I-269 Seen as Big Boost for North Mississippi

HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) — A $286 million highway construction project is being touted by DeSoto County officials who way it will play a big role in boosting north Mississippi’s economy.

The Interstate 269 project includes about 25 miles of four-lane highway with at least 11 exits from Interstate 55 near Hernando through DeSoto and Marshall counties to the Tennessee state line.

A local newspaper reports that the work, which started in 2011, is slated for completion in the fall of 2015.

I-269 will form a 30-mile loop around Memphis through Mississippi and Tennessee. The route in Mississippi will begin at the I-55/I-69 intersection north of Hernando. It will cross U.S. Highway 78 near Byhalia and continue northeast to the Tennessee line.