IN ADDITION TO A LARGE project that saw repaving and other improvements along I-55 North, motorists on the interstate will now be able to have the benefit of a third lane in Madison County.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation officially opened the third lane between Old Agency Road and Highway 463 on northbound I-55, on Saturday, June 9, according to an MDOT press release. The new third lane was built on the outside of the existing lanes.

“Motorists should drive with extreme caution through the area in order to adjust to the new traffic pattern,” MDOT District Engineer Ricky May said in the release. “Any change in traffic pattern tends to cause some confusion, but motorists are urged to pay close attention to the change which will help to promote a smooth and safe transition.”

While only the northbound traffic on I-55 will be able to enjoy a third lane, drivers taking the southbound lane will have a third lane created sometime in the future, said MDOT spokeswoman Carrie Adams. She could not be more specific about how far in the future.

This project is the latest in a round of improvements that I-55 has been experiencing for the past year.

Work crews have wrapped up an improvement project that had been going on since last June.

THE $31 MILLIOIN project from Pearl Street to the intersection of I-220. Work crews had been milling and overlaying the eight-mile section of interstate and the frontage road, as well as other barrier and guardrail improvements.

Work crews constructed a concrete barrier on the on ramp from Woodrow Wilson Boulevard to the Lakeland Drive exit to prevent motorists from cutting over.

The barrier replaced the flexible delineators that were intended to keep motorists from taking the Lakeland exit.

Despite the presence of the delineators, and signs posted on the Woodrow Wilson entrance ramp informing drivers to not to cross over to Lakeland Drive, some motorists have still attempted to take the exit, knocking the delineators over in the process.

Workers have also been repairing overhead signs on the interstate, and other changes for motorists on I-55 are in the works.

Later this year, nine overhead message boards will be installed around the interstate loop in Jackson. These signs will allow MDOT to warn motorists of any slowdowns on the interstates due to accidents or other problems, giving drivers enough time to find an alternate route.

“The whole goal of the program is to get better, faster, real time information to the travelers, whether it’s people passing through town or regular commuters,” said Wes Dean, state traffic engineer, in a previous interview.

This is just the beginning of message boards of this type that MDOT will install, Dean said. The nine that will be going up soon will be placed in areas that MDOT officials thought would be the most important.

Construction of the boards should begin in the next two to three months, Dean said. The work will take six to seven months to complete.