When Willie Simmons was first elected as transportation commissioner for the central district in Mississippi, one of the first things he discovered was a glaring disparity when it came to infrastructure spending in the Delta versus other parts of the state.
Since 2020, Simmons has been on a mission to bring more of those transportation dollars to his home region, and one of the biggest projects he has pushed is the completion of the U.S. 82 bypass in Greenville.
The project went cold years ago, mostly due to budget constraints, but Simmons pulled it off the shelf a little over four years ago, and with the help of Rep. Bennie Thompson, the money was found for Phase I, and Phase II should be completed by the fall of 2025, according to Eutaw Construction, the contractor in charge of the bypass work.
“It’s going to have an impact on economic development in this particular area, and it does good for the region,” Simmons told The Enterprise-Tocsin after Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony at the Greenville Higher Education Center. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from Sunflower, Bolivar or Washington counties, Sharkey or Issaquena, all are going to benefit because this project that we are doing, when completed, is going to see growth.”
Prior to taking a gold shovel and digging a piece of dirt as is normal groundbreaking ritual, Simmons offered a few remarks, and also a warning for Mississippi leaders.
“I have a list, and I’m coming,” Simmons said.
Thompson said that finding the money for this project, and voting for transportation projects in general, is a no-brainer for him.
“This is catch-up for the Delta,” Thompson told The E-T in an interview. “But it’s not the end.”
Simmons said that the bypass project should help to spur economic development for Washington County and the City of Greenville.
“There’s no question,” Simmons said. “Any community that prospers has transportation. That means that they not only have good roads, but they have ways of getting people from home to work to the hospital and other places. This is an investment to bringing the Delta forward to where it should have been a long time.”
Simmons said that at least a few of the projects on his list include Sunflower County.
The stretch of U.S. 82 going through Indianola, he said, is slated to be paved next year, but he did note that the city has to complete some infrastructure work of its own around the highway in order for that project to get underway.
He also said that the Mississippi Department of Transportation will be replacing the Sunflower River bridges on the eastern side of 82 outside of Indianola.
He said there is also a plan to place a four-lane traffic light at the intersection of Highways 8 and 49 in Ruleville. Also in Ruleville, work is ongoing, thanks to an MDOT TAP grant, on a sidewalk project that will stretch from the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden to the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Center.
MDOT is also working a bridge replacement project between Ruleville and Cleveland on Highway 8.
“Sunflower County is going to be in pretty good shape,” Simmons said.
Thompson noted that he is pleased to see so much movement in the Delta when it comes to its highways and bridges.
“(Simmons) has taken full control of this project,” Thompson said. “He’s from this area. He understands the trials and tribulations that go with lack of transportation opportunities.”
Thompson and Simmons said they are excited about what lies ahead, particularly when it comes to Highway 61, which runs parallel to the Mississippi River.
“The goal is for it to be four-lane from the Tennessee line all the way down to the Louisiana line,” Thompson said. “It’s just a matter of completing the task. The only incomplete part of it is that part that is in the Mississippi Delta. We have to finish the job.”
