Vision 21

Updates

[Apr 17] MDOT has released a press release describing Vision 21.
[Apr 2] The conference report has arrived (also in PDF) and has been agreed to by both chambers, and it's a doozie. Highlights (in addition to what was already in both bills... virtually nothing seems to have been dropped):
- MS 7 will eventually be four-laned all the way from Greenwood to the Tennessee line. Coupled with US 49E being four-laned from Yazoo City to U.S. 82, the "U.S. 47" corridor may yet become a reality.
- MS 8 will be four-laned all the way from Rosedale to Grenada.
- MS 57 will be four-laned all the way from I-10 to U.S. 98.
- A piece of MS 368 is deleted from the state highway system.
- MS 477 (West Rankin Parkway) will be built with federal and local funds exclusively.
- Any section proposed can be built as a fully-controlled access highway (freeway/Type I expressway), if deemed necessary. (The U.S. 82 Greenville Bypass, some U.S. 49 projects, and MS 304 are already planned to be freeways.)
- The toll roads idea goes to a study committee to recommend any legislation that might be worth adopting next year.
- A few of the "other improvement" projects have been dropped from various versions of the bill.
Eventually this page will be reorganized to reflect the final legislation.
[Mar 27] Conferees on the Vision 21 bill have been named: from the Senate, Robert Dearing (D-Natchez), Bill Minor (D-Holly Springs), and Carl Gordon (D-Okolona); from the House, J.P. Compretta (D-Bay St. Louis), Randy Mitchell (D-New Albany), and Randy "Bubba" Pierce (D-Leakesville).
[Mar 21] As expected, Vision 21 is headed to a conference committee as SB 2058/HB 1667.
[Mar 12] SB 2578 (the original Senate) plan is dead in the House, but most of it has come back to life as the Senate's proposed amendment to HB 1667. The most notable change is that the Senate is adding the toll roads proposal.
I have also prepared a table comparing the included projects in the House and Senate versions of the bill; you can see it here. (The House's proposed amendment to SB 2058 identifies the same projects as HB 1667 as passed by the house.)
[Feb 17] I have formulated an alternative, "pie in the sky" proposal; you can read it on this page.
[Feb 15] The House version has also been amended to include the following additional projects:
- The U.S. 90 improvements are now slated for Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson counties, not just Ocean Springs.
- MS 7 will be four-laned from Greenwood to Grenada.
- MS 25 will be four-laned from Iuka to the Tennessee line.
- MS 25 will be four-laned from Alt US 45 to Aberdeen.
- MS 16 will be four-laned from MS 25 to Canton.
An amendment to four-lane MS 3 from Tutwiler to MS 304 failed to pass.
[Feb 11] The Senate version has blossomed even more construction as of today, when 17 of 18 proposed amendments were added. The following routes are added to the "general improvements" list outlined below:
- MS 3 from Tutwiler to US 61
- MS 8 from I-55 to US 45
- MS 11 from US 98 to US 59 (sic)
  (i.e. MS 11 from US 98 to I-59)
- MS 12 from Kosciusko to I-55
- MS 16 from MS 39 to Philadelphia
- MS 16 from MS 39 to US 45
- MS 39 from DeKalb to NAS Meridian
- MS 43 from MS 26 to Picayune
- US 49 from Tutwiler to Clarksdale
- US 49E from Yazoo City to Tutwiler
- US 49 (sic) from Indianola to Clarksdale
  (i.e. US 49W from Indianola to Tutwiler)
- MS 50 from MS 15 to the Alabama line
- MS 69 from Columbus to the Alabama line
- MS 315 from MS 35 to MS 6
- MS 389 from Starkville to MS 15
- MS 563 from US 61 to MS 33
- MS 567 from MS 24 to US 98
- MS 570 from Liberty to I-55
- MS 584 from Liberty to I-55
- MS 603 from I-10 to Kiln/Delisle Rd
The only amendment that failed was an attempt to include US 49 & US 49W from Clarksdale to Indianola in the Four Lane Highway Program as an immediate priority.
[Feb 7] The deadline for committee amendments in the state legislature has come and gone, and two very different versions of the Vision 21 proposal have emerged.
The House version requires four-laning on MS 6 from Clarksdale to Batesville and on MS 15 from I-10 to the Tennessee state line to commence immediately upon the completion of Phase III, with the following projects to be prioritized along with the Gaming Roads projects previously authorized and "nonprogram highways" (presumably the other route improvements authorized by law but not included in these statutes):
- MS 12 from I-55 to Kosciusko
- MS 19 from Collinsville to Kosciusko
- MS 25 from Aberdeen to Fulton and from the Alabama line to US 72
- US 61 from Redwood to Leland
- MS 24/48 from Woodville to McComb
- MS 35 from the Louisiana line to Foxworth
- MS 27 from I-20 to I-55
- MS 57 from I-10 to Van Cleave
- MS 7 from I-55 to MS 9W
The House version also includes new projects in the Gaming Roads program for improvements to US 90 through Ocean Springs.
