Featured Project

The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors grappled with the recurring flooding of the segment of Holly Springs Road through the Coldwater floodplain for several decades. Given that the roadway is a major collector, the flooding caused significant inconvenience to the traveling public and required ongoing maintenance due to recurring flood damage. This issue became a top priority for the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors, so, the Board looked to Waggoner to assist in finding a long-term solution to the problem.

The answer was to increase Holly Springs Road’s finish grade elevation of the road and five associated bridges to an elevation capable of withstanding a 100-year flood event. These improvements made travel safer and more efficient along with supporting the anticipated growth of the area.

The project spanned a 2.6-mile stretch of roadway through the Coldwater River bottom between Johnston Road and Smith Road and was one of the most extensive local road developments in the history of DeSoto County.

Additionally, Waggoner aided in preparing plans, specifications, and a hydraulic/scour evaluation for the elevation of bridges in the Coldwater River floodplain, including Camp Creek, Short Fork Creek, Old Short Fork Creek, Coldwater River, and Pigeon Roost Canal.

Despite facing delays due to funding uncertainties and various other complicating factors, the $36 million project was completed after 15 years from the initial stages of planning. Funding assistance for the project consisted of $16 million in Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant funds from the federal government with support from the Mississippi Congressional Delegation, $7.3 million in Emergency Road Bridge Repair (ERBR) program grant funds through the Office of State Aid and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and $3 million in Transportation and Infrastructure Improvement Funds (TIIF) grant funds through the Mississippi State Legislature.

Although the project exceeded the original cost estimate due to COVID related impacts, the County actually expended 34% less than originally programmed from local funds, thanks to state and federal funding assistance secured by the Board of Supervisors with technical and strategic support from Waggoner.

The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors touts the project as a true partnership in government, noting contributions at the county, federal, and state levels, for the safety and benefit of the traveling public.