Budget cuts over the past few years in the MississippiDepartment of Transportation are showing up here in Lincoln County.Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown sharedthe bad news last month with county officials.

Brown told Lincoln County supervisors MDOT would not be involvedin a lighting project on Interstate 55 interchanges in LincolnCounty due to a lack of funds in the department. The commissionerpointed to budget cuts by the Legislature over the past severalyears as the reason.

Bringing more bad news to supervisors, Brown also downplayed thepossibilities of a new Interstate system linking Georgia and Texas,which would absorb the 84-highway corridor. Brown said the idea haslost its traction and has a poor chance of passing Congress.

While Commissioner Brown has no control over decisions inCongress related to building the I-14 Interstate project, we hopehis office is taking the lead in Mississippi in promoting thatroute with our congressional delegation. A second east-westInterstate would be an economic boom the south Mississippi but alsowould be a tremendous asset to relieve traffic pressure duringhurricane evacuations in the future.

His comments regarding the lighting of the I-55 Interchanges atBrookhaven, however, are a bit problematic.

As we drive along the north-south interstate the length ofMississippi, we have to wonder why Brookhaven has been left out?Much smaller communities such as Terry, Sardis and Batesville toname a few, have the interchange lights.

One can point fingers as to why, but the bottom line is thatsomehow a solution has to be found. As the third-largest communityon I-55 – after Metro-Jackson and McComb – it only makes sense,from a safety standpoint as well as an economic sense, to find away illuminate the gateways to our community.