NATCHEZ — More than $17 million in federal funds is headed to Franklin, Jefferson and Claiborne counties to improve their roadways.

In a joint statement from the offices of U.S. senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, the senators announced the approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation of the $17.8 million TIGER VI grant application submitted by the counties and Alcorn State University.

The funding will support a three-county roadway improvement program, including improvement to substandard roads and aging, deteriorating bridges within the region.

The work will also improve access to regional employment centers, including Alcorn State University.  It will likewise involve the rehabilitation of nuclear evacuation routes from the Grand Gulf Nuclear Generating Station.

“This grant is an investment in these rural counties and the county collector road system on which its economic vitality is based,” said Cochran, R-Mississippi.

“The demand for transportation infrastructure funding is intense, and credit goes to this Mississippi collaboration for demonstrating to the U.S. Department of Transportation that it has a workable plan to benefit public safety and economic growth.”

Wicker, R-Mississippi, said the grant will have a tremendous impact on residents and travelers in Claiborne, Franklin and Jefferson counties.

“Improving these transportation routes is important to public safety and helps support economic growth in the region,” Wicker said.