EMBDC to Host Valley Road Community Forum

The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation has scheduled two public forums to discuss the possible closure of Valley Road, just north of its intersection with 31st Avenue in Lauderdale County.  The closure would be to improve public safety and provide a better opportunity for expansion at Atlas Roofing.  The forums will be held at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27th at the South Lauderdale Volunteer Fire Department and Thursday, November 5th at Union Station in downtown Meridian.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Following the closure of CertainTeed the EMBDC began looking for area manufacturing facilities with sister plants that present inter-corporate competition and identify potential local obstacles to growth.

Atlas Roofing has four plants that produce the same product as Meridian: Admore, OK, Dangerfield, TX, Hamton, GA and Franklin, OH. 

Atlas Roofing has a 50 year history in Meridian with 215 employees and a $10.5 Million annual payroll.

As multiple deterrents by the City and County to slowing trough traffic have proved ineffective, Valley Road has been identified by Atlas as a safety hazard for both the traveling public and Atlas employees.   In a move to both eliminate public traffic and encourage corporate investment in the Meridian facility In EMBDC is requesting the City of Meridian and Lauderdale County to investigate the closure of Valley Road.

The possible closure of Valley Road, South of Atlas Roofing would not even be discussed if it were not for the availability and quality of 31st Ave.  The proposed road closure would impact those people living along Valley Road, north of Arundel Road and South of Atlas Roofing who need to travel west on I-20.  For them the closure would present an additional 1 mile. 

Traffic counts on Valley Road are 2300 (which includes 700 Atlas related ; 150 trucks and 215 employees each way)  Public through traffic count on Valley Road is 1600 ADT.

Current Traffic Count on 31st Ave. is 1400 ADT.

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