City announces $2 million investment in Palmer's Crossing and Irene Chapel area

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The city of Hattiesburg announced a $2 million dollar investment in ward 5's Palmer's Crossing and Irene Chapel neighborhoods Friday.

“This two million dollar project will increase both pressure and volume to increase fire protection and water flow for these two neighborhoods. This project which is apart of the ComSWIP efforts that have been going on in recent years, will replace nearly twenty percent of the overall asbestos cement lines in these two neighborhoods,” said Mayor of Hattiesburg, Toby Barker.

Local residents will see the project take effect in areas: Dixie Pine Road, Old Airport Road, Barkley Road, Travillion Drive, North Chancellor Avenue and others.

“During construction, there will be inconvenience. There will be dump trucks, excavators on the road, they will be apart of this process. They will be cutting across people’s drive ways,” said a city engineer.

The Mayor said there is $10 million dollars worth of water pipe repair the city will combat over time. Officials plan to use the ComSWIP program -- put in place by former Mayor Johnny Dupree -- which allows the city administration to look into look improvements by infrastructure needs.

“I would love for every resident in every neighborhood to realize that they have stake in every other resident neighborhood. That one person’s success is our success. That’s the Hattiesburg way, is to celebrate each other’s progress, to pick each other up when we have challenges," said Mayor Barker.