Work on Several Mississippi Highways Delayed

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Department of Transportation is delaying work on several highway expansion projects because of a tight state budget.

Director Melinda McGrath tells lawmakers Friday that the department is spending money on existing highways rather than new ones.

Among the projects on hold are improvements to a section of Interstate 55 that regularly becomes clogged just north of Jackson and the widening of I-55 in a busy area in Hernando.

Also on hold are highway bypasses at Greenville and Philadelphia; and completion of four-lane highway projects in Oxford and between Ocean Springs and Gautier.

Some lawmakers want to increase gasoline taxes to help pay for roads and bridges, but Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who’s one of the top budget writers, wants the transportation department to focus on saving money.