Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Central Commissioner Willie Simmons laid out how roadway and rail line projects could be big boons for the River City while speaking at the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. 

Simmons spoke at length about the need for projects to improve Vicksburg’s Interstate-20 corridor, as well as its six interchanges and areas of highways 61 and 27. But, he also said a possible passenger railway project that would bring people east and west from Atlanta to Dallas could put Vicksburg in the geographical center of a lot of travel.

“Last year, I requested from the other two commissioners that we put a billion dollars into passenger rail,” Simmons said. “And the reason for that is your community is part of the I-20 corridor that we are looking at for passenger rails. The rails start in Atlanta and are coming through Mississippi, but stopping in places like Birmingham, Meridian, Jackson and even Vicksburg. Vicksburg is kind of the lead city right now in that study, because it’s going west into Monroe and eventually into Dallas.”

Simmons said passenger rail travel east and west would couple with the already existing Amtrak line, which runs north and south through Jackson, to allow for significantly more traffic to and through Vicksburg.

“We really are going to be ripe for passengers,” he said. “You could plan a Vicksburg reunion and individuals could come from all over the country on a rail without ever having to get into their car.”

Simmons also addressed upcoming work to the Flowers exit, where Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann told The Post last month work will begin soon to expand the overpass at exit 15.

“We’re going to expand the overpass and add lanes,” Simmons explained. “It’s really going to do a lot for the business community out there.”

Simmons said that contract should be completed next month, with work slated to begin around the beginning of 2025.

Simmons also addressed plans for the Dick Hall Visitor Center slated to replace the current welcome center near the Mississippi River Bridge on Washington Street, although he said not many details are yet available.

“We’ve gotten out of the business of estimating,” he said. “We haven’t met that contract yet, so we can’t tell you when that should start, nor can we tell you when we’ll actually finish it. And we can’t tell you what the total cost will be. We wait and see what the bid is going to come in at, because, with inflation what it is and the cost of things escalating, (the contractors) have to change things up from time to time. So, we wait until we get a good number. I will keep you informed.”