JACKSON, Miss. — State Transportation leaders are looking at a 5-year plan to help improve your roads and bridges.
“If we had another $400 million in transportation, we could solve a lot of economic development problems and a lot of road and hazardous issues across the state,” said House Transportation Committee Chair Robert Johnson. But he said, it’s not clear where the state could get the money from. “We are looking at a lot of options, a toll road is always on the table,” Johnson said following a hearing at the State Capitol Wednesday with Mississippi’s transportation leaders.
While many Mississippians have been opposed to a higher gas tax, Johnson said it’s an option too; and could actually save drivers money. “If you just got an extra $400 million that would cost you, probably an extra $300 for the average motorist a year, you would save $350 a year because you would have better roads; and it would be better on your car,” he explained.
The state’s current gas tax is 18 cents a gallon, one of the lowest in the country.
