New corridor boosts mobility and unlocks future investment opportunities in Rankin County
Rankin County celebrated the official opening of the long-awaited West Rankin Parkway on Tuesday, November 25, a new roadway that now links Interstate 20 corridors to Highway 25 and significantly shortens travel distances between Pearl and Flowood.
The ribbon-cutting marks the culmination of a project that had been envisioned for decades. Local leaders note that efforts to establish a direct connection between the two cities trace back to discussions in the early 1990s, with numerous studies and planning phases along the way.
Construction on the parkway began in September 2024, and the new roadway opened to traffic in November 2025 following final paving and safety inspections. Designated as Mississippi Highway 477, the 3.6-mile, four-lane corridor links U.S. 80 in Pearl to MS 25 in Flowood, improving traffic flow and offering a safer and more direct route for commuters.
“This project means a lot not just to Pearl and Flowood, but to everyone traveling this part of the state,” said Mississippi Department of Transportation officials at the opening ceremony.
State Senator Dean Kirby, who has represented District 30 — including Rankin County — since 1992, played an instrumental role in advancing the project through the legislative process, helping secure the designation and state funding necessary to bring it to fruition.
Local officials emphasized that the parkway does more than improve traffic mobility: it unlocks significant economic potential along the corridor. By opening new developable land and easing access between corridors, the roadway is expected to attract investment and support future growth in both commercial and residential sectors.
With the West Rankin Parkway now open, travelers can move more efficiently across a major east-west to north-south corridor, and local planners are already looking ahead to the development opportunities the connection will support for years to come.