Mississippi Department of Transportation contractors clusteredaround the bottom of the 130-foot telescopic pole, guiding it as ithung from the giant red crane truck on Interstate 55 Tuesdayafternoon.

Before long, three men on the ground and one operating the cranehad the pole in place and bolted to a cement base where in just afew months it will light the way to Brookhaven for weary travelerson the road.

The long-awaited interstate lighting project is starting to showsome progress at Exit 40, and MDOT officials said the constructionis on schedule to be finished by the November deadline.

MDOT Project Engineer Sidney Snell said the four high-mast,130-foot lights, and 13 low-mast, 40-foot lights along the overpassand the on- and off-ramps at Exit 40 should be done by the November13 projected completion date.

“They’ll do the high-mast poles today, then when they finishthat, they have to finish trenching, as well as the conduits andwiring,” Snell said Tuesday.

Snell said the work could actually be done before November, butat this point he’s being conservative.

“We’re running about right,” he said.

The interstate lighting project had long been something city andcounty officials had hoped for. But almost two years ago exactly,District 39 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had several discussions with MDOTCommissioner Wayne Brown and Executive Director Butch Brown, andmoney was found for the project.

MDOT is fully funding the approximately $500,000 project, but inthe future Brookhaven and Lincoln County will split future costsfor maintenance and electricity. Lincoln County Chancery ClerkTillmon Bishop said he and other local officials are excited aboutthe progress.

“We are very thankful to MDOT for approving the funding for it,and we are looking forward to a lighted interchange much like mostother substantial retail outlets have on I-55 and I-20,” he said.”Before too much longer it’s not going to be dark out thereanymore.”

Meanwhile city officials hope the new lighting will serve as amarker to motorists on I-55 that Exit 40 is a viable place to stopduring their travels, and hopefully bring them off the interstateand into the city to spend money in Brookhaven.

“This is another positive thing that we should feel good aboutfor the future of our community,” said Brookhaven-Lincoln CountyChamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Cliff Brumfield. “Thelights will undoubtedly lure more travelers off the interstate todo business in Brookhaven at night. Plus, new construction isalways a morale booster.”

Currently Brookhaven is one of the only major cities along theI-55 corridor that does not have high-mast lighting illuminating atleast one exit, officials said.

MDOT officials said there could possibly be funding for lightsat Exit 42, but that project and agreement are in the embryonicstages at this point.

“We have an equal interest in Exit 42 not only because of somebusinesses there but because that’s where we have our currentindustrial park exit,” Bishop said. “With both exits, lighting is asafety issue as well as an invitation.”

Brumfield said the progress Brookhaven and Lincoln County havebeen showing recently are an example of what can happen whenleaders put their heads together to accomplish their goals.

“This is a positive for Brookhaven and Lincoln County. Just asLinbrook Businesses Park shows the success we can have wheneveryone works for the common good, so are lights,” Brumfield said.”This has been a joint effort of the Legislature, the city, thecounty, the chamber and MDOT working together for the good of thearea.”

Bishop agreed.

“It helped when we had a legislative group and the city and thecounty and the chamber of commerce get together and say, ‘This issomething that needs to be done,'” he said. “Through a several-yearperiod and quite a lot of work, it’s actually going to happen.”