These major MDOT projects in South MS will finish or begin in 2026. See the list
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- MDOT schedules 2026 milestones to widen I‑10 and U.S. 49, add lanes and a pedestrian path.
- Bridge preservation on Highway 63 over the Escatawpa continues.
- MDOT will repair Zeta‑damaged signals and begin safety improvements and overlay projects.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is busy.
The agency is widening Interstate 10 and Highway 49, among other roads, to account for a rising population. Construction crews are preserving bridges and repairing traffic signals damaged from Hurricane Zeta in 2020.
MDOT is working on more than a dozen construction projects across southeast Mississippi. Several of those projects in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are scheduled either to begin or end in 2026.
MDOT has not announced completion dates for the projects. But here’s the list of major milestones the agency expects to reach next year in South Mississippi.
What construction projects will MDOT finish in 2026?
Pedestrian path will run along widened U.S. 49 in Harrison County
Construction crews are working on a nearly $45 million project to widen Highway 49 from four to six lanes between O’Neal and School roads.
MDOT is also building a $14.5 million pedestrian walkway along Highway 49 from Turkey Creek to Creosote Road. The path will include crosswalks and a median barrier with fencing to separate pedestrians from traffic.
Diamondhead I-10 interchange project in Hancock County
MDOT is also reconstructing the interchange at Exit 16. The $17 million project includes a wider overpass and ramps, three new roundabouts and a multi-use path. In November, MDOT said almost all the construction was complete except for railing installation and work at the ends of the bridge.
Highway 63 bridge preservation project over the Escatawpa River
Crews have already painted and sandblasted the bridge, and MDOT was working on ship navigation lights beneath the bridge this fall. The project costs almost $17 million.
Traffic signal projects in Harrison and Hancock counties
A $5 million project will repair and replace traffic signals along Highway 90 between Bay St. Louis and Biloxi that were damaged by Hurricane Zeta.
MDOT is also finishing a similar $3.4 million project in Harrison County on Highway 49, I-10, I-110, Highway 605 and Highway 67.
What construction projects will MDOT start in 2026?
Anna Ehrgott, a public information officer for MDOT, said the agency plans to start two projects next year on the Mississippi Coast: An intersection improvement and safety project on Highway 67 in Harrison County and a few overlay projects in Jackson County.
The agency did not share details or timelines for the projects but said it would provide more information “in the near future.”
What’s the latest on ongoing road construction across South MS?
MDOT already has more than a dozen ongoing projects across southeast Mississippi, and Ehrgott said the agency expects to finish several key steps in 2026.
MDOT is widening I-10 from four to six lanes between Diamondhead and County Farm Road. All bridges on the route will be widened by the spring, Ehrgott said, and newly constructed lanes might open to traffic before the end of the year. The project is scheduled to finish in 2027.
In Jackson County, the agency is also widening Highway 57 to four lanes between I-10 and Vancleave. MDOT expects traffic to soon swap onto newly built southbound lanes from I-10 to Humphrey Road while crews work in the northbound lanes. The agency also said 13 bridges built as part of the project are almost complete. The project is scheduled to finish in 2027.