Thread by @NBCNews

In Mississippi, closed bridges and crumbling infrastructure threaten lives and livelihoods.

The state has never been known for its gleaming transportation network, but the situation today is worse than ever. nbcnews.to/2NSqQr1 (1/7)

Residents now have to circumvent nearly 500 closed bridges declared unsafe.

Another 1,742 are posted with specific weight limits due to structural deficiencies.

Combined, that accounts for more than 20% of the county and local bridges in the state nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (2/7)

Dale Lewis, the assistant county road manager, says that county workers can’t seem to get ahead of the curve.

Just as he reopened 3 bridges at the end of June, he was told to close 2 more. “We never have no slack time. The work is constant,” he says nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (3/7)

Stephanie Park waited with the body of her neighbor for 2 hours before the county coroner could make it to his house. The bridge near her home was closed for nearly a year. nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (4/7)

Rives Neblett has watched the production cost for each bushel of soybeans increase by more than 7 cents because his truck has to take circuitous routes.

"For our operation that hauls out about 800,000 bushels a year, that’s money to our budget.” nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (5/7)

While bridges and roads have closed, more money to address their inadequacies has not been made available, because increasing taxes is a non-starter for the Republican-controlled state government. nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (6/7)

“Bottom line is that we have a financing system ... that is somewhat outdated,” says Trey Lamar, vice chair of the Ways and Means Cmte. in Mississippi. “And people are reminded of that on a daily basis when they hit potholes and road-closed signs.” nbcnews.to/2v9JYZV (7/7)