Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown sayshighway officials are putting earlier financial woes in the rearview mirror, but more help is needed from the legislature as theywork to improve Mississippi roads.

“The problems we had are behind us for the time being,” Brownsaid Tuesday while speaking to the Brookhaven Noon Lions Club.

However, Brown said challenges lie ahead, and the biggest ismaintenance funds for existing and newly-constructed roads as partof the 1987 Four-Lane Project. He said funds are needed to maintainover 600 miles of new roads done as part of the project, with over300 more miles under contract for construction.

“We’re going to have to have it,” Brown said about maintenancefunding.

Citing statistics for the last nine years, Brown said stateroads have seen a 99 percent increase in large truck traffic, a keyfactor in determining road specifications, and a 36 percentincrease in car traffic. The average over the period is a 55percent increase.

Yet the population in that time increased only 7 percent, Brownsaid. The increased traffic is taking its toll on roadways.

“We’re falling desperately behind on these roads out there,”Brown said.

Brown said Mississippi leads the nation in traffic deaths. Thegood news, though, is that efforts such as the four-lane project toreduce totals are paying off, and the state is making more progressthan any other state in that area.

Increased funding for maintenance is one of three issuestransportation officials hope the legislature will address when itconvenes in January.

Others include authorization to allow the commission to borrowroad funds on a short-term basis and more flexibility in how tospend road funds.

“So much of our money is compartmentalized,” Brown said aboutboth state and federal funds that are designated for use inspecific areas.

Brown said cities and counties are able to move money from onefund to another. He said the transportation commission should beallowed the same option.

Discussing earlier problems, Brown indicated that they wereblown out of proportion. He said the department had funds in thebank, yet they were designated for projects under contract or forother areas.

Also, Brown said good weather played a role in spending ofproject funds. It allowed road projects to be moved up, and thathelped contribute to the money crunch.

“It doesn’t take many months before you run into big money,”Brown said.

In local matters, Brown said the state had spent $39 million onroad and bridge projects in Lincoln County over the last fiveyears. In the next five years, he said another $23 million inplanned to be spent.

Brown said Lincoln County is fortunate to have both majornorth-south and east-west highways running through it.

“It’s really a major economic benefit for the community,” Brownsaid.