A stretch of North 6th Street between Jefferson and Jackson Avenues will be closed off to traffic temporarily on school days to alleviate traffic congestion.

From 7:10 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m to 3 p.m., the Oxford Police Department will set up short term closures to thru traffic during that portion of N. 6th Street. The Board of Aldermen approved the request made by city engineer Reanna Mayoral during their regular meeting on Oct. 6.

The closure will begin on Oct. 13, following the Oxford School District’s Fall Break. Parents of OSD will be sent an email notification to remind them of the closure.

The City of Oxford’s engineering staff conducted a traffic traffic study due to concerns of residents who live on that portion of N. 6th Street that had their vehicles blocked by traffic trying to get into the drop-off queue for Oxford Intermediate School and Central Elementary School. During the study, staff observed approximately 20 cars during the 45 minutes of peak traffic.

Cars were parked intermittently on N. 6th Street, which is allowed and acceptable on that street. Cars waiting to enter traffic on Jefferson Ave. blocked access to N. 6th Street was impassable for residents or emergency vehicles. The cars also negatively impacted the drop-off queue on Jefferson, according to the study.

Cones or a sign will be placed at the Jackson Ave. intersection by OPD to alert drivers of the closures and a patrol car will be placed at the Jefferson intersection.

Residents who live on N. 6th Street will be allowed to enter and exit on Jackson Ave. at all times during the temporary closures. If the closures become a problem for residents, the City will reopen the roadway. The study also noted the issue could resolve itself once the COVID-19 pandemic ends, which has affected duty assignments for teachers and prevented the full use of the drop-off/pick-up area as originally planned.