru Truck Route.”
District 3 Supervisor Dennis Holmes proposed the change due to potential safety concerns and continual deterioration of the road’s surface by the heavy trucks. Holmes said he has been in communication with Indianola city officials and they agreed to install speed bumps on the roadway if the county would make the change.
Holmes said the city told him that the speed bumps were not designed to handle the weight of the heavy trucks and installing the speed deterrents while the trucks were still actively travelling the road would be futile.
County Engineer Ron Cassada said Airport Road is a state-aid road, but he has conversed with the state aid road department and they are okay with putting the speed deterrents there as long as it is done right.
“Everything needs to be posted properly,” he said.
Holmes said signs will be place near the U.S. 82 and Airport Road intersection and the Mississippi 448 and Airport Road junction.
A discussion ensued regarding possible alternate routes and whether there would be a distinction in the type of big trucks being banned. Cassada said it was best simply to say, no thru trucks.
The county lawmakers had discussed the necessity of making the change in previous meetings but never followed through. The Airport Road route is a popular path for the weighty trucks, however the road is not designed to adequately handle the burden.
