News Release

Davis Bayou Bike, Pedestrian Path Construction to Begin in January 2022

Date: December 23, 2021
Contact: Susan Teel, 850-934-2618

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- Gulf Islands National Seashore, in partnership with the Federal Highways Administration, will begin construction of the Davis Bayou Bicycle and Pedestrian Path project. Phase I of the project will include closures of the northern section of Park Road between Highway 90 and VFW Road from Jan. 4th, 2022 tentatively through Spring 2022.

Park facilities, including the Davis Bayou Campground and William M. Colmer Visitor Center, along with the Gulf Coast Research Lab, and all residential homes will remain accessible during construction via a detour from VFW Road to Park Road.

Signs will be installed marking the detour route from Highway 90. Once Phase I construction on this northern section of Park Road is completed and reopened, the project will begin Phase II work on Park Road from VFW road to Robert McGhee Road. Phase II is anticipated to begin Spring 2022 and be completed in Fall 2022.

This Phase will require one-lane closures and possibly short-term delays on Park Road; however, the road will remain open with flaggers directing traffic. Park Road was constructed by the National Park Service in 1981 to provide a scenic entryway into the Davis Bayou Area of the park.

Over the past 20 years, about 10,000 additional residents have moved into Ocean Springs, mostly in areas east of the park and accessible from Park Road. Neighboring residents have increasingly used Park Road, as it offers the only local overpass over the railroad line providing a shorter route for many residences. Today, it is estimated that 85 percent of the traffic on Park Road between the park entrance and the VFW Road is commuter traffic.

Along with its use as a local traffic route, members of the public use Park Road for recreational activities including walking and bicycling. As the numbers of all users of Park Road have increased over the years, simultaneous use of the roads by all user groups has resulted in congested traffic and difficult conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

The Park Road corridor will be widened to allow more space for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate the road. The project will construct five-foot-wide paved multiuse bicyclist and pedestrian lanes to be added on each side of the road, except on the bridges. This project will link and expand pedestrian-friendly trails within the park to community trails and networks.

About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/GulfIslands, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.