BENOIT -- The proposed 1,600 mile transcontinental interstate known as I-69 is taking a step closer to reality this week as the Mississippi Department of Transportation and federal agencies hold public hearings on three proposed alternate routes under consideration to run through the heart of the Delta.

A series of four public hearings to be held in Benoit and Cleveland in Bolivar County, Clarksdale in Coahoma County and Tunica in Tunica County provides the public with an opportunity to review and comment on the three proposed alternate routes under consideration for an I-69 route through the Delta.

A Record of Decision by the Federal Highway Administration approved this summer designated the Great River Bridge at Eutaw Landing in Bolivar County as the official Mississippi River crossing for the I-69 project.

I-69 will run from the Michigan/Canadian border to the Texas/Mexico border through nine states with the route coming through the Delta. The longest stretch in Mississippi is known as SIU No. 11 (Segment of Independent Utility) which runs from State Route 304 at Robinsonville south to the already approved Great River Bridge southwest of Benoit.

SIU No. 11 is expected to cost around $1 billion to construct in current dollars.

On Monday, state and federal officials were on hand at Ray Brooks School in Benoit for the first of the public hearings. Farmers, property owners, businessmen and women, environmentalists and interested citizens talked with officials in the unconventional format for a public hearing.

There was no formal presentation by Mississippi Department of Transportation officials. The public asked questions of officials on a one-to-one basis rather than in a public setting.

By way of introductions, E. Claiborne Barnwell, environmental division director for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, did welcome the crowd and said "this is the biggest project we've undertaken. That's why your comments are so important."

Robert Walker, senior project manager for Neel-Schaffer Inc., offered his services to explain the alternative routes and answer any questions.

Neel-Schaffer Inc. is MDOT's engineering consultant company on the project.

"We have detailed maps on the three alternate routes and a magnifying glass to help you read them," said Walker.

"The Federal Highway Administration will approve what MDOT recommends," said Cecil Vick with the Jackson office of the Federal Highway Administration. "This is the formal public hearing. There won't be any more public hearings held before a decision is made."

Various maps, charts, documents and other support material ringed the gymnasium allowing people to see what is being proposed. Aerial maps enhanced to show details on each of the alternate routes were displayed on tables allowing people to see how the interstate would impact or cross property lines, close county or local roads and proximity to residences, businesses and farming operations.

"This is the final stage in the process," said Walter G. Lyons, district engineer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. "This is the final public hearing before a decision and recommendation is made as to which route will be chosen. The purpose of the public hearing is to get public involvement and get the public involved in the process."

Lyons said that after the public hearing and all comments are received, then a report will be drafted based on comments and concerns presented at the hearings. Another Environmental Impact Statement will be drafted by Neel-Schaffer Inc. and then presented to the Mississippi Department of Transportation with a final recommendation as to which of three routes will be selected.

If the Federal Highway Administration concurs with the recommendation, then it will issue a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD will, then, allow the project to officially move forward with right-of-way purchases and eventually construction.

Lyons said the selection of a final route could come by late spring or early summer of 2005 with a Record of Decision by the end of 2005. At the present time, there is no money set aside or committed for I-69 construction which would still be at least two to three years in the future, he said.

"There is no funding at this time. We have no pot of funds to draw upon. But we have to get through these phases anyway before we can get the funding needed to start this SIU," Lyons said.

Pete Roncali, chairman of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Committee, was the only Washington County person present in an official capacity.

Roncali, who's been involved with the transportation committee for over 10 years, was excited to see the final public hearings taking place."I am absolutely excited about this," said Roncali. "I have been involved with this thing since day one. There are three alternative routes being considered that run through the Mississippi Delta. I hope we can get the Central Alternative Route selected because it would have the most impact to communities along the way."

Roncali was concerned about the appearance of the Eastern Alternative Route which runs from Clarksdale south through Coahoma County into Sunflower and then enters Bolivar County east of Merigold. From there it heads south bypassing Cleveland and crosses U.S. 61 about three miles north of Shaw and then heads west to the Great River Bridge.

"This would cut out a lot of communities along the way and wouldn't be good for Greenville," said Roncali. "It wouldn't be good for our proposed northern bypass to connect U.S. 82 with I-69. That's why we need people to comment and support the Central or Western Alternative.""Either way, this is a great project for the Delta which could have a tremendous impact on economic development," he added.

The chamber's Transportation Committee will be providing a statement with its recommendation of a preferred route, said Roncali.

Cleveland attorney Ancil Cox, co-chair of the Great River Bridge Compact and co-chair of the I-69 Committee for the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, said "we've seen all these maps before. Hopefully we'll get a decision soon. I and the chamber support the Central Alternative Route because it makes the most sense and is the one that will have the greatest impact for economic development."

The three alternatives routes under consideration by the Mississippi Department of Transportation include:

- Western Alternative: This route runs from south of Clarksdale and heads west then south to about five miles east of Rena Lara. Then it heads south into Bolivar County between Mississippi 1 and Alligator and Duncan, onto to west of Shelby, Winstonville Renova, Cleveland and crosses Highway 8 midway between Pace and Cleveland. From there it heads south and skirts west of Skene and then heads west south of the Dahomey National Wildlife Reserve on its way to south of Benoit to the Great River Bridge.

- Central Alternative: This route starts south of Clarksdale on U.S. 61 and uses the current four-laned U.S. 61 to Merigold. There it veers off west around Renova and Cleveland crossing Highway 8 where the Western Alternative does and follows basically the same route as the Western Alternative to the Great River Bridge.

- Eastern Alternative: This route starts south of Clarksdale but east of the current U.S. 61 through rural Coahoma County into rural Sunflower County passing within three miles of Parchman State Penitentiary. It then enters Bolivar County east of Merigold from Sunflower County. From there it heads south bypassing Cleveland and crosses U.S. 61 about three miles north of Shaw and then heads west through southern Bolivar County to the Great River Bridge.

For more information on the proposed I-69 project and the three alternative routes, reports are available at the Percy Walker Memorial Library in Greenville, Ray Brooks School in Benoit as well as the main county library in Cleveland.