MS: State Route 9 – Mississippi’s Road to Toyota

Pontotoc County, MS
Mississippi Department of Transportation’s $87 million State Route 9 Road to Toyota project is helping support regional economic growth by providing Toyota and its suppliers a fast and safe route to its facility in Belden, while also encouraging additional growth and development.To accommodate the new Toyota plant and create better access to the area, MDOT constructed a 9.5-mile four-lane roadway along with 10 bridges and a new interchange. MDOT hoped to have the project completed by December 2012, which challenged MDOT to complete the project in roughly one-third of the usual amount of time. Using the design-build project delivery, MDOT maximized efficiency while minimizing construction time. A goal that seemed unattainable was met after the new highway opened to traffic in July 2012, one year after the groundbreaking and months ahead of schedule.