BOLTON — Themes of progress and property worth — beyond monetary value — continued Wednesday as about 100 residents of Bolton and Edwards gathered to offer comments to the Mississippi Department of Transportation concerning a proposed rerouting of Mississippi 22 from western Hinds County northeast to Canton.

Residents gathered around maps on display at Bolton/Edwards Middle School showing three routes for the highway, dubbed a “Type I, interstate-like” thoroughfare by MDOT project managers, meaning at least two lanes of traffic in each direction. Mississippi 22 is now a two-lane road with many curves and bends and passes through the middle of Flora.

“This is liable to clip a whole lot of property,” said Clyde Anderson of Edwards, pointing to his property just north of the existing Mississippi 22 and within a potential right-of-way acquisition of a proposed route closest to the Big Black River.

Anderson and Bill Garbo of Madison said if the project comes to fruition, the most feasible alternative is one closest to metro Jackson, a route starting at Interstate 20 near the Clinton city limits and connecting with Interstate 55 north of Canton.

Garbo downplayed any rise in value of property he owns a few miles north of Edwards, saying beginnings of any loop around metro Jackson should be closest to current development.

“Growth for growth’s sake is stupid,” Garbo said, adding the easternmost proposal made more sense in terms of proper urban planning.

Another route begins about three-fourths of the way between Edwards and Bolton and ends just south of the other two tracks.

Others in economic development still favor the corridor’s construction to improve shipping routes for business interests.

“It’s a more direct route and positive access,” said Warren County Port Commission Executive Director Wayne Mansfield, touting the access suppliers would have coming out of Nissan’s assembly plant in Canton to Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex in eastern Warren County.

Mansfield has said the corridor can only help attracting more industries to complement Nissan supplier Yorozu Automotive Mississippi at the industrial park.

Officials in Madison County have said the highway could benefit the City of Flora, which is under consideration for a $500 billion National Bio and Agro-Defense facilty.

Wednesday’s comment session was the second of three events where affected property owners could submit comments to MDOT on the $240 million project. A second round of public meetings is scheduled in the summer of 2008 after engineers analyze more data, which can result in the addition or subtraction of some proposed routes.

An environmental impact study has begun and will last through 2009. A decision on a route is expected soon thereafter, with the new highway taking anywhere from 10 to 30 years to complete, according to varying reports by engineers involved with the project.

While some who attended the session Wednesday spoke of property that had been in their family 40 years or more, MDOT officials said they will deal with property owners in a cordial manner when it comes to purchasing rights-of-way.

An average of 500 feet of space would be sought from landowners on each side of each proposed route, depending on the terrain, said Chad Wallace, project manager with MDOT’s Environmental Division.

A third public session is set for 4 p.m. today at Flora Middle School. Interested parties can submit comments and questions by filling out a comment card at the meeting, or via e-mail at environmentalcomments@mdot.state.ms.us