Miss. legislature dedicates portion of MS Hwy 44 to T.L. Wallace

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A builder of roads, churches and, most importantly, a builder of men, family and friends.

Thomas Lavoy Wallace, the founder of T.L. Wallace Construction, managed major construction projects across Mississippi, including the U.S. Highway 90 replacement bridge from Biloxi to Ocean Springs after Hurricane Katrina.

Now, Wallace has a highway named in his memory. The section of roadway begins on Mississippi Highway 44 at the intersection with Mississippi Highway 13 and extends west to the Pearl River bridge.

His wife, Janette Hickman Wallace, said he had a heart of service and a gift of ministry.

“Our mission is to do what we can for the betterment of our community and of the world, and that’s the life that he lived,” she said.

Other projects Wallace managed include the Flowood Drive widening project in Jackson, the dam remediation in Percy State Park in McComb and Woodlawn Church in Columbia.

“Working with legislator and MDOT, we came up with the plan and presented the dedication to all the family, friends and people at the church,” said Tom King, the Southern District Transportation Commissioner. “It’s an honor to do that. He was a great man, a great Christian man.”

House Bill 424, which made the dedication, was passed in the 2021 Session of the Mississippi Legislature. For more information on memorial highway dedications, visit GoMDOT.com.

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