What is up with Mississippi?

[Gnutella]

- US 49, are they ever going to upgrade this to a freeway from Jackson to Hattiesburg, or are they just going to keep building the redlights.

MDOT is currently widening a portion of US 49 to six lanes in Rankin County, but I believe it is just that; no upgrading it to a freeway.

That segment in Rankin County is in bad shape too, with lots of hobby-horsing. It's a much-overdue upgrade.

[golden eagle]

Re: US 49, the central Mississippi highway commissioner once floated the idea years ago of upgrading to an interstate, but it was just talk.

It wasn't just talk.  It became part of "Vision 21" that was passed by the state Legislature in 2002.  Of course, the Legislature's refusal to raise taxes or find other funding to build out "Vision 21" is a big reason it hasn't gone anywhere.

I had also heard of a proposal to build an interstate from Jackson to the coast, and that the proposed I-310 could possibly serve as the southern leg of it.