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The North/South Connectors that were to run between I 10 and Highway 90 in Biloxi and Gulfport. The connectors were authorized by the Legislature in February 1997 as affordable, four-lane, ground level highways which MDOT turned into unaffordable six lane, overhead expressways that would cut swaths across the communities doing more harm than good. Beginning in 1998, citizens, some public officials, boards, and commissions, in numerous public meetings and forums, were saying these type connectors were “too big, too ugly, and too expensive.” MDOT’s proposals would have absorbed too much of limited resources, yield too little results when there were a number of critical needs, which MDOT refused to take into account. The details will be set forth in this article.
The big question is, can the MDOT obstacle be overcome and the transportation system be fixed so that life and a main economic engine for the state can be started once again? The answer is yes, but to arrive at a solution, first there has to be and understanding of what we are dealing with. So, we start with understanding the MDOT culture and how it works..
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