Hall urges motorists to use caution

By By William F. West / community editor
July 11, 2002
State Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall said motorists must use common sense while driving on Interstate 20/59 in the Meridian area.
Since mid-May, four wrecks have occurred at construction sites in the Meridian area including a 10-vehicle collision east of Bonita Lakes that left two dead and several others injured on June 20.
Crews on Wednesday replaced I-20/59's aging, green, overhead directional signs with new ones near the point where the two highways split just west of Meridian.
Lanes had to be closed to replace the signs, Hall said.
In other news of interest in Meridian, Hall is optimistic about funding for construction of the I-20/59 interchange at the Meridian-Lauderdale County Industrial Park.
Hall also talked about the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Vision 21 program, a follow-up to the 1987 AHEAD program to four-lane roads statewide.
In East Mississippi, Hall is particularly concerned about future congestion along the two-lane stretch of Highway 19 north from Collinsville to Philadelphia. "That's No. 1," he said.
He also said that he plans to announce a bid soon for construction to improve and widen Highway 16 through the Choctaw Reservation to the junction of Highway 15 southwest of Philadelphia.