TUPELO, MS — A new section of Mississippi highway is now open to traffic. The newly constructed Corridor V, designated as State Route 76, is located in Itawamba County. The 9-mile four-lane highway connects State Route 25 to State Route 23 in Mississippi.

State Route 76 represents a critical link in a tri-state supply chain. Automobile assembly plants and parts producing facilities dot the landscape in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. These businesses rely on four-lane highways to connect with auto manufacturers. Corridor V will now provide a pathway for the movement of people and goods and expansion for economic development in northeast Mississippi.

“Corridor V represents the right kind of investment in our highway infrastructure, and a coordinated effort that demonstrates how these projects should be done,” said Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Commissioner John Caldwell, Northern Transportation District.  “Interstate commerce will be immediately enhanced, and all of Northeast Mississippi will benefit.”

“The project improves mobility, safety, and economic opportunities for the entire region. Future generations will prosper from the creation of this important four-lane highway,” said Brad White, MDOT Executive Director.

State Route 76 will provide cost savings to suppliers and manufacturers in the northern sections of Mississippi and Alabama. Trucks between Tupelo and Huntsville will no longer have to travel 13 miles on a two-lane highway that previously connected the four-lane sections of the corridor.

The higher speeds on the new four-lane highway with passing lanes and shoulders leads to travel time savings, vehicle operation cost savings, and additional safety benefits.