Jackson I-20 and I-55 intersection repairs completed ahead of schedule

Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) District 5 crews have completed an emergency interstate repair a day ahead of schedule.

Crews closed Interstate 20 westbound and Interstate 55 southbound at State Street in Jackson on Friday, April 8, to perform an emergency repair to a dip that formed in the roadway.

“We will be closing all lanes of I-20 Westbound and I-55 Southbound,” said MDOT PIO Michael Flood. “It’s one closure but two interstates. It’s the same location; the interstates run concurrently at this location.”

The area construction crews are focusing their attention on is exit 45B. It’s the state street exit along I-20 West.

The third lane from the median is what’s causing the closure.

“The soil that is about 35 feet below the surface is very saturated, especially in this one area, in this one lane,” said Flood. “Because of that, it has resulted in a dip in the roadway, so instead of being like that, it dips a little bit like that, and we certainly can’t have a dip on an interstate that sees 110,000 vehicles a day.”

After removing the saturated soil underneath the interstate, crews replaced it with crushed stone, leveling up the roadbed for a smoother and safer driving experience.