Scenic Byway, 40B, Coming to The Valley
The Valley has been buzzing lately. Growth and development is happening at a breakneck pace. Many Valleyans have been concerned that the growth and development could harm the natural beauty of The Valley. There has been a lot of talk among city and county officials in The Valley lately about ways to preserve some of The Valley for generations to come. The Strong River Valley Transportation Authority (SRVTA) voted at its latest board meeting to create a scenic highway or byway called 40B.
SRVTA board chairman, Mehate Teslaz, made the announcement yesterday at a press conference, and he was excited about the byway. Teslaz said, “We are super excited about 40B. We’ve been working on this project for some time now, and we’re ecstatic to get this project up and running. We got the go ahead with MDOT a couple weeks ago, and we secured millions in federal funding as well. This highway will be the Federal Highway Administration’s latest scenic byway, and it’s going to do a ton to showcase The Valley.”
The byway will meander approximately 8 miles along the Strong River and Hwy. 13 and Hwy. 43. It will start northeast of Mendenhall and end southwest of Mendenhall, and it will cross Hwy. 13, Hwy. 43, and the Strong River multiple times. The SRVTA set aside approximately 2 miles of the byway that will remain untouched and not open for development. Approximately $10 million was allocated for an interpretive center that will educate visitors about the flora and fauna of The Valley. There will be pulloffs with picnic tables and restrooms along 40B. There will also be boardwalks along some swampy areas including the infamous The Bottoms Swamp, and this will attract bird watchers from across the country.
Teslaz said, “We named the byway 40B because we envision The Valley to be bigger and better than 30A in North Florida. Some people will think we’re delusional, but I have a lot of faith in the SRVTA and the residents of The Valley. Just wait 30A! Give us 5-7 years, and you’ll see 40B stickers on all the Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus SUVs! We’ll have the sun and sand without the shark attacks.”
The SRVTA thinks the national scenic byway designation will bring in visitors from all across the U.S. Teslaz said, “40B will be the third scenic byway in MS, so that’s a big deal.”
The SRVTA board expects development along 40B to be huge. Two recent developments will be on 40B, and they should provide anchors to build and develop around- The Valley National Golf Club and Strong River Valley Camping Resort & Spa. Board members told me to expect multiple businesses and developments to pop up along 40B including a RV park, a gated mobile home park, a bait shop, farmers market, small condos, a fishing and noodling outfitter, a catfish restaurant, an indoor shooting range, a mini golf course, and more.
I talked to multiple Valleyans about 40B, and they were all ecstatic. One said, “I own land on the river, and I’m seeing dollar signs right now baby! Cha ching!” Another Valleyan said, “This is so exciting. I can’t wait to get my 40B window sticker and t-shirt. 30A ain’t got nothing on 40B baby! This is going to put The Valley on the map!”
This is definitely a watershed moment for The Valley. Construction on 40B will begin within the next couple months. The SRVO will keep you updated on the construction and development of 40B in the coming months.