Mississippi
Pearl River Bridge Closed on U.S. 98 After ‘Void’ Discovered
COLUMBIA, Miss.—Semi-trucks were among the vehicles that clogged historic downtown Columbia, Mississippi, on Monday morning after the Mississippi Department of Transportation suddenly closed a bridge that crosses the Pearl River on U.S. Highway 98.
“A void was discovered near the approach to the U.S. 98 westbound bridge over the Pearl River, prompting MDOT officials to close the bridge to traffic due to safety concerns,” MDOT said in a statement this morning.
MDOT closed the bridge, located between Columbia and Foxworth, Mississippi, around 11:30 a.m.
Highway 98 is a two-lane highway, but the eastbound bridge over the Pearl River in Marion County has been closed for several months while crews work to replace the aging infrastructure. Since then, the westbound bridge has served both eastbound and westbound traffic.
Now, MDOT is telling drivers to use State Route 35, State Route 13 and State Route 198 as detours—forcing hundreds of drivers to take alternate routes on far less-traveled roads, including through the heart of the small town.
MDOT has long planned to replace both the eastbound and westbound bridges as part of a $60-million project, but officials don’t expect that work to be complete until 2027. Officials have said that the age of the bridges, along with seasonal flooding, has made the replacement project necessary.
The old westbound span should soon be back up to serve eastbound and westbound traffic again for now, though, Mississippi Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Anna Ehrgott told the Mississippi Free Press on Monday morning.
“We are thinking more in terms of days than weeks currently,” she said when asked how long the repairs could take. “As soon as we have more information, we’ll share it with the public.”
As of 2024, Mississippi had 7,385 bridges that needed repair and 1,009 bridges designated as structurally deficient, an American Road and Transportation Builders report said. The State has taken steps to address its infrastructure issues in recent years, thanks to an influx of both federal and state dollars.
Under former President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Mississippi received $225 million for bridge repairs and replacement. In 2018, the Mississippi Legislature approved the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund, which has provided around $600 million for infrastructure repairs since its passage.
On July 1, 2025, a new law took effect that will increase Mississippi’s gas tax by three cents per gallon over a period of three years. Lawmakers say they expect the new tax to generate about $200 million annually for MDOT to improve Mississippi’s roads and bridges.
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This week on Behind the Lens: “Paraquat and Parkinson’s.” Wayne County, Mississippi is the largest emitter of paraquat in the world, an herbicide linked to the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease. Environmental reporter Delaney Nolan explains the safety concerns and what they could mean for affected communities.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music includes “Rumor” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com) and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell.
This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
Music Credits:
Theme music by Podington Bear
Additional music “Rumor” by Podington Bear from soundofpicture.com and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchel
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Powerball jackpots are about to be much larger. Reporter explains.
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes explains the historic agreement with the UK National Lottery.
Check your Powerball tickets. One sold in Mississippi is worth at least $2 million.
Across the U.S., at least 91 lottery tickets won $1 million in the Wednesday, April 29 drawing, according to the Powerball website.
That includes two tickets that won the jackpot. They were sold in Indiana and Kansas.
The estimated jackpot was $143.4 million ($65.2 million cash prize).
The winning numbers were 3, 19, 35, 51, 67 and Powerball 15. The multiplier was 2x.
Here’s what we know about where the winning ticket was bought, how many tickets are worth at least $1 million and how to file for lottery winnings in Mississippi.
Where was the $2 million Powerball ticket sold in Mississippi?
One ticket in Mississippi matched all five white balls and had the Power Play option. The odds of matching the five white balls is 1 in 11,688,053.52, according to the Powerball website.
The Mississippi Lottery Corporation said the multi-million-dollar-winning ticket was sold at Doc’s Quick Stop Exxon in Byhalia.
27 tickets win $2 million in latest drawing
Just because you didn’t get the Powerball doesn’t mean you didn’t win big.
Twenty-seven tickets matched the five white balls and had the Power Play option to win $2 million each. They were sold in:
- Arkansas: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Indiana: 5
- Kansas: 1
- Louisiana: 5
- Mississippi: 1
- New Jersey: 4
- Oregon: 3
- Pennsylvania : 2
- Rhode Island: 1
- South Carolina: 1
- Wisconsin: 2
How many Powerball tickets are worth $1 million?
Sixty-two tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million each. They were sold in:
- Arkansas: 1
- Arizona: 1
- California: 1
- Georgia: 1
- Illinois: 3
- Indiana: 14
- Kansas: 5
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 6
- Michigan: 1
- Minnesota: 1
- Missouri: 1
- Nebraska: 2
- New Jersey: 14
- Oregon: 1
- Pennsylvania: 5
- Wisconsin: 4
Some are calling Wednesday’s Powerball drawing the luckiest ever.
A news release announcing where jackpot-winning tickets were sold is usually posted to the Powerball website the morning after a drawing. However, a news release related to the Wednesday drawing winners had not been posted as of 1 p.m. Thursday, April 30.
Can you claim a lottery jackpot anonymously in Mississippi? How?
Yes, Mississippi lets lottery winners claim a jackpot of any size anonymously.
Mississippi Lottery won’t disclose your identity without written permission.
I won the lottery in Mississippi! How do I get my money?
The Mississippi Lottery advises people to sign the back of their winning ticket immediately.
If your prize is less than $600, you can claim that at any place that sells Mississippi Lottery tickets.
If you win $600-$99,999, you can claim by mail or by going to the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters in Flowood.
All prizes more than $100,000 must be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters.
What are the rules to claim a Powerball prize?
Powerball prizes must be claimed within one year from the date of the drawing.
Powerball jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment. Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes, according to the Powerball website.
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