ECW News: Vicksburg NMP Tour Road Fully Reopens

Storm damage and erosion have kept a significant portion of the tour road at Vicksburg National Military Park closed for years, but the road is now open thanks to recently completed repairs. Bess Averett, executive director of the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, joins Emerging Civil War News to discuss the reopening.

From a release from Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park:

“After six years of closures, Vicksburg National Military Park has restored access to Grant Circle and a section of North Union Avenue. With these roads reopened, the entire 16-mile tour road is now open to visitors for the first time in six years!

“These roads were severely damaged by heavy rainfall in early 2020 and had been closed ever since. Thanks to the advocacy of Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and our supporters, federal funding for the repairs was secured shortly after the damage occurred. Today, we get to celebrate the result: these important roads are open again and ready to serve Park visitors for years to come.

“Through advocacy and relationships with our congressional delegation and federal partners, Friends of VNMP worked to make sure Vicksburg National Military Park received the federal attention and funding necessary to address this critical infrastructure need.

“The finished project does more than simply put new pavement on the road. The areas were rebuilt to better handle water and stabilize the ground beneath and alongside the roads. These improvements are designed to help prevent the drainage and erosion problems that contributed to the original damage and keep these roads open and usable for years to come.”

For more information on the project, visit Vicksburg National Military Park here.

For more information on the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, visit https://friendsofvicksburg.org/.