Jackson Free Press

Drivers and pedestrians on Capitol Street are in for some headaches in the coming weeks due to construction, but they will also notice a change in the scenery.

Gone are the trees that used to accent both sides of the street, and the process of two-waying the one-way street is ongoing. Looking east from West Street, pedestrians can now see the sign for the Mayflower Cafe from blocks away.

The motivation behind the two-waying of Capitol Street is simple - if you slow down traffic around the once-thriving business district, the foot-traffic will increase and drivers will be more likely to stop and shop.

The idea to overhaul downtown's centrally-located, east-to-west corridor has been a pet project of Downtown Jackson Partners for years. In 2010, DJP President Ben Allen wrote that "Retail does not enjoy one-way streets with cars whisking by."

There's little doubt that something must be done to help the once-thriving business district, which has seen some improvement since the re-opening of the King Edward Hotel, but not enough to attract more business. But critics say the ongoing $10 million renovation, which includes adding four roundabouts, a bike path and giving the street a landscaping makeover, likely won't have the desired effect.

Mayor Chokwe Lumumba on Thursday explained why his support for the project has been "non-existent or lukewarm."

"The idea behind it is that it will improve retail opportunities because it will slow down traffic," Lumumba said. "I'm not sure that it is going to do that. (The project) is already established, and I'm the executive of the city, so I'm going to see it through to completion. We have to hope the people who had more confidence in the project when it was approved are right."

The $10 million makeover, in the works since 2008, began on the heels of the Mississippi Department of Transportation's announcement that it will delay road construction around the state to concentrate on the upkeep of the 27,000 lane miles, some as old as 25 years, that are breaking down.

A task force of lawmakers, business leaders and others created by the state senate found that MDOT was spending around $150 million to keep up the roads, which cost about $400 million to maintain properly.