Mississippi Highway 9 Upgrade

[Grzrd]

Since Toyota has resumed construction of the Blue Springs plant ("The plant will be producing the Corolla, instead of the Highlander SUV that was originally intended, or the Prius Hybrid, which Toyota had announced in mid-2008 .... While the plans are to have cars rolling off the lines in late fall 2011", (http://www.thedmonline.com/article/toyota-plant-resume-construction), does anyone know if MDOT has announced a timetable for choosing a four-lane alternative for MS 9 down to Pontotoc?  It sure would be nice for out-of-town SEC fans living in the Georgia/ South Carolina, etc. area to have a four-lane drive all of the way into Oxford (78/I-22, MS 9, MS 6).

Here's a map of the proposed alternatives.

MDOT's discussion of the project:

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is planning to improve sections of SR 9. The proposed improvements would provide a four-lane facility, either on existing or new alignment. There are currently two separate studies being conducted to determine the location of the proposed routes. The southernmost project would begin at SR 6 close to Pontotoc and end at US 78 at Sherman. The northernmost project would begin at US 78 close to Blue Springs and end at US 45 at Guntown.
Improvements to SR 9 are needed because there is limited access to the major roadways and connections that are needed to support economic development. The existing roadways do not meet current design standards to safely carry heavy truck traffic, nor would it effectively handle the projected amount of traffic that will be produced once the Toyota Plant begins production. The purpose of the proposed action is to:
Provide the transportation infrastructure needed to support economic development. Improvements to the existing corridors will support the manufacturing operations of the Blue Springs Toyota plant, which is expected to spur secondary development and economic growth in the region thereby meeting economic development initiatives.
Provide system linkage and connectivity. The proposed routes will improve accessibility to major roadways and other transportation modes by providing direct connections between the Toyota Plant and SR 6, US 78, and US 45.
Provide a safer transportation facility that will handle the projected traffic. The new 4-lane route will meet the current design standards and will safely handle the heavy truck and vehicle traffic that is expected once the Toyota Plant and related industrial facilities begin production.
Fulfill legislative intent. The new four-lane routes will meet legislative mandates intended to improve the MS 9 corridor and support economic development in the northeast Mississippi region.