The Senate version is substantially longer. It requires contracts to be let by MTC (the Mississippi Transportation Commission) "as soon as it is possible to do so" for four-laning of MS 15 from I-10 to the Tennessee state line, MS 6 from Clarksdale to Batesville, and MS 6 from MS 9 to US 45. In addition, it states that MTC should produce a schedule of priorities for all projects previously authorized in the Gaming Roads program and other statutes, as well as the following immediate needs:
- I-55 beginning at or near Hernando and extending northerly to the Tennessee state line.
- MS 304 from US 61 to I-55
- US 82 Greenville Bypass from the new bridge to Stoneville
- MS 25 from US 45 to MS 23, in accordance with the "Monroe County Parkway" plan.
- US 278 from Amory to US 45
- MS 41 from US 45 to Okolona
- MS 9 from MS 6 to US 78
- MS 25 from the Itawamba county line (which one?) to US 72
- MS 35 from Forest to Hillsboro
- MS 35 from MS 487 to MS 25
- MS 16 from I-55 to Philadelphia
- I-20 from the Mississippi River Bridge to US 61
- A two-lane route from the Port of Vicksburg to US 61
- I-20 from Clinton-Raymond Road to MS 18
- I-20 along the I-55 duplex
- I-55 from I-20 to High Street in Jackson
- I-55 from Elton Road to I-20 south of Jackson
- I-59 around Hattiesburg
- MS 43 from the Hancock County Line to I-59
- An Interstate Highway along MS 601 from US 90 to I-10
- Interstate Highway segments along US 49 from I-10 to Lyman, around Hattiesburg; from Florence to I-20.
- $100 million in improvements on existing US 49
- I-20/59 through Meridian to MS 39
- MS 67 from I-10 to US 49
- MS 605 from I-10 to MS 67
- MS 43 from the existing four-lane north to Kiln
- MS 24/48 from MS 33 south to MS 33 north
- MS 24/48 from MS 569 to I-55
- MS 27 from I-55 to I-20
- MS 57 from I-10 to Vancleave. (Or is it Van Cleave? The bills disagree...)
- MS 19 from Collinsville to Philadelphia
- MS 12 from I-55 to US 51
- MS 18 from MS 27 to Raymond
- MS 28 from Fayette to I-55
The following are designated as midrange needs:
- US 49 from US 61 to the Helena bridge
- MS 8 from Rosedale to Ruleville
- MS 25 from the end of the existing four-lane to the Tishomingo county line
- MS 25 from MS 23 to US 78
- A highway segment along or near Kosciusko and extending northeasterly to or near Ethel; then beginning at or near Weir and extending northeasterly to or near Mississippi 15; then beginning at or near Longview and extending northeasterly to or near Starkville.
- MS 35 from Hillsboro to MS 487
- MS 35 from MS 25 to MS 12
- MS 16 from MS 25 to BIA Road 22
- MS 22 from Edwards to Canton
- I-55 from I-220 to Canton
- I-20 from US 61 to the Flowers Interchange
- I-20 from MS 18 to I-55 south
- I-20 from I-55 north to US 49
- MS 43 from Kiln to Flat Top Road
- US 98 from US 84 to I-55
- MS 24/48 from Woodville to MS 33 south
- MS 24/48 from MS 33 north to MS 569
- MS 12 from US 51 to Koscisko
- A highway segment beginning at or near Ethel and extending northeasterly to or near Weir; then beginning at or near Mississippi 15 and extending northeasterly to Longview.
The following long-range needs are designated:
- MS 19 from MS 15 to Kosciusko
- I-55 from Senatobia to Hernando
- I-20 from the Flowers Interchange to Clinton-Raymond Road
- I-20 from the Brandon Crossgates Interchange to MS 43
- I-55 from the High Street interchange to MS 25
- I-55 from Terry to the Elton Road interchange
- I-20 from Chunky to I-59
- I-20/59 from MS 39 to Toomsuba
- MS 43 from Flat Top Road to the Pearl River county line
- MS 16 from I-55 to US 49
- US 61 from Redwood to US 82
- MS 4 from US 61 to I-55
- Lakeshore Road from US 90 to South Beach Blvd
- A highway segment beginning at or near Ellisville and extending northerly to or near the northern city limits of Laurel.
- I-110 from US 90 to I-10
In addition, the highway commission is directed to consider improvements (not necessarily four-laning) on the following routes:
- MS 3 from US 61 to US 49W
- MS 7 from MS 9W to I-55
- MS 7 from US 82 to I-55
- MS 8 from US 49W to I-55
- MS 9 from MS 7 to US 82 (sic)
  (i.e. MS 9W from MS 7 to MS 9, and MS 9 from MS 9W to US 82)
- MS 9 from MS 6 to US 78 (this seems to be duplicated from above)
- MS 12 from US 61 to I-55
- MS 12 from US 82 to the Alabama line
- MS 12 from Ackerman to Sturgis
- MS 12 from US 49W to US 61
- MS 15 from I-10 to US 98
- MS 15 from MS 18 to I-20
- MS 18 from US 61 to Utica
- MS 18 from US 45 to US 80
- MS 24 from MS 33 to MS 48
- MS 28 from MS 33 to I-55
- MS 28 from US 51 to US 49
- MS 28 from US 84 to US 49
- MS 33 from US 61 to the Louisiana line
- MS 35 from US 49 to I-20
- MS 42 from US 84 to US 49
- MS 48 from MS 35 to US 51
- MS 469 from US 49 to MS 28
- MS 469 from US 49 to MS 468
- MS 550 from MS 28 to I-55
- Old US 45 from Meridian to Marion
MTC is also directed to conduct a feasibility study of a "thoroughfare that encircles" Hattiesburg.
Your guess is as good as mine as to how this mess is going to be sorted out...

