August 27, 2025
PROGRESS IS A PAIN! I have seen many posts about the road construction in Oxford recently – some of it true, some of it entertaining and some just flat wrong.
University Avenue/Highway 7 Interchange
• Project began October 2024 with an 18-month projected construction completion of Spring 2026.
• Project is currently expected to be completed late October/early November – 6 months ahead of projection.
• This is an MDOT project although funded through state and federal dollars was secured by the City.
• Cook and Son is the contractor. This is not the same contractor that is constructing the roundabout at 3-Way and, therefore, has no effect on that project.
Roundabout at North Lamar and Molly Barr Road
• This project began on August 18, 2025 and has an expected completion date of December 31, 2025.
Why are we doing this project?
We have focused on making sure the road infrastructure that will be needed to meet the projected growth is put in place at the beginning of development projects rather than waiting until the traffic becomes terrible and then looking for solutions as has been done in the past. We have worked with developers who also want to see things done the right way to improve the intersection at Sisk and Highway 7, to add a roundabout at Molly Barr and Chickasaw Road, to build the necessary infrastructure on Highway 30 in front of Colonnade Crossing and to build Oxford Way connecting South Lamar and Old Taylor Road.
We have hired engineers to design improvements for North Lamar that will be needed as the district from Price Street to 3-Way develops. This area is seeing redevelopment and new development and we must be sure necessary infrastructure is in place. When you wait to design infrastructure and approve developments one at a time without considering the area as a whole, you end up with Jackson Avenue. We are determined to prevent that type of haphazard development without proper infrastructure in place.
This roundabout is the result of traffic studies and projected growth that is coming in the area. I’ve been asked about the Highway 30 Roundabouts indicating they seem like overkill. They were designed and implemented based on development coming in Colonnade Crossing. Currently, there are numerous businesses and a surgical center. Additional businesses, a restaurant, a grocery store and 514 units of multi-family residential totaling 1,124 bedrooms are in the planning stages or under construction. These roundabouts are built with the future in mind.
Sidewalks on South Lamar from Belk Boulevard to Oxford Way
• This project began yesterday, August 25, 2025 and has a projected completion date of November 1, 2025.
• This will greatly improve safety for the many pedestrians who walk on South Lamar and will ensure that someone can walk from Azalea/Office Park Drive all the way to the Square utilizing sidewalks.
Highway 7 Four-Laning
• All utilities have been relocated so the area is ready for construction
• MDOT has stated they will open bids for the project in September
• Project start date is projected to be February 2026. This will be a multi-year project as the four-lane extends from the Highway 6/Highway 7 interchange to the Highway 7/9 split.
by Robyn Tannehill
About the Author
Will the city ever put in a way to cross goose creek on Anderson without walking in the road. Twenty years ago PatPatterson promised a sidewalk was coming
Pat Lamar said the same thing.
Now there are many businesses on one side of the creek and a thousand students on the other side .
It’s still dangerous to cross since there are no sidewalks.
The city also added a park on one side of the creek and increased the traffic flow by 50x by adding a road to the ball fields and beyond
Still, no sidewalk on Anderson across goose creek
When the city expands the sewage station by goose creek – will you put in sidewalks as required by ordinance