The Oxford Public Works Department is asking the Mississippi Department of Transportation to allow them to transfer funds from a defunct project to help create sidewalks along East Jackson Avenue.

The city received $456,000 from MDOT last year to put in sidewalks on Sisk Avenue under the Highway 7 bypass and put in some landscaping.

However, with it becoming obvious that the entire Highway 7/Sisk Avenue interchange is needing some serious improvements, the city felt it didn’t make sense to put in sidewalks that eventually might need to be removed shortly, according to Assistant City Engineer Reanna Mayoral.

“We feel in a few years something will have to be done to improve that interchange,” she said.

On Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen approved allowing Public Works to ask MDOT to have those funds transferred to allow the city to put in sidewalks on East Jackson, from the Square to Bramlett Boulevard.

“We don’t know yet if MDOT will allow it, but we are requesting it,” Mayoral said.

Mayoral said the city also wants to fill in the gaps along Bramlett to provide sidewalks from University Avenue to Avent Park.

“Because of the extra work needed on East Jackson for retaining walls, it’s a more expensive job, so we wanted to use federal funds when we can, and then the city can fill in the gaps along Sisk as the funds become available.”