Hernando Square Ugrades

Pedestrian Paradise

New improvements to Hernando’s Historic Town Square mean a more accessible downtown for all.

Hernando’s historic Town Square has undergone significant improvements to its infrastructure as part of a $466,180 project geared toward creating a walkable city for residents of all ages and ranges of mobility.

“The main purpose of the project was to maintain and enhance the beautification of Hernando’s Historic Square,” said Bobby Burton, Public Works Director with the City of Hernando. “As part of that initiative, we focused on accessibility for disabled people.”

Improvements to the Square include two new crossing signals to help pedestrians get across busy Highway 51 efficiently, wider sidewalks in some areas and even adjusted crosswalk timing. “It’s not like we’re adding on another minute or two to crossing, but a few seconds can make all the difference in the world for some people who would like to get across that road,” said Keith Briley, Planning Director with the City of Hernando.

Each crosswalk around the Square has been physically restructured to become compliant with ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) standards. Civil engineering firm Waggoner Engineering handled design and construction inspection for the city.

“Before the project was started, the Square wasn’t ADA accessible,” said Audrey Lewis, senior civil engineer with Waggoner Engineering. “Meaning that a wheelchair bound individual could not access the Square without going into moving traffic. The project built an ADA accessible route around the square on standardized walkways according to ADA compliance for width, slopes, ramps and other safety measures.”

Waggoner also served as a liason with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT).

“Since we had a state highway running through the Square, MDOT had their own set of standards and engineering guidelines that we have to meet when it comes to highway improvements,” Lewis said.

Further recent additions to the Square include handrails and steel plates to cover gutters at the intersection of Memphis Street and Commerce Street, as well as new mast arm light poles at the aforementioned new crosswalks that allow traffic signals to hang from sturdy wrought iron poles instead of wires.

“The main thing that we have worked to improve on is accommodating those with disabilities so they can enjoy the square and all its functions,” Burton said. “Another thing we looked at during the process was better access for foot traffic. With parking as it is during these big events, people have to do a little bit of walking, we’re trying to make it a little easier on everybody.”

Building toward ADA standards required a number of improvements such as five feet wide sidewalks all the way around, as well as knob strips to account for the elevation change on sidewalk ramps. In addition to adding traction for wheelchair-bound visitors to grip, these knob strips also allow people with visual disabilities to more easily make their way across the Square.

“In some spots, the sidewalks have been made more than a foot wider,” Burton said. “We had a few sidewalks that were just around five feet wide, but now they’re exactly five feet wide. The sidewalk in front of Windy City Grille was particularly challenging for us with the elevation changes, but now the area has been made fully ADA compliant.”

Upgrades to the Square were funded as part of an 80-20 Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) grant, with 80 percent funded by MDOT and the remainder of the money behind the project coming from the city. Work on the upgrades began in July of 2019 and wrapped at the close of the year.

“With any town square, navigating the flow of traffic can often be confusing,” Lewis said. “It’s always nice to have a safer downtown for all individuals.” These changes will no doubt help Square visitors navigate the upcoming Hernando Farmers Market that runs from April to October. The largest open air market in the state with nearly 70 vendors throughout the season, the Hernando Farmers Market is the largest craft fair in north Mississippi with nearly 300 unique vendors.