Lott backs bi-state development effort

By By William F. West / community editor
March 28, 2003
U.S. Sen. Trent Lott said Thursday he's willing to work across state lines with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in an economic development alliance to benefit his state and Mississippi.
Lott, R-Miss., said he has long known and liked Riley, a fellow Republican and former congressman who became Alabama's governor in January. Riley earlier this month proposed the two-state pact.
Lott said the ingredients for success already are in place.
One way, Lott said, is to coordinate highway projects.
He said he supports extending Interstate 85 from Montgomery to Interstate 20/59 at Cuba, Ala. Motorists now use U.S. 80, which is four-laned from Montgomery to Selma but not completely to I-20/59.
Lott said he's working with Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby on the I-85 project. Lott said the two also want to four-lane U.S. 78 from Memphis to Birmingham and then label it an interstate highway.
U.S. 78 is up to interstate standards from the Tennessee-Mississippi line southeast to Tupelo. The highway is sporadically four-laned in western Alabama.
Lott said it's only half-effective to have a four-lane or interstate-quality highway that reverts to two lanes once a motorist crosses the Mississippi-Alabama state line.
He said both states need to do everything possible to have four-lane highways on both sides of the state line to increase the chances of luring not only international corporations but also first-, second- or third-tier suppliers for auto plants.