Background

Vision 21 is the Mississippi Department of Transportation's proposal to better prioritize construction of the fourth phase of the 1987 Four Lane Highway Program and other projects (including the Gaming Roads Program). Vision 21 also includes a number of "special projects" that MDOT would be unable to build without special federal funding, such as the construction of I-69 through the Mississippi Delta and a freeway upgrade of the U.S. 49 corridor between Jackson and the Gulf Coast. No significant work is expected on these projects until the first three phases of the Four Lane Highway Program are complete in 2006.

The plan is divided into three phases, dependent on projected congestion on the specified routes:

Immediate Needs: routes that already have unacceptable levels of congestion, or will reach unacceptable levels by 2005. (I)
Mid-range Needs: routes expected to have unacceptable levels of congestion between 2006 and 2015. (MR)
Long-range Needs: routes expected to have unacceptable congestion after 2015. (LR)

The cost of the projects (not including the "special projects") would be approximately $3.6 billion, funded by an extension of the gas tax set aside for the Four Lane Highways program, as well as the diversion of some Gaming Roads Program funds to other Vision 21 projects.

Projects

A map [PDF; 2.1 MB] of the routes planned for upgrades is available from MDOT's web site. The routes slated for improvement are listed below, according to the January 7 revision:

MS 4: Four lanes from US 61 just south of Tunica (Tunica County) to I-55 in Senatobia (Tate County). (LR - Gaming Roads)
MS 6/US 278: Four lanes from US 49/61 (Future I-69) near Clarksdale (Coahoma County) to I-55 in Batesville (Panola County). Includes four-lane bypass of Batesville to the south. (LR; see also MS 76).
MS 8: Four lanes from Rosedale (Bolivar County) to Ruleville (Sunflower County). (MR)
MS 12: Four lanes from I-55 near Durant (Holmes County) to Ethel (Attala County); Attala/Choctaw line to Ackerman (Choctaw County); Longview to Starkville (Oktibbeha County). (MR)
- Immediate Needs: I-55 to US. 51 in Durant; approximately 6-8 miles southwest of Starkville.
MS 15: Four lanes from Tennessee State Line (Tippah County) to D'Iberville (Harrison County). (LR)
- Immediate Needs: Walnut (Tippah County) to Algoma (Pontotoc County); New Houlka to MS 389 (Chickasaw County); Ackerman to south of Philadelpha (Neshoba County); Decatur to I-20 (Newton County); Bay Springs (Jasper County) to Laurel (Jones County).
- Mid-range Needs: Remainder of route between Walnut and MS 50 (Webster County); between Philadelpha and Decatur; from I-20 to Newton/Jasper line; from Louin to Bay Springs.
- Note: Between US 98 and MS 26, MS 15 will initially be built with 2 traffic lanes, with right-of-way for eventual widening to 4 lanes.
MS 16: Widening from Wiggins (Leake County) to Philadelphia. (MR - Gaming Roads)
- Immediate Needs: From Choctaw Reservation to Philadelphia.
- Note: In Leake County, passing lanes and turn lanes may be built instead of four-laning between Carthage and the Neshoba line.
MS 18: Four lanes from Utica to Raymond. (MR)
MS 19: Four lanes from Kosciusko to Collinsville (Lauderdale County). (LR)
- Immediate Needs: Philadelphia to Collinsville.
I-20: Widening from Mississippi River to Pelahatchie (Rankin County); reconstruction from Newton/Lauderdale line to Toomsuba (Lauderdale County). (LR)
- Immediate needs: widening/reconstruction through Vicksburg; from Clinton to MS 18; from I-55 to US 49; from Pearl to Brandon; pavement reconstruction (no widening) through Meridian (from I-59 merge to MS 19 interchange).
- Mid-Range Needs: remainder of route from Clinton to Pearl.
