Grennell stated that she was “totally shocked and happy” Grennell said, “It was an amazing, wonderful feeling to finally be able to cross that bridge again.” The interstate Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge, has been in construction for more than a decade. One of the westbound lanes opened in July, which was a welcome sign for frustrated locals. Grennell stated that “my position was: it wasn’t work that could be done.” “The inconvenience period was a small price citizens had to pay to have something that would be there for many, long years to come.” This welcome news comes as the state and local governments struggle with an infrastructure crisis in Mississippi. The closures of hundreds small bridges across the state have put pressure on legislators to find ways to finance infrastructure projects in Mississippi. Gov. Phil Bryant indicated that he may call a special session to discuss the possibility of creating a state lottery, and using internet sales tax revenue for roads and bridges. Other bridges may be able to benefit from the same repairs as the Mississippi River Bridge. According to Jas N Smith, a Department of Transportation public information officer, the bridge needed new paint and new pins or links to hold the sections together. Initial work on replacing pins and links was started in 2015. The project was halted in 2015. Work resumed in July 2017. Vidalia Mayor Buzcraft stated that the bridge was vital for our economy. He said that it is important to keep both bridges open so traffic can move as planned. This was necessary for our safety. The little pain we had to go through was worth it to make sure people were safe.” Craft also noted that the bridge’s reopening would benefit two newly announced economic development projects in Vidalia, Syrah Technologies (Vidalia Denim). Craft stated that “with all the economic things going on,” “to have those bridges opened will be a boon for the economy.” Although the $27 million contract is due to expire in April 2019, Smith said workers expect to complete the entire project by the fall. Representative Robert Johnson (D-Natchez), who is a member of the House Transportation Committee, said that although we are a small community, it is a busy place for tourism and other purposes. “So there is a lot traffic coming in and going out. Johnson and Grennell both said that they had positive experiences with the Department of Transportation during construction. Grennell expressed concern about the condition of the bridge’s decorative lighting, which were damaged during the repairs. He stated that the only thing that irritates him about the bridge is the fact that the lights had been on for seven to eight years. “I will be meeting members of Mississippi Department of Transportation in the next few weeks to discuss the future of lighting the bridge in Natchez.” Transportation officials stated that there is no timetable for lights to return until Vidalia and Natchez decide how they want to split the cost of the lights. The decorative lighting that was installed on the bridge in 2009 by MDOT at a cost $3 million was taken down in the latest construction project. Officials decided that reinstalling the lights would not be economically feasible. Grennell and Craft expressed an interest in decorative lighting being reinstalled at the bridge. Grennell stated that he has meetings scheduled this month to discuss possible options. Grennell stated that Vidalia and Natchez worked together to install the lights and Vidalia also paid the electric bill. Grennell stated that this is an opportunity for LED lights to be installed on the bridge and that it is possible to use color lights with illumination to make special celebrations more economical. Johnson, who was a former chairman on the House Transportation Committee, said that while he is happy with the state’s response for Natchez’s infrastructure and Adams County’s overall needs, other parts of his district aren’t getting the same attention. Transportation officials claim that the $2 million frontage road was unnecessary, but it was prioritised over other projects. This has caused controversy in recent times. Many officials from Jackson’s Flowood pushed to build the road that would have connected the area where Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves resides in a nearby shopping center. Reeves denies wrongdoing, while Attorney General Jim Hood investigates. Mississippi Today also found that legislators have made special requests exceeding the regular MDOT road-funding process in recent years. Half of these requests were granted funding, sometimes pushing projects that would improve public safety to the bottom of the list. Johnson, who has criticized the earmarks in past years, believes that state law should decide how projects are prioritized. Johnson stated that some of the problem is related to traffic counts and bigger metropolitan areas often outpace you due to more activities. “Adams County received a much faster response from the Department of Transportation than any other small community. There are many communities in the state with more urgent needs than ours. While ours are important, there are other areas in the state that have more pressing needs than we do. These include my district in Franklin County and Jefferson County. These larger projects have really pushed Franklin and Jefferson counties to the front. We will continue to fight for more equity in the way people’s projects get taken up and less political power and pressure from those in higher positions. It is a fact that leapfrogging projects happens more often than it should. Repairs to the Mississippi River Bridge began in April 2017. Since July last year, the bridge has been closed. Before the westbound lane opened, drivers used the eastbound lanes each way to cross the Mississippi River. Smith stated that one of the eastbound lanes is now closed for maintenance. According to the Department of Archives and History, the bridge was originally opened as a toll bridge in 1940. According to the Department of Archives and History, the bridge was opened as a toll bridge in 1940. In 1988, a second bridge (now known as the eastbound bridge), was constructed. It allows for two lanes in each direction.