The Mississippi Department of Transportation has requested $400 million of additional funding annually over the next 10-15 years to begin the rebuild of state roads, highways and bridges.
At a press conference earlier today Northern Transportation Commissioner, Mike Tagert referenced the importance of fixing this element of the state’s infrastructure for public safety, job creation and economic/community development.
“If additional funding is not secured numerous paving, bridge and capacity projects, as well as safety improvements, will not be constructed. We simply do not have the dollars,” Tagert said. “We’re not talking about bells and whistles and extra needs. We’re talking about adequate roads and bridges, asphalt, concrete and steel to make our system better.”
The current system used by MDOT was constructed in 1987, and while the system created many new miles of highway and connected numerous communities, the system is beginning to show its age. MDOT oversees 30,000 miles of highway, 11,000 of which need to be repaired or replaced. Also hindering the state’s system are 900 bridges that need to be reconstructed.
“Today’s funding for Mississippi’s transportation system is leading the crumbling of our system. A system that was built back in 1987. At that time it was one of the most comprehensive systems in the country. The bill did many things but it didn’t provide a future funding mechanism for preserving the very system that we built,” Tagert said. “Imagine if your paycheck reverted back to 1987, that is the dollars for which this agency must deal with and has to maintain. Rising construction costs and again infrastructure means that MDOT will not longer be able to maintain and keep pace with the condition and the detection of the system.”
This request comes after there have been talks of cutting MDOT’s budget by $50 million, a decision that would put the highway system in further jeopardy.
“At the request of Legislative leadership, MDOT provided a list of transfers that fund non-highway programs at other state and local agencies totaling $50 million,” Tagert said in a press release. “These non-highway programs are mandated, but unfunded, and must be paid out of MDOT’s budget. If MDOT could use these funds on highways, an immediate increase of $50 million would be spent on state-owned rural roads.”
The current budgetary crisis was echoed by Southern Transportation Commissioner, Tom King. King says that MDOT will continue to do what they can, but they can only do so much.
“MDOT is utilizing its funding to meet the state-owned transportation system’s greatest needs; however, the condition of roads continues to deteriorate faster than the state has the funding to improve them,” King said. “During our most recent legislative information request, MDOT produced research information indicating an additional $400 million annually for 10 to 15 years is needed to halt the deterioration and restore the state-owned highway system for Mississippi to remain economically competitive and reduce fatalities.”
Public safety was another focus of MDOT’s request to fix the transportation system across the state. The release issued by MDOT noted that 677 Mississippians were killed on the state’s roads in 2016, and if roads get worse, the worry is that that number will rise.
Fixing the roads and bridges across the state of Mississippi takes a lot of workers, and Tagert believes that’s a good thing.
“We sit on one of the largest job programs our state has ever seen if we invest in road and bridge infrastructure in our state,” Tagert said.
MDOT’s entire press release along with a list of underfunded projects can be read here.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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