WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Appropriations Committee approved approximately $486 million in funding to be directed to Mississippi for transportation infrastructure improvements and economic development initiatives, Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) announced today. The Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) and Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bills. Cochran serves as the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee.
“Mississippi’s recent successes in attracting industry and jobs have increased the need for quality transportation infrastructure and reinforced the importance of making our state attractive to businesses. We must continue to ensure that Mississippi’s communities are accessible by both air and surface transportation, and the critical funding included in these bills is essential to helping our state continue to grow.”
The THUD bill would provide $3 million to provide better access to the Northeast Mississippi Toyota plant by expanding Highway 9 to four lanes. Additionally, it includes $4 million for Northside Drive in Clinton, $2.4 million for the Star Landing Road Corridor in DeSoto County, $2.4 million for the Urban Collector Road in Jackson County, $3.3 million for the East Metro Corridor near the Jackson-Evers International Airport in Rankin County, $3.32 million to connect Highway 49 to Highway 7 in Leflore County, $3.8 million for a connector between Highways 51 and 43 in Madison County, $2.2 million for the Statesman Boulevard and Trail at Delta State University, $1.5 million to build a frontage road along I-20 South in Warren County, and $1.5 million to revitalize critical streets in Greenville.
Direct funding for Mississippi airports in the THUD bill includes $16 million for improvements at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, $2.1 million for rehabilitation and extension of taxiways and runways a Jackson-Evers International Airport, $1.5 million for the construction of a tower at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport, and $1.3 million for runway and taxiway improvements at the Tunica Airport. In addition, the bill would provide an increase for the Essential Air Service program, which invests federal funds in rural airports. The Coast Transit Authority would receive $4 million and the City of Jackson’s JATRAN system would receive $1.5 million to assist with bus fleet improvements.
Noteworthy funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development includes $750,000 for the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point, $650,000 to convert Historic Canton High School into the Municipal Center for the City of Canton, $750,000 for the restoration of the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner to its condition during the Emmett Till trials, and $750,000 for the beautification and safety improvement of the public areas in the Fondren District in Jackson.
Additional small business initiatives in the FSGG bill include $1.5 million for industrial site development and planning near the Toyota Plant, $1 million for the Mississippi Technology Alliance’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Services, $500,000 for industrial outreach at Mississippi State University, $500,000 for the innovation center at the University of Mississippi, and $500,000 for the redevelopment of the Lynch Street Corridor at Jackson State University.
The bills will now be submitted for consideration on the Senate Floor.
