Vicksburg National Military Park staff want to examine a realignment of park roads/NPS file

Decades of hillside slope failures and erosion have Vicksburg National Military Park staff debating a better path for roads through the park. On June 2 the staff will hold a virtual public meeting to introduce the Vicksburg National Military Park-Wide Road System Study and seek initial input.

The completed study will provide recommendations for options to manage the park’s roadway structures more sustainably, explore new alignments for roadways, and assess the reduction and addition of elements.

The NPS is conducting this study following decades of erosion and hillside slope failures driven by the park’s naturally vulnerable soils. Since November 2019, especially heavy rains have further eroded roads and hillsides in the park, causing earthen roadway structures to fail. As a result, vehicle access has become limited, with one-third of the park’s roads closed.

A year ago, archaeologists were called in to carefully recover the remains of a small number of Civil War soldiers whose burial grounds in the Vicksburg National Cemetery, located in the northwestern corner of the park, were disturbed when heavy rains caused soils to collapse and a hillside to erode.

"What essentially happened was the area directly beneath that section of the park tour road eroded away. It collapsed vertically down there. In addition to that, there was a fairly extensive mudslide that headed down the hill," Bill Justice, at the time the park's superintendent, said. "We had a few remains surface as a result of the collapse and subsequent erosion from rain, but not many."

More than 17,000 soldiers have been buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery, which dates to 1866 and is the country's largest military burial ground. Most those soldiers fought during the Civil War, and most of their names have been lost to the winds of war.

The cemetery's 116 acres roll serenely across a Mississippi landscape set atop a thick layer of loess soils. Heavy rains can saturate those soils, which then began to slump and slide along some steeply sloped areas. Realignment of the park's road network so it avoids those areas most susceptible to slides is needed.

“A comprehensive study of the park’s roads is important to the park’s operability. The 16-mile tour road is the primary means by which the public experiences the park” said Carol Daniels, the park's acting superintendent. “We hope that the public will take this opportunity to provide us with their ideas and feedback on ways we might improve safety, traffic flow, pedestrian and recreational access within the park.”

Initial public commenting on the study will open from June 2 to July 2 and include opportunities to submit written comments and participate in a public meeting, held virtually.

The virtual public meeting session will be held as follows:

When:
Wednesday, June 2,2021
5:30-6:30 p.m

Where:
Virtual-Webex Meeting
http://bit.ly/NPSvicksburg

Event Password: VICKS1

Dial-in-Number: 1-408-418-9388
Access code: 187 520 8745

The NPS will also accept written comments online or by postal mail for consideration starting on June 2. Comments may be submitted:

Online
Visit: The National Park Service’s Planning, Environmental and Public Comments (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/VicksburgRoadStudy

Select “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar, open the “June 2, 2021 Public Meeting” folder and click on the green “Comment Now” button to access the online commenting form

By Postal Mail, send comments to:

Superintendent
Vicksburg National Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS 39180

Written comments must be submitted online or be postmarked by July 2 to be considered. Additional opportunities for commenting and public engagement will be offered during the course of the study project.

For more information about the Park-Wide Road Study including public meeting details, virtual log-in instructions and more, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/VicksburgRoadStudy