Utica native Willie Simmons, central commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), said upgrading Vicksburg’s infrastructure is an undertaking often on his mind, especially when projects involve interstate or highway improvements.
“I grew up just about 30 minutes from Vicksburg,” Simmons said while serving as the guest speaker at Wednesday’s Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce September Luncheon. “Whether you are driving or are on a public bus, or whether you have some cargo on the barges coming down, or on the rail coming across, it’s very important to you, because when we don’t do it right, that means there is going to be a disconnect in your community.”
Simmons specifically mentioned upgrades needed to Interstate 20 and its six Vicksburg exits.
“Vicksburg is one of those areas that is on my radar as your commissioner. We’re looking at how we can improve your entire system, going from Highway 61 back over to Highway 27, north and south,” Simmons said. “And that’s going to cost a lot of money. We estimated that, when we’ve fixed all your interchanges here in the Vicksburg area, we’ll be putting close to $800 million in. That’s a challenge for us, because we don’t have $800 million in the bank.”