The Mississippi Department of Transportation is investing millions in infrastructure projects across east Mississippi and is planning to continue steering funding toward Meridian and Lauderdale County, Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons told county supervisors Monday.

Simmons said the recently completed safety improvement project along Interstate 20 through Meridian was just one example of what MDOT has done in the Queen City and surrounding area. Over the past two years, MDOT has paved Highway 45 from Highway 19 to the Kemper County line, repaired bridges on Highways 80, 45, 493, Vimville-Causeyville Rd, Woods Road and more, awarded multiple bridge projects under the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair program and more.

Marion Mayor Larry Gill and District 2 Supervisor Wayman Newell both thanked Simmons for the $1.1 million ERBR grant to replace a bridge on Dale Drive. The bridge, which is one of the most heavily trafficked in Lauderdale County, has been deteriorating for several years and needed to be replaced.

“That bridge has been in bad shape for a long time,” Newell said.

The Meridian and Lauderdale County area, Simmons said, has the potential for exponential growth. The city is a junction for both two major interstates and two major railroads. It also has an airport, and is looking increasingly likely to have expanded Amtrak service in the near future.

With the opportunities its transportation options provide, Meridian and Lauderdale County are poised to become an ideal location for industries, Simmons said, and that is a good reason to invest in the region’s infrastructure.

“You are in a great position to become a true mega site and one that is going to attract all kinds of business and industry,” he said.

MDOT’s investment, however, is not yet done, Simmons said, and the state agency has committed funding toward the long-awaited expansion of Highway 11/80. The project will include four-laning the road, which leads straight through the county’s industrial park, as well as widening bridges and other needed improvements.

Simmons said a total of $7 million has already been allocated for the project, but additional funding will likely be needed. The agency, however, has already committed to seeing the project through.

“We don’t have a complete cost on that project, but it is on our radar to be done,” he said.

District 3 Supervisor Josh Todd said Simmons has done a “phenomenal job” addressing infrastructure needs in Lauderdale County and east Mississippi during his time in office. Todd said he, as a Republican, has no qualms about voting for Simmons, a Democrat, in the upcoming November election due to his impact on the region.

“I’ve been here 12 years, and I have seen probably more things done in the past four years than I have anywhere,” he said.

Supervisors Jonathan Wells and Kyle Rutledge also thanked Simmons for his work bringing funding and projects to the area.

Looking to the future, Simmons provided supervisors with a list of priority projects he plans to tackle. Among those are the widening of Highway 11/80 between Jimmie Rodgers Parkway and Russell, paving Highway 19 between North Hills Street and Highway 494, replacing three bridges along Highway 80 between Chunky and Meehan, numerous intersection improvements and more.

As state legislators begin to look toward the first of the year, when they will be returning to Jackson to appropriate funding for state agencies, Simmons encouraged supervisors and other officials to urge their delegates to support funding for further infrastructure projects. State and federal funding has given MDOT record amounts to spend, Simmons said, but continued investment is needed to keep and maintain the state’s infrastructure.