MS 22: Four lanes from I-20 at Edwards (Hinds County) to Canton (Madison County). (MR)
MS 24: Four lanes from Woodville to Centreville, Wilkinson County (MR); from Liberty (Amite County) to McComb (Pike County) (I). See also MS 48.
MS 25: Four lanes from Iuka (Tishomingo County) to Aberdeen (Monroe County), including a fully controlled-access route ("Monroe County Parkway") from the Monroe/Itawamba County line to south of Becker. (MR)
- Immediate Needs: Iuka to Tishomingo/Itawamba line; Smithville to Aberdeen.
MS 27: Four lanes from I-20 at Vicksburg to I-55 at Crystal Springs (Copiah County). (I)
MS 35: Four lanes from Kosciusko to MS 21 at Forest (Scott County) (MR); from Foxworth to Louisiana State Line (LR).
- Immediate Needs: reconstruction through Carthage; widening from Hillsboro to Forest.
MS 42: Four lane relocation from US 49 to I-59 north of Hattiesburg.
MS 43: Four lanes from Picayune (Pearl River County) to I-10 (Hancock County). (LR - Gaming Roads)
- Immediate Needs: near Picayune and Kiln.
- Medium-Range Needs: north of Kiln.
MS 48: Four lanes from Centreville to Liberty (I/MR). See also MS 24.
US 49: Four lanes from Helena Bridge to US 61 (Future I-69) (MR - Gaming Roads). Freeway from I-20 (Rankin County) to Gulfport (SP).
- Immediate Needs: Freeway bypasses of Magee and Lyman.
- If funding for freeway construction is unavailable, reconstruction of the old two-lane carriageway (primarily the current southbound lanes) is likely.
I-55: Widening from Tennesssee State Line to Senatobia (LR); from Canton to I-220 (MR); from MS 25 to Terry (LR).
- Immediate Needs: Tennessee State Line to Hernando; Exit 96A to Byram (Hinds County)
MS 57: Four lanes from I-10 to Vancleave (Jackson County). (I)
I-59: Widening/reconstruction through Hattiesburg and Laurel. See also I-20. (LR)
US 61: Four lanes from US 82 at Leland (Washington County) to Redwood (Warren County). (LR) See also Future I-69.
MS 67: Four lanes from US 49 to I-110 at D'Iberville (Harrison County). (I - Gaming Roads)
I-69: Freeway from Tennessee State Line to Arkansas State Line. Includes construction of Great River Bridge. (SP) See also MS 304.
MS 76/US 278: Four lanes from MS 9 (Pontotoc County) to US 45 at Verona (Lee County). (I) See also MS 6. (Appalachian Corridor V.)
US 82: Freeway bypass of Greenville, including new Greenville River Bridge.
US 98: Four lanes from Bude (Franklin County) to Summit (Pike County).
I-110: Widening from US 90 to I-10 in Harrison County (LR).
- Immediate Needs: near I-10/MS 67 interchange.
MS 304: Freeway from Tennessee state line near Cayce (Marshall County) to US 61 near Robinsonville (DeSoto County). (SP - Gaming Roads)
- Immediate Needs: Freeway from I-55 at Nesbit (DeSoto County) to US 61 near Robinsonville (DeSoto County).
- Note: listed as a "special project"; however, Mississippi Code Section 65-39-1(2)(f) appears to require its construction regardless of whether or not additional federal funds are available.
MS 475: Relocated limited-access connector to Metro Jackson Parkway. (SP)
MS 601: Canal Road/30th Avenue Extension Project in Harrison County ("Central Harrison County Connector"). (I - Gaming Roads)
MS 605: Lorraine/Cowan Road. Four lanes from MS 67 to I-10 in Harrison County. (I - Gaming Roads)
MS 615: Freeway from MS 67 to I-10 in Harrison County ("East Harrison County Connector"). (SP - Gaming Roads)
MS 713: Freeway connector from MS 304 in DeSoto County to MS 3/existing MS 304 in Tunica County. (I)
MS 884: Four lanes from US 61 into Vicksburg. (I - Gaming Roads)
Lakeshore Rd: Four lanes from US 90 to Beach Blvd. (Hancock County)
Metro Jackson Parkway: Limited-access connector from near Exit 96A of I-55 to MS 25 near existing MS 475. (SP)

