MDOT officials have espoused over and over that MDOT is required to build an elevated, six-lane, limited access expressway from I 10 to Highway 90. This is not true. MDOT has two programs that it primarily builds roads under: The 1987 Four Lane Program that is funded by taxes on gasoline, license plates, contractors, federal aid, and state bonds; and the Gaming Road Program that is funded by taxes on gaming activities which raises a maximum of $36 million per year through 2011 for a total of approximately $540 million plus as well as the authority to issue up to $325,000,000 in general obligation bonds. Unfortunately, The 1987 Four Lane Program did not include any Coast projects except for Highway 15. Therefore, any improvements done on the Coast have to be done under The Gaming Road Program or some other source not yet appropriated. The Gaming Road Program (Sec.65-39-1 Mississippi Code) authorizes MDOT to “conduct feasibility studies..select routes..perform preliminary engineering, acquire right-of-way..,construct and/or reconstruct and improve existing or new highways, roads, streets..including two-lane, four-lane and multilane roads, perform intersection improvements, provide signal re-timing, turnbay extensions, additional interchanges and other traffic modifications.” Nowhere does it say a six-lane, elevated, limited access expressway is required. The above statute specifically authorizes the construction of an “East Harrison County Connector from U.S. 90 to I 10 to be located between the Cowan-Lorraine Road interchange and the I 110 interchange.” Section 65-39-2 required MDOT to do a feasibility study, in regard to the improvements, set forth under 65-39-1 mentioned above. The study was done in 1996 by Baker Consultants. |
