Mayor Robyn Tannehill announced that Hwy. 7 South will be getting a makeover sooner rather than later at the Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday.

The State Legislature approved a bill last Saturday that allows the Mississippi Department of Transportation to start the reconstruction and widening of Highway 7 South. The bill approved a total of $15 million to get this process started.

“We have been working hard in Jackson over the past three months, and we have been working hard putting together funds that we need for the city and the students,” Mayor Tannehill said. “We are excited to announce that the city of Oxford received $5 million dollars for the construction of a new police department and $15 million dollars to start the widening. We are super excited.”

Mayor Tannehill met with Congressional and federal officials last month in Washington, D.C., about a variety of infrastructure projects and spoke about the funds needed to keep Oxford one of the biggest economic drivers in the north part of the state.

City leaders has been asking for this widening process for many years.

The City of Oxford is also getting $5 million towards a new building for the Oxford Police Department. The Board approved this new building in 2021.