Note that these projects do not include projects that are in the first three phases of the Four Lane Highway Program but are not yet built. MDOT plans to complete those previous phases in the near future (Phase I is already complete).

Notable Omissions

Vision 21 does not try to prioritize the following projects required by other statutes. Their current status is unknown; the statutes are not repealed by either the House or Senate bill.

Four laning of MS 6 from Amory to US 45 south of Nettleton, including relocation of MS 6 near Nettleton. (65-3-205)
Four laning of MS 7 from MS 6 near Oxford to MS 9W east of Taylor. (65-3-133)
Relocation of MS 30 near Booneville. (65-3-203)
Construction of MS 76 (Appalachian Corridor V) from Fairview to the Alabama state line. (65-3-205)
Construction of US 278 bypass south of Amory. (65-3-201)
Construction of MS 477 (West Rankin Parkway) from MS 25 to US 80. (65-3-137)
Four laning of MS 552 between US 61 and Alcorn State University. (65-3-34)
Four laning of Old US 45 in Meridian and Marion. (65-3-137)

However, the MS 8 and MS 25 projects above are authorized by miscellaneous statutes (code sections 65-3-207 and 65-3-137, respectively).

Other notable omissions:

There are no plans to upgrade MS 7 between Grenada and the MS/TN state line, except south of Oxford, despite its popularity as a bypass route for the Memphis area for traffic headed northeast that cannot take the Natchez Trace. (Some have suggested a "US 47" designation for this route.)
An upgrade of MS 9 from MS 76 to Sherman.
US 72 between the Tennessee line and Mount Pleasant. (MDOT may plan to reroute US 72 over MS 302 and MS 304 when completed, rather than upgrading existing US 72.)
A new route from the US 49/61 intersection at Rich to MS 6 at Marks, coupled with the US 49 and MS 6 upgrades, would make an effective truck bypass of Memphis for traffic headed to Little Rock and other points on the I-40 west corridor.
Improvements to US 78 through New Albany.
Any new east-west corridors along the Gulf Coast.
Widening MS 19 southeast of Meridian.
Improvements to US 82 through Columbus.
Greenville to I-69 connector ("I-169")

Disclaimer

These pages are completely unofficial. The author is not affiliated with any transportation agency. Information is presented for informational purposes only, is derived from publically-available sources, and its accuracy is not guaranteed. In addition, some information presented (usually obvious from its context) is the opinion of the author.