Shuqualak can expect to see road repairs in the future

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI.) – In Noxubee County, town of Shuqualak hasn’t seen freshly paved streets in several years.

But that could soon change.

The town of Shuqualak is home to about 560 people.

Even though it’s a small town, it has at least one “big city” problem, streets in need of serious repair.

Half a million dollars from the state legislature could soon help with that issue.

Mayor of Shuqualak Velma Jenkins said it all started with a letter.

“I wrote a letter to Washington, D.C. and I outlined in the letter what our needs were. We have several streets that need repair and we are so grateful, so grateful that we have been awarded the $500,000 and we look forward to repairing those streets,” said Jenkins.

It’s been 20 years since the last major paving project.

When you travel down Residence, Oak, or Jackson Street you are met with gaping holes and crumbling infrastructure.

One of the main reasons is heavy truck traffic.

They have been using routes that weren’t built to carry so much weight.

“A lot of trucks come in and out of here. We have many small businesses who own trucking companies so they use our streets, and those streets have been kinda worn down. We are going to, since we didn’t get enough money to do it all, we’re going to start with those streets that’s in worse repair and go from there,” said Jenkins.

Senator Sampson Jackson and State Representative Carl Mickens helped steer the money towards Noxubee County.

“Our probation committee they get together with Senate appropriation and House of Representative appropriation and decide on what type funding they will be able to make. Overall I think this is a big deal for a town the size Shuqualak,” said Mickens.

Mayor Jenkins said there is still some paperwork to complete, but she’s looking forward to starting work on the project.