Leaders at the Mississippi Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that some of Mississippi’s busiest roadways will undergo major renovations over the next two-and-a-half years as part of a $400-million project.
Called the “Big Fix,” the project will improve roads and bridges on Interstate 20, which runs east-west, and Interstate 55, which runs north-south, in Hinds and Rankin counties. The project, funded with federal and state dollars, will rehabilitate 36 bridges, resurface 32 miles of roadway and deploy new technology to make travel safer.
Willie Simmons, Central District transportation commissioner, said at a press conference that when the interstate system was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, it met all engineering and safety standards at the time. But since then, vehicles have grown larger and traffic has increased.
“Updating this infrastructure today isn’t about correcting the past,” Simmons said. “It’s about keeping pace with today’s demands and tomorrow’s needs.”
The project along I-20 will span from Wiggins Road in Jackson to just east of the Pearson Road interchange in Pearl. The project will also run along I-55 from McDowell Road to north of the High Street interchange in Jackson.
Construction will start next month and is scheduled to conclude toward the end of 2028. Most road closures are expected to occur at night and on weekends to minimize traffic disruption.
Two full interstate closures on I-20 in each direction will occur: one in 2027 and another in 2028. The westbound lane will be shut down for 45 days during the summer of 2027, and the eastbound lane will be shut down for 45 days in the summer of 2028.
Explanation of the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s $400-million renovation of I-55 and I-20 is presented on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, at MDOT headquarters in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayAgency leaders said about 110,000 vehicles travel in this area each day, so the agency has worked with local elected officials, emergency services and industry leaders for years to plan safe alternate routes.
Detour routes have not yet been announced, but it will be posted on the agency’s website as the road closures approach.
Brad White, executive director of MDOT, said the agency decided to renovate the longer stretch of road at one time instead of targeting portions of road piecemeal to save taxpayers money in the long term and reduce the disruption to drivers.
“By doing the project this way, you’re turning a project that otherwise would have taken decades to be built into one that could be done within a two-and-a-half-year time,” White said.
The public can visit GoMDOT.com/TheBigFix for more information and updates about the project.
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