Crisler Would Expand Highway 61

Kenya Hudson

Jackson resident and former city councilman Marshand Crisler said he believes MDOT should use more minority contractors in highway work.

by Adam Lynch
June 1, 2011

Former Jackson City Councilman Marshand Crisler thinks he will have an advantage as a Mississippi Department of Transportation Commissioner for the Central District. Crisler, who is a district director for Hinds Community College’s adult education program, said the priorities of the commission become obvious when viewed from the vantage point of a city leader.

The Jackson Democrat faces Dorothy Benford, another Jackson Democrat, in
the August primaries and either incumbent Republican Dick Hall or Madison County Supervisor Timothy Johnson in the
general election.

If Crisler wins, he will enter an ongoing tug-of-war for limited highway resources as cities compete for funding of new interchanges and roadwork. The failed Interstate 55 Reunion Interchange proposed for the city of Madison is one example of a growing municipality contending for resources.

You were originally contemplating running for the Public Service Commission. Why did you decide on the transportation commission?

Both central districts are largely the same 22 counties. They go as far south as Jefferson County and as far east as Lauderdale County. I know that transportation is something that affects each and every one of us in our daily lives. It has so many implications for growth and development in our state. I want to make progressive change in this state and put us on the map as a destination state, and creating a strong, vital infrastructure is the key to doing that. We also want to take a look at opportunities for small and minority businesses. Our state could use a little boost in the realm of minority participation in MDOT contracts. We’d like to see more small businesses, both female- and African American-owned businesses, have an opportunity to bid on some of the contracts that come through the department because we want to be good stewards about growing our small-business community.

What are your priorities as commissioner?

There are some projects that have been too long ignored. I think the people of the Delta would appreciate Highway 61 being expanded and widened from Clarksdale to Port Gibson. We’d like to look at what feasibility study has been done on that, and how this project can be completed at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. We need to open up the Delta for development. And it’s a safety issue as well. It’s too long a stretch of highway with poor lighting to be two lanes.

Also, one of the things I’d like to look at is seeing if we can help cities like Jackson maintain city-owned highways. These are state highways, but through agreements, the city has become responsible for maintaining them. I think we already do a pretty good job in some of these rural areas, but I think we can do more to offset some of the city’s costs in maintaining highways like State Street, which is Highway 51, and Medgar Evers (Boulevard), which is Highway 49. As city councilman I remember asking MDOT to keep maintenance up on those roadways. I think the voters would appreciate any help we can provide to Jackson. They want their capital city to be attractive.

But the main thing I want to promote is consensus building. They cry in the community that there’s too much infighting and politics going on at MDOT. They’ve made a lot of news lately.

Speaking of that, what was your take on the (former MDOT Executive Director) Butch Brown firing? Should commissioners have let him stay on until his June 30 retirement?

Brown has been a big help to the city of Jackson on certain projects, and we had a great working relationship, but the commission needed to make a decision on the direction of the executive director. Still, as long a tenure as Brown had with MDOT, I truly don’t believe that a couple of months would’ve made a difference. The way it was done publicly is what the community is telling me was their problem with it. We have to be more professional about the way we handle personnel matters.

There has been some concern about the lack of communication between the commission and voters.

You can have more meetings and better relationships with the local government and municipalities. We need to have standing meetings throughout the district, talking about the issues affecting the district. Nobody knows these issues like local government, and I think those leaders should have some input on decisions because they know how important things like Highway 61 is to Greenville and Port Gibson, and I would like to get their input before I make a decision affecting them.

The American Society of Civil Engineers says infrastructure has been declining across the nation, with roads and bridges in a state of decay compared to what they were 30 years ago. Is that the way you see it, too?

It’s clear that there’s not enough being done in road and bridge construction and upkeep, but one of the things I’m also promoting is sustainability. As a (doctoral) candidate at Jackson State University, my area of expertise is environment and land use, and I know that we need to be developing products and roads that have longevity. We need to use material that will last 20 to 25 years as opposed to five or 10 years. That’s being frugal with the tax dollars.


I didn’t even know they had options. I thought asphalt and concrete was all they have to pick from.

That’s what the average citizen thinks, so don’t feel bad, but there are a lot of options out there.

How do you grade the state’s fuel tax? What is it, 18 cents a gallon? Is that enough, considering what all we need to do?

That’s one decision that I don’t have to make. That’s up to the Legislature, but higher taxes are not what we need. We can manage with what we’ve got.

Voters tend to link words like “infrastructure” to words and phrases like “paradigm” and “going forward.” Their eyes glaze over when they hear them. How do you excite voters about something as mundane as a bridge?

First of all, you tell them that the stability of that bridge is going to connect companies and corporations to your cities and counties, which bring jobs. The idea that really resonates with voters is that this is a way to create jobs in our local communities. With unemployment as it is, infrastructure is a shot in the arm. And then there’s the more immediate issue of saving wear and tear on your vehicle. Nobody wants their car rattling apart because roads have not been maintained.

You watched all the drama behind the failed Madison County project, the Interstate 55 Reunion interchange. Do you expect to encounter considerable pull between cities when it comes to road projects?

As a commissioner, you have to make sure you are making decisions that are equitable across the board, and fair and impartial. If you govern that way consistently, you’ll have no problem.

Drive through the central Mississippi corridor, and you can see there are disparities in how state dollars are being spent.
It’s clear that some right-of-ways look better than other right-of-ways. It’s our responsibility to make sure that we are impartial in our appropriations to cities and towns.

Would you consider allowing the Interstate 55 Reunion interchange?

I’m going to go visit folks in Madison to hear what they’ve got to say on the matter because I’m hearing, like many citizens, only one side of the story. But I want to get all sides of the story before I make a good decision. I know Madison is a great city, and you want to make sure you do right by communities that we consider hallmarks.

What is your take on the long-stalled Airport Parkway, which is intended to create a new route from the city to the international airport in Rankin County?

We want to make sure we get folks to and from the airport in the most convenient manner, if not simply for the sake of commerce. We want to have a discussion with the airport commission and talk about where we are with that. There’s no denying that it has moved at a snail’s pace, and we want the system unclogged on that particular project.

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