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APPENDIX B<br />

THE STATE AID ROAD PROGRAM<br />

H. Carey Webb, P.E. State Aid Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<br />

In addition to county funds, there are two sources of fund<strong>in</strong>g available to the counties for the<br />

construction, reconstruction, and/or ma<strong>in</strong>tenance of the system of roads under the jurisdiction of<br />

the county boards of supervisors. These additional fund<strong>in</strong>g sources are the State of <strong>Mississippi</strong><br />

and the federal government. These funds are adm<strong>in</strong>istered by the Office of State Aid Road<br />

Construction.<br />

State Aid Road Funds are made available to the counties through the state legislature. At<br />

present, the eighty-two (82) counties receive a m<strong>in</strong>imum of fifty-one million dollars<br />

($51,000,000), which is distributed to the counties accord<strong>in</strong>g to a formula approved by the<br />

legislature. These funds may be used for the construction, reconstruction, and/or ma<strong>in</strong>tenance of<br />

any road <strong>in</strong> a county which has been approved by the State Aid Eng<strong>in</strong>eer as part of the State Aid<br />

Road System for that county. The maximum number of miles each county may designate to be<br />

on the State Aid System has been set by the legislature.<br />

Road and bridge projects are "programmed" by the board on a form furnished by the State Aid<br />

Eng<strong>in</strong>eer and are limited by the funds made available to the county. State Aid funds may be<br />

used to fund one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the construction and eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g. Under<br />

certa<strong>in</strong> conditions, State Aid law allows a county to make use of the funds available for a four<br />

year term by advanc<strong>in</strong>g credits to use anticipated revenues. This feature of State Aid law gives<br />

the board more flexibility <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g road and bridge projects <strong>in</strong> the county. Once a project has<br />

been approved by the State Aid Eng<strong>in</strong>eer, the plans and specifications will be prepared by the<br />

county's eng<strong>in</strong>eer <strong>in</strong> accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Office of State<br />

Aid Road Construction.<br />

LOCAL SYSTEM ROAD PROGRAM<br />

The legislature enacted the Local System Road Program (LSRP) <strong>in</strong> 2001. This program allows<br />

the counties to utilize up to twenty-five percent (25%) of their allocated State Aid funds to<br />

address the problem of sub-standard roads not eligible for the orig<strong>in</strong>al State Aid Road Program.<br />

Projects constructed under this program must conform to the same rules and regulations that<br />

apply to State Aid projects.<br />

LOCAL SYSTEM BRIDGE PROGRAM<br />

In 1994, the legislature made available to the counties twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000)<br />

a year to address the problem of deficient bridges on roads where, aside from county funds, no<br />

other source of fund<strong>in</strong>g was available. This is known as the Local System Bridge Program<br />

(LSBP). The fund<strong>in</strong>g is distributed to each of the eighty-two (82) counties accord<strong>in</strong>g to a<br />

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