<p>Nine highway projects in Mississippi and Missouri will receive $9.4 million from the Federal Highway Administration's Delta Region Transportation Development Program (DRTDP), U.S Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced Nov. 23.</p>
<p>"Investments like these will not only improve the safety of the Delta Region's highways, they will also strengthen its economy and put people back to work," said Secretary LaHood.<br /> Created in 2005 as a provision of the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users," the program provides up to $10 million each year for highway projects in the eight states comprising the Delta Region --Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.<br /> <br />Projects receiving DRTDP funds this year include:</p>
<p><strong>Missouri</strong><br /></p>
<ul>
<li>Poplar Bluff - $2,102,386 to help build bypass around Poplar
Bluff to the Industrial Park to reduce number of large freight carriers
currently using streets downtown and in residential areas.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Shannon and Carter Counties - $950,000 will help build new
shoulders and replace pavement on State Route 60 to extend the useful
life of the westbound lane from Route M in Shannon County to Route C in
Carter County. The route is heavily traveled by an estimated 10,000
vehicles daily, many of which are commercial trucks.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pemiscot County - $950,000 to help upgrade pavement and shoulders
at I-55 interchange at State Route 84. The interchange currently serves
an estimated 19,000 drivers, about half of which are heavy commercial
trucks.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Perry, St. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau Counties - $607,573 will
help to replace pavement and improve shoulders on State Route 61
between Fruitland and Jefferson County.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Stoddard County - $342,418 for paving of several sections of Stoddard County roads which are currently gravel.</li>
</ul>
<p><br /> <strong><br />Mississippi</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Greenwood - $1,425,000 to help a build new connector between U.S. Highways 49/82 and State Highway 7 in the city of Greenwood, which will improve access to downtown Greenwood, local hospital and schools.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hinds County - $1,425,000 to replace pavement on Siwell Road, which will extend the useful life of this segment of road, a key link in the 18-mile-long corridor connecting the Norrell Road Interchange on I-20 to the Byram-Clinton Multimodal Corridor on I-55.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cleveland - $950,000 to help build a new boulevard connecting Highway 8 to Delta State University, relieving traffic in adjacent neighborhoods.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Natchez - $607,623 to help build two miles of shared-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists along St. Catherine Street, Main Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Street and Franklin Street. This project will also widen nearby sidewalks and install curb-ramps for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.</li>
</ul>
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