A long-awaited push to ease traffic on one of DeSoto County’s busiest roads got a major boost Monday. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced a $44 million federal grant for I-55 DeSoto County widening. The money will help expand the I-55/I-69 corridor from Church Road to about one mile north of State Route 302 (Goodman Road), turning a four-lane stretch into a 10-lane interstate.
The award comes from the federal Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program, better known as INFRA. That program was funded through the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Wicker’s office said the senator worked with DeSoto County leaders and the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to secure it.
What the I-55 DeSoto County Widening Includes
The project covers the stretch of I-55/I-69 that runs past Southaven and Horn Lake between the Church Road and Goodman Road interchanges. According to the announcement, the plan calls for:
Three new travel lanes in each direction, taking the corridor from four lanes to ten
Changes at the Church Road interchange, including added ramp and turning lanes
Changes at the SR 302 (Goodman Road) interchange, with longer lanes for merging on and exiting the interstate
Longer acceleration and deceleration lanes give drivers more room to match highway speeds or slow down safely. That matters on a road where rush-hour backups near Goodman Road are a daily headache for commuters heading to and from Memphis.
Why It Matters for DeSoto County
DeSoto County is one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing counties. I-55 is its main north-south route, carrying commuters, shoppers and a heavy load of freight trucks between Memphis and the rest of the state. Growth in Southaven, Horn Lake, Olive Branch and Hernando has put more cars on the road every year.
“DeSoto County has posted impressive growth numbers for years, and this roadway funding is an investment in its continued success,” Wicker said in the announcement.
MDOT Executive Director Brad White said the grant will help the agency move a critical capacity project forward. He added that it will make travel safer and cut congestion along an important freight corridor.
What Comes Next
The announcement did not include a construction start date or a full project cost. Big interstate projects like this usually go through design, right-of-way and bidding before crews break ground. DeSoto County News will follow MDOT’s timeline and share updates on lane closures and construction schedules when they are released.
In the meantime, drivers can check current work zones and traffic conditions on MDOT’s MDOT Traffic site.
