The federal infrastructure relief package passed last year renews Mississippi’s 5-year contract with the Federal Highway Administration to conduct road maintenance across the state, and increases the available funding for these projects. In years past, these contracts have allocated the state around $2.6 billion, but this recent bill raises the budget to $3.3 billion for the next five years. Brad White is Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
“So while it’s good that we have extra funds, this wasn’t just a windfall of money that we can do with what we want. It does come with strings attached,” says White. “It does come with the guidelines that we have to follow through federal highway. But it will help us to narrow that gap, once again, in dealing with the needs that we have around the state.”
White says the state is prepared to undertake many projects in the coming years to update the state’s roadways. But many engineers have left the department for higher paying jobs at private firms or out of state. He says the state must hire private contractors to fill these roles, which can sometimes cost three times as much.
White says “For example in the last 12 months we’ve lost 30 engineers. And by virtue of having that loss, it leaves us where the same amount of work is still being required to be done. It’s done by less people which increase stresses. We’re just simply not equipped to the level that we need to be to be able to ensure our ability to provide the services to the taxpayers that they deserve.”
White says the agency is looking into how wages can be increased for engineers without asking the legislature for more funding.
