Brookhaven Daily Leader
City approves water service extension ahead of I-14 construction
By Brett Campbell
The City of Brookhaven’s plan to extend water lines south of Hwy. 84 along Hwy. 51 has been approved.
Aldermen voted Tuesday to approve the lower bid of $550,305 from Greenbriar Digging Services to begin work on the project.
“The estimate was $575,000, so we’re actually under the estimate,” said engineer Mike McKenzie. “It gets you water on the south side of Hwy. 84, or Interstate 14, and along both sides of Hwy. 51 heading south. It sets you up for future development.”
Interstate 14 was originally proposed in 2005 to begin in Texas, cross Louisiana, and extend from Natchez eastward to Georgia or South Carolina. Texas received congressional approval in 2015 and construction began in west Texas in 2017.
Since then, Hwy. 84 has been designated as the pathway for I-14 to cross Mississippi, meaning it will intersect with I-55 in Brookhaven.
In late 2017, then-Senator Sally Doty said she believed it would be a positive thing for the area.
“Having another interstate gives the potential for more commercial, industrial and distribution center growth in Lincoln County,” said Brookhaven’s Doty, who served on the state Highways and Transportation committee. “I believe we would see the same type of businesses that are along I-55 replicated on and east/west route. Many national chains will only locate at an interstate exit and additional exits would provide a boost to the Lincoln County economy.”
In the fall of 2021, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, of Brookhaven, and Sen. Roger Wicker co-sponsored legislation to fully expand the interstate from West Texas through Georgia.
The half-million-plus dollars approved by the City of Brookhaven for water service expansion will come from the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program Act (MCWI) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Moving ahead with the expansion prior to the interstate work will be advantageous, McKenzie said, because things will become much more complicated at that time. It is not known when I-14 construction will begin in Mississippi.