Bozeman road will benefit from the $2 million appropriated for Madison County in the 2026 federal budget.
The Madison County Board of Supervisors voted to apply the funding to the cost of the Bozeman Road widening project.
The first phase of the project from Bozeman Road to Mississippi Highway 463 is estimated to cost $38.6 million
“To receive $2 million dollars is huge for us,” said Gerald Steen, who represents District 3 and serves as president of the board. “That’s $2 million the county doesn’t have to pay.
“We’re fortunate to receive the funding. Some years we don’t get anything.”
Phase I of the project to widen Bozeman Road from Mississippi Highway 463 to Reunion Parkway is about halfway complete, said Tim Bryan, Madison County engineer.
Two lanes are being added to the road while the existing two lanes of traffic are kept open for drivers, he said.
New lanes are being added on both the east and west sides of the existing lanes, with the location depending upon the right-of-way that was acquired.
“We wanted to inconvenience the least amount of people when we were acquiring right-of-way,” Bryan said.
A grass median in the middle of the road will be added and the traffic signals at the intersection of Bozeman Road and Gluckstadt Road will be improved as part of the project.
Phase I is set to be completed in December of this year or January 2027.
A multi-use trail will be added on the west side of Bozeman Road and will extend from Highway 463 to Gluckstadt Road.
The Bozeman Road project is complicated, Bryan said, because of the amount of right-of-way that had to be acquired and other details.
“It took two years to negotiate to buy 56 parcels that were needed,” he said. “Plus, it’s not easy to build a four-lane road while keeping two lanes of traffic open.”
As soon as the first phase is complete, construction on the second phase from Reunion Parkway to Gluckstadt Road is expected to get under way and take about 18 months to complete.
The purchase of right-of-way for second phase of the Bozeman Road project is being completed, Bryan said.
After the necessary right-of-way is acquired, crews from various utility companies will begin moving utilities.
Hemphill Construction is the contractor for the first phase of construction, which is being paid for by federal, state and local funds.
Both the first and second phases of the Bozeman Road project are part of a nearly $250 million transportation plan approved by the Madison County Boad of Supervisors.
Major projects such as the widening of Bozeman Road take years to move from just a good idea to reality because of the numerous steps involved. There’s funding to obtain, then the engineering design of the project to complete, bids must be let for a contractor to handle construction and along the way rights-of-way must be obtained and often, utility lines need to be moved and that’s all before construction starts.Michael Guest, a Republican who represents U.S. House District 3, took the lead on the appropriation and was supported by the other members of state’s congressional delegation. “We’re appreciative of our congressmen,” Steen said.
Tommie S. Cardin, an attorney with Butler Snow who is the federal lobbyist for Madison County, had worked on the budget request for a year, Steen said.
Cardin will provide the board with information about his lobbying efforts at the April meeting,
