Maps and charts showing new-highway route alternatives mean nothing if no money’s available to build new four-lanes, but two heavily attended public hearings last week measure the depth of interest in new highways related to the Toyota plant’s development and other economic opportunity.
Hundreds turned out to see preliminary route possibilities developed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation for Highway 9 and Highway 348.
A special $2.9 million federal appropriation paid for the environmental and route assessments for Mississippi Highway 9 from Mississippi 6 near Pontotoc to Sherman, and for Mississippi 9/Mississippi 348 from Blue Springs to near Guntown.