Miss. Code Ann. § 65-1-57

It shall be the duty of the Highway Commission to issue rules and regulations for the State Highway Department to construct all secondary roads, when taken over for construction and maintenance, up to such standard of specifications and with such surfacing material as the Highway Commission may determine from a traffic census of the use and importance thereof as would be justified from a standpoint of economy and convenience to the traveling public. To this end the Highway Commission is authorized, in dealing with said secondary roads, to have the highway department place surfacing material on said secondary roads. All secondary roads shall be constructed and maintained with a view of being eventually hard surfaced as provided for primary roads.