Our four-lane highways are in desperate need of repair

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Many of us may remember when Highways 82 and 45 used to be two-lane.

Those are only memories, and since then four lanes have been bringing business and people to our area faster.

But roads don’t last forever.

Because of high traffic count and heavy loads, many of those highways are in need of maintenance.

At a recent Columbus Rotary Club meeting, MDOT confirmed the life span for highway 82 is around 25 years if it’s maintained and repaved every 10 to 12 years.

The same can be said for our other four-lane highways in the area.

“Having industry is very important, but unless you’ve got a way to move their goods it’s not any good to anyone,” said Sue Stidham, Director of Winona Main Street Association and Montgomery County Economic Development.

Highway expansions from two to four lanes has been the difference maker for Northeast Mississippi infrastructure.

Stidham tells us more trucks and traffic may be good, but it’s also presented a problem for future road conditions.

“Economic development is not only having those roadways that lead to other modes of transportation but having a good roadway,” said the economic development director.

MDOT’s “Unfunded Highway Project” shows nearly all of Highway 82 from Winona to Columbus needs resurfacing, along with other area highways.

That project sheet was made last year.

While there are other routes to transport cargo, cargo isn’t the only thing traveling these roadways.

“In terms of economic development, much more so than simply competing for deals and winning projects and job creation, roads are important for our every-day life,” said Macaulay Whitaker, COO of The LINK. “Roads transport not just your goods but your workforce. Our roads are essential to us as citizens as we continue to grow and better our community.”

“Let’s face it, we all travel these roads,” said Stidham said. “There’s a tremendous amount of automobile traffic on both roads.”

The question of funding is currently unanswered.

Economic developers trust state leaders will find a way to keep industry flowing through Northeast Mississippi

“Currently, transportation is a hot topic and highway conditions are something that our legislators are talking about,” said Whitaker. “We are confident that eventually our legislators will come to some sort of an agreement and find a plan to move us forward in that direction so that we can all be safer, but also we can see sustained growth in productivity going forward.”

As far as money is concerned, engineers say inflation has played a part in these unfunded projects, and the budget can’t go as far as it once did to maintain our 30,000 highway miles.

Information on MDOT’s “Unfunded Highway Projects” can be found here.

Also: MDOT directors comment on the underfunding here.