NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Seargent Prentiss Drive bridge crossing Liberty Road is to be named after former Natchez mayor Butch Brown with the enactment of a bill that passed through the Mississippi Legislature on Tuesday.
As requested by Natchez-Adams County officials, the Legislature agreed to honor Brown by formally putting his name on the bridge, which is part of the state highway system. The bill goes to Gov. Tate Reeves for him to sign into law.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is to place plaques on each end of the bridge and have nearby road signs to show it’s been designated the “Larry L. ‘Butch’ Brown, Sr., Memorial Bridge,” as directed by Senate Bill 2643.
Brown, who died in 2023, served three terms as Natchez mayor. He was also MDOT’s executive director in between stints as mayor.
Brown helped design the decorative span crossing Liberty Road with its black wrought-iron railings and ornate columns.
The bridge-naming bill passed the House of Representatives last Friday and cleared through the Senate on Tuesday as state lawmakers prepare to end their annual three-month session. The bill names several Mississippi roadways in memory of various people.
Brown died at age 79 in April 2023. His three terms as Natchez mayor were from 1992 to 2000 and 2012 to 2016. His stint as MDOT executive director was from 2001 to 2011.
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