Before and after view of Confederate Avenue reconstruction by the CCC, ca. 1930s. (VICK)

RECONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE

The next significant wave of activity in road construction came in the 1930s when the park was transferred to the stewardship of the National Park Service (NPS). Originally designed for carriages, the tour roads were in need of improvements to accommodate motor cars. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression Era work program, was an integral part of the upgrade process, providing funds and labor for road construction and improvement projects.

Log guard rails, gutters and tree plantings were placed by CCC crews for roadside improvements, ca. 1930s. (VICK)

In 1956 another decade of road construction and improvement ensued with the development of the servicewide Mission 66 program, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of the NPS. Plans for Vicksburg included paving of all gravel roads and construction of short sections of new road to eliminate sharp curves and dangerous driving conditions. In addition, a highly controversial land transfer was negotiated in 1963. This transfer involved the acquisition of 544 acres that lay within, or adjacent to the park boundary, in return for a 125-acre section of park land in the southern portion of the "crescent." This area included a section of Confederate Avenue and several spur roads, containing several commemorative markers. Since its transfer to the City of Vicksburg, this area has been open to local traffic and maintained as a city park.

Among the many Mission 66 projects at Vicksburg, several original bridges were replaced by modern concrete spans, such as Glass Bayou Bridge completed in 1970. (HAER, 1997)

Today the park tour route retains much of its original character. Designed for aesthetics and uniformity, the roads and bridges provide access to the park without detracting from its story. The enduring legacy of the battle for Vicksburg is preserved and presented to visitors as they drive through this historic landscape, along the park's unimposing, yet graceful avenues.

Cross-sectional perspective of Confederate (concrete) and Union (asphalt) avenues along siege line. (Deb James, HAER 1997)

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