MS HB1543

Mississippi Valley State University, in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Leflore County Board of Supervisors, must conduct a feasibility study for an elevated pedestrian crossing or skybridge at the intersection of U.S. Highway 82 and Sunflower Road (County Road 507) in Itta Bena.

Study must examine available federal and state funding sources for construction and maintenance of the pedestrian crossing, including cost-benefit analysis of alternative safe pathways for university access.

Report must include examples of existing pedestrian crosswalks or skybridges in Mississippi and other states, and analyze community benefits of connecting the university to surrounding areas.

Study must identify constraints including future highway expansion plans, current and projected land uses, existing pedestrian infrastructure, and property impacts from a proposed crossing.

President of Mississippi Valley State University and Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation must jointly submit the feasibility report to the Legislature by December 15, 2024.