HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) – Anyone driving west on I-10 has seen the construction of Buc-ee’s Sprout in Pass Christian.
More recently, the new Menge Avenue viaduct has been the main attraction for residents of the area.
Small businesses like Brittany Buchanan’s Exit 24 Nutrition have seen more traffic since the viaduct opened in November.
She says in its four years in business, Exit 24 Nutrition hasn’t suffered like it did when it closed.
Buchanan says: “Closing the bridge for 17 months put a damper on many businesses around us. Many of them have closed and some have moved. We’ve had to reduce our hours and so it’s been a really tough year for all of us here. So we’re hopeful that it’ll be open now and people will get used to coming back through there and I think that’ll be a good thing.
New businesses are opening in the area, which also hopes to attract business from travelers.
Tommy Gammill, manager of Oak Square Liquor and Wine, says they’ve been open for over a week and are already preparing to welcome Buc-ee’s visitors.
Gammill says: “We will recruit staff and be ready at that time. At least we’ll be open for a little while and everything will be fine.
Harrison County Board of Supervisors Chairman Marlin Ladner said the board is pursuing projects for the area that are part of their planned growth goal for the county.
Ladner says, “What we would like to have is planned growth that enhances the community that already exists in the county, so you just don’t want to dodge approval of any type of development and any type of development.” It is our responsibility, through the Board of Supervisors and the Zoning Commission, to ensure that these projects are appropriate for the neighborhoods in which they are located.
These businesses are preparing to welcome more visitors to the area once Buc-ee’s opens in May.
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