DeSoto County delivers $2 million for Craft Road widening project
Photo: DeSoto County Supervisor Jessie Medlin presents the City of Olive Branch a check for $2 million for the Craft Road widening project at the Board of Aldermen’s Dec. 16, 2025 meeting. (@cityofob image on YouTube)
OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — Travel between Church Road and College Road is set to become significantly smoother following a major funding boost for the widening of Craft Road.
During a meeting of the Olive Branch Board of Aldermen in December, DeSoto County Supervisor Jessie Medlin presented a $2 million check to Mayor Ken Adams, marking a critical partnership between the city and county to address growing traffic demands.
The funds will be applied toward a $4,184,017.30 contract awarded to Lehman Roberts, the low bidder for the project. While the county is providing $2 million via a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the City of Olive Branch will cover the remaining balance of approximately $2.18 million.
Improving the North-South Corridor
The project aims to transform the current stretch of Craft Road into a five-lane thoroughfare, featuring two lanes in each direction and a dedicated center turn lane. This expansion is a vital step in the city’s long-term vision to create a seamless north-south connector to Interstate 269.
Mayor Adams noted that the improvements are especially timely for local families and commuters.
“Once completed, that’ll be a great add,” Adams said, highlighting that the route is heavily used by residents traveling to and from Lewisburg schools, as well as daily commuters hitting Church Road and I-269.
Construction Timeline and Traffic Impact
City Engineer Andy Swims informed the board that construction is expected to begin as soon as weather conditions permit following the first of the year.
While the project will overlap with the school year, officials have a traffic control plan in place to mitigate delays. Crews will focus on building the outside lanes first to ensure at least two lanes of traffic remain open at all times during the construction phase.
Future Infrastructure Plans
The collaboration between the city and county doesn’t end with Craft Road. Supervisor Medlin also announced that the county recently voted to move forward with a separate MOU for improvements to Bethel Road.
That upcoming project is slated to include widening Bethel Road to five lanes from the hospital to College Road, along with the installation of a new traffic signal and turn lanes at the Bethel and College Road intersection.
Medlin expressed hope that the two entities could eventually partner to widen the final two-mile gap of Craft Road leading to I-269.
“If we could do a joint project and do those two miles together, it would save us a lot of money,” Medlin said. “Hopefully we can get something going on that in a year or so when the funding is there for everybody.”
