Northern District Transportation Commissioner talks upcoming projects

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Northern District Transportation Commissioner sees a smoother road ahead for some Mississippi drivers.

John Caldwell spoke to business and community leaders in Columbus.

Caldwell briefed them on upcoming road and bridge projects across North Mississippi, including the Highway 15 bypass around Ripley, and overlay and safety projects coming to Highways 69 and 12 in Lowndes County.

The commissioner was pleased that Mississippi lawmakers have prioritized MDOT for the past few sessions, and he hoped the trend would continue.

While federal funding has also increased, much of that goes to specific types of projects, so making state roads better requires commitment closer to home.

“The smaller highways don’t qualify for Federal funds, so we made a concerted effort to get some of those roads that have been neglected. I mean, they were lesser traveled roads, but safety’s no less important for people that drive that road. So, because of the funds coming primarily out of Federal money, those were being left behind. So, since the Lottery funds, especially, we were concentrating on getting some of those roads fixed that weren’t qualifying for Federal funds,” said Caldwell.

Milling and overlay projects will soon be coming to parts of 45 South in Lowndes and Noxubee Counties and Highway 82 around Columbus.

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