Proposed improvements to I-55 and I-220 in Ridgeland, Miss., which include widening the interstate, will help alleviate current and future traffic congestion, Mississippi Department of Transportation officials said.

During a public hearing on Sept. 17, MDOT officials detailed plans to widen I-55 from five to six lanes for a roughly 3-mile distance between County Line Road and Old Agency Road.

Additionally, MDOT plans to construct a connection that would provide drivers with direct access to U.S. 51 from County Line Road.

Construction on the $77.6 million project is set to begin in two to three years, pending the availability of funds, said Ken Wallace, MDOT district construction engineer.

An average of 100,000 vehicles daily travel the area targeted for improvements, MDOT officials said. Those numbers are expected to increase in the future.

Wallace said the project will help reduce jams on County Line Road, especially at the interchange; at Jackson Street, which is a major city entranceway via the Old Agency Road and Ridgeland exits; and at the usual bottleneck on I-220.

The project is in the initial phase, which includes a study of how the improvements will impact the environment, said Sedrick Durr, spokesman for MDOT's environmental division.

The project should take about 3 years to complete, Wallace said.