The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is pleased to announce that a signage ceremony for Interstate 22 has been scheduled for Friday, October 23 at 10:30 a.m. in New Albany, MS. The signage ceremony will take place at the BNA Park (Tennis and Soccer Complex) located at 216 West Bankhead Street in New Albany.
In attendance for the signage ceremony will be Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert and U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker.
U.S. 78 was congressionally designated as a future interstate corridor and will connect to Interstate 269 in Mississippi once construction is complete. MDOT’s application to change U.S. 78 to Interstate 22 has been sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for final approval.
“As expansion and growth continue in North Mississippi, I-22 will play a vital role in promoting safety and economic development throughout the region,” said Tagert. “I-22 will connect local communities in Northeast Mississippi to the future I-269 corridor located in Marshall and Desoto counties.”
The process to designate an interstate is typically a lengthy one, but changes were introduced in the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21) allowing states to request an interstate designation once the route meets federal standards and there are plans for the route to connect to the existing interstate system within 25 years. U.S. 78 meets these requirements. It was built to federal standards and connects to the existing interstate system in Tennessee.
For more information, visit MDOTtraffic.com, download the free MDOT Traffic mobile app from the App Store or Google Play store or call 511.
