HYDE-SMITH: $51.1 MILLION WILL FUND THREE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN RANKIN, HANCOCK & HARRISON COUNTIES

HYDE-SMITH: $51.1 MILLION WILL FUND THREE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN RANKIN, HANCOCK & HARRISON COUNTIES

U.S. Transportation Department Approves FY2026 BUILD Grant Funding for Mississippi

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), chair of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced the award of $51.1 million in federal transportation grant funding for projects in Rankin, Hancock, and Harrison counties.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding three FY2026 Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants to Mississippi, including: $24 million to the City of Brandon for its U.S. Highway 80 Capacity and Safety Improvements Project; $22.1 million to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for an I-10 Freight Corridor Parking Availability System (TPAS) and Truck Parking Expansion Project; and $5.0 million grant to the City of D'Iberville for its Mallett Road Intermodal Corridor Improvements Project.

"There's no doubt that growth in the capital region and on the beautiful Gulf Coast requires significant infrastructure investments to keep pace and prepare for even greater growth. These BUILD grants for work in Rankin, Hancock, and Harrison counties are terrific news in terms of making Mississippi safer and accommodating to economic growth," Hyde-Smith said. "I appreciate Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's consideration of these projects, which will make a big difference in my state."

Hyde-Smith wrote letters of support for Mississippi applications for these BUILD grants, which will support surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact.

The City of Brandon project will involve roadway, pedestrian, and intersection improvements on U.S. Highway 80, including the addition of one west-bound lane, installation of a raised median with designated left-hand turn lanes, and sidewalk construction.

The MDOT project in Hancock County will involve construction of truck parking and technology improvements along the I-10 Corridor at the Hancock County Welcome Center. It will expand truck parking capacity from 20 to approximately 74 spaces, while the TPAS will be used to detect, monitor, and provide real-time truck parking availability information to truck drivers. The project is needed to alleviate the problem of semitrucks parking on the highway or other inappropriate sites.

The City of D'Iberville project will entail widening Mallett Road from Lamey Bridge Road to Daisy Vestry Road from three to four 11-foot-wide traffic lanes, intersection improvements, and crosswalk installation.

The BUILD grant program is highly competitive, with hundreds of applications from across the country. Projects for BUILD are evaluated based on merit criteria that include safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, environmental sustainability, state of good repair, innovation, and partnership.

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