County Road 19 curves south in southern Smith County

The Smith County Road Department is responsible for the maintenance, up-keep and improvements to all county roads and bridges. These roads and bridges form the backbone of the counties economy, connecting rural areas to the state highway system and ensuring that products and goods can get to market. 

Each year the county works hard to maintain the roads and bridges to a fair standard. Most roads serve a 10-15 year service life before needing resurfacing. The primary surface types you will find in Smith County are graded dirt, liquid asphalt emulsion with a rock surface, and hot mix asphalt. Roads are surfaced based on the importance of the route and the type of traffic the route experiences.

The Road Department operates five county maintenance yards across the county. These yards are responsible for mowing, sign replacement, pothole repair, culvert work, and ditch maintenance.

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State-Aid County Roads

The Office of State Aid Road Construction (OSARC) administers Mississippi's State Aid Road Program to assist Mississippi's 82 counties in the construction and maintenance of secondary, non-state owned roads and bridges. It is the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to designate the roads to be included in the county's State Aid System; adopt annual construction programs; acquire rights-of-way for State Aid projects; advertise for bids; award contracts; and maintain completed projects after construction. Most major paved county roads are on the county's state-aid system. 

view smith county's state-aid roads

Bridge Conditions

In 2018, Governor Phil Bryant issued a executive order and declared a State of Emergency, ordering the Mississippi Department of Transportation, along with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, to close hundreds of county-owned bridges all across the state. This move came amid an already existing crisis regarding critically low transportation funding at the state level. Smith County is pleased to state that thanks to the hard work of our county engineer, the Board of Supervisors, and the taxpayers of Smith County, 98% of our county-owned bridges are in structurally-sound condition. You can use the map below to view the condition of all county-owned bridges.

view Smith County's Bridge Conditions

Active County Projects

Smith County Road 19 - Bridge Replacement and Improvements, Taylorsville and Center Ridge