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Lafayette County a Part of Transportation Infrastructure Update This Summer
“The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has announced updates to several major infrastructure improvement projects in the Northern Transportation District,” said Commissioner Mike Tagert. “The projects are spread throughout DeSoto, Lafayette, Marshall and Tate Counties in the northwestern portion of the state, and will greatly improve safety and mobility in the region.”
Interstate 269 in DeSoto and Marshall Counties
Construction of the Interstate 269 project continues and is on schedule in North Mississippi. The Interstate 269 project is the largest active MDOT construction project in the state. Construction is divided into eight individual sections, and dirt work for all sections except one has been completed.
“Dirt work for the remaining section, from Station 240+00 to Station 525+00, is expected to be completed by in June 2016,” said MDOT District Two Engineer Mitch Turner. “Once dirt work for all sections has been completed, MDOT has two separate paving projects that will be let later this summer, and we anticipate these paving projects to last until fall 2018.”
Once completed, Interstate 269 will form a 30-mile loop around Memphis through Mississippi and Tennessee. In Mississippi, Interstate 269 will begin at the Interstate 55/69 intersection north of Hernando, cross U.S. Highway 78 near Byhalia and continue northeast to the Tennessee state line.
Interstate 269 will relieve traffic pressure on the Interstate 55/69 corridor and connect Interstate 40 and Interstate 55 in North Mississippi. Interstate 40 is a major cross-country freight route, and Interstate 69 will be an international connector between Canada and Mexico.
“I-269 will be a valuable asset, providing a safer and more efficient way for commercial vehicles to move goods through the region,” Tagert said. “As growth continues in DeSoto and Marshall Counties, this new interstate will be vital in promoting economic growth and development in the region. The construction of I-269 will transform the region by connecting local communities in several states and will have far-reaching international implications.”
The first section of Interstate 269, from Mississippi 302 to the Tennessee state line in Marshall County, was opened to traffic on October 23, 2015.
Other major projects in MDOT’s District Two include:
· The replacement of the U.S. Highway 51 Bridge over the Coldwater River in Tate County. This bridge was originally scheduled for replacement in November 2016, however damage sustained to the bridge during a March flood event caused MDOT to close the bridge and move the project timeline forward. The project will replace the existing 1,100 foot bridge with a new 2,000 foot bridge and raise the roadway by four feet to prevent future flooding. MDOT closed the Coldwater River Bridge on March 11. The bridge will remain closed until the replacement project is complete. A signed detour route is in place directing motorists to use Interstate 55 between Hernando and Coldwater. This bridge replacement project has been let to bidders. Once the project contract has been awarded and construction begins, MDOT anticipates the project will be completed in spring 2018.
· The removal of a bridge on Highway 328, approximately two miles west of Highway 7, in Lafayette County. The existing bridge will be removed and replaced with a new drainage structure. Traffic control devices will be in place to identify the closure, and advanced warning message boards will be placed west of Highway 7 and east of Highway 315. MDOT expects this project to begin on Thursday, June 16 and anticipates the project to be complete in early July.
For more information about these MDOT construction projects, visit www.MDOTtraffic.com and like and follow @MississippiDOT on Facebook and Twitter.
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jimmy mcelroy
June 6, 2016 at 4:38 pm
are there any plans to 4 lane highway 7 from holly springs to oxford?
Anonymous
June 7, 2016 at 10:17 am
You people who travel down 7 to 78 going back and forth between Oxford and Memphis need to use 55 and stop putting everyone else in danger! Because you are so important and in a hurry you can’t be bothered by people trying to go the speed limit taking unnecessary chances putting innocent people in danger trying to save a few seconds!