JACKSON, MS — The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is launching one of its most significant infrastructure investments in recent years with the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridors Improvement Project, also known as “The Big Fix.”
“This transformative initiative will modernize some of the state’s most heavily traveled corridors, enhancing safety, improving mobility, and extending the life of many interstate bridges throughout the Jackson-metro,” Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons said. “The Big Fix represents a comprehensive investment in central Mississippi’s network, focusing on the busy I-20/I-55 routes that have served as vital arteries for commuters, commercial traffic, and freight movement for over 60 years.”
The project includes I-20 from Wiggins Road to just east of the Pearson Road/SR 468 interchange, I-55 from McDowell Road to north of the High Street interchange (including cross streets and ramps), I-220 from I-20 to the Lynch Street bridge, and U.S. 51 from I-55 to the end of state maintenance north of U.S. 80.
Project components include:
- The rehabilitation and modernization of 36 bridges to strengthen and extend their life spans, improving long-term reliability
- The resurfacing or repair of 32 interstate miles, 16 in each direction totaling 121 lane miles overall, to provide a smoother, safer driving experience
- The installation of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology that will further provide motorists with real-time travel information and traffic updates
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Repairs to the 36 bridges include decks, beams, girder, and epoxy joints. Structural work ranges from bridge deck overlays, rail replacement, shoulder widening, vertical clearance corrections, pile encasement, and bearing replacement. Other bridge work items include structural steel painting, fiber-reinforced polymer wrap application, along with cap cleaning and undersealing, among other work.
Roadway work includes pavement rehabilitation, concrete punchout repairs, mill and overlay, drainage work, slide repairs, shoulder widening, concrete removal and replacement, guardrail replacement, slope repairs, geometry corrections, barrier replacement, and other work items. ITS and other miscellaneous work includes the installation of truss and pedestal-mounted digital message signs, camera installation, fiber extensions, sign truss replacements, safety fencing, tree removal, Smart Work Zone technology, and interchange landscaping, upgrading entrances into the City of Jackson at High Street and State Street.
The project is on track to begin this fall and will last for approximately two and a half years. MDOT has prioritized minimizing traffic inconvenience as much as possible. For the remainder of this year, the traffic impact will be minimal as most work will be performed via lane closures at night and on weekends when possible.
Plans call for two 45-day full interstate shutdowns on I-20, one in each direction. The first is scheduled to take place on I-20 westbound in summer 2027. The second is scheduled on I-20 eastbound during summer 2028.
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During the full shutdown periods, critical work will take place, such as shoulder widening, end wall replacement and repair, barrier work, and full depth pavement removal and replacement, among other work items. Performing this portion under lane closures would be extremely costly and significantly extend the project schedule due to the traffic control measures required.
MDOT and the construction manager/general contractor Yates-Key, A Joint Venture, lead a seven-party project development team spanning federal oversight, owner advisory, design, and independent cost and inspection roles. The total anticipated cost of the project is approximately $400 million.
