List of Mississippi state highways
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Mississippi's State Highway System is composed of numbered routes.
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[edit] History
In 1928, Mississippi Governor Theodore G. Bilbo appointed Horace Stansel head of a committee to investigate the state's highway needs. Stansel submitted an act to create a state highway system to the state legislature in 1930. Since then, Mississippi has gradually shaped its highway system to be one of the best in the nation.
Until 1987, there were but two major four lane highways in Mississippi, not counting the interstates, which were built during the 1960s and 1970s: US 49 from Yazoo City to Gulfport and US 82 between Greenville and Winona. Things changed when the state legislature launched the $1.3 billion Four Lane Highway Program of 1987.[1] This program gradually allowed for the funding of over 1,000 miles of four lane highway statewide. In 2002, the Four Lane Highway Program was expanded in what was known as Vision 21.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation was not created until 1992; this organization consolidated several services that already existed.
[edit] Numbering scheme
Mississippi numbers its highways in a grid-like pattern, much like the U.S. Route numbering scheme. One and two-digit routes are primary highways.
Odd-numbered routes run north-south and start from MS 1, which runs along the Mississippi River, to MS 25, which runs near the Alabama border. In addition to routes 1 through 25, routes 27 through 41 repeat this pattern over the first several routes, still increasing in number from west to east, and routes 43 and higher generally run in the southern part of the state.
Even-numbered routes run east-west; these start from MS 2, which runs near the Tennessee state line, and continue to MS 26, which runs in the southern part of the state. With the exception of MS 28, the next several even routes are aligned over routes 2 through 26 in a similar fashion.
There are several state highways that are out of place; they do not fit the numbering scheme:
- MS 22 runs between MS 16 and MS 18.
- MS 23 runs east of MS 25.
- MS 27 runs between MS 33 and MS 35.
- MS 28 runs between MS 18 and MS 24, but it was MS 20 before I-20 was built.
- MS 29 runs between MS 37 and MS 39.
- MS 46 runs between MS 32 and MS 42.
- MS 50 runs between MS 32 and MS 42, but it was MS 10 before I-10 was built (this fit into the grid, between MS 8 and MS 12).
- MS 67 runs between MS 53 and MS 57, but it was MS 55 before I-55 was built.
- MS 76 was the number given to the Pontotoc bypass in place of MS 6; this may be the number for the entire Corridor V of the Appalachian Development Highway System The bypass was recently renamed MS 6/US 278 after the completion of the corridor portion that reconnects west of Tupelo.
Three-digit highways are organized by their first digit. Routes beginning with a 1 are aborted alignments of U.S. Routes; these include highways 145, 149, 161, 172, 178, 182, 184, and 198. These highways are scattered over their "parent" routes, and have segments beginning and ending in several cities. The exception is MS 178, which covers almost all of the old road (US 78 was relocated onto a new freeway alignment throughout the entire state). U.S. Routes 11, 51, 65, 80, 90, and 278 do not have corresponding state highways, but most of them have at least one aborted alignment.
Highway 245 in Okolona is the only three-digit Mississippi Highway to begin with a 2. This is because it is the old alignment of Alternate US 45.
Mississippi highways 301 through 614 are secondary highways that are generally shorter than one- and two-digit highways. These routes are organized so that the 300's run in the northern part of the state, the 400's run in the north-central section, the 500's run in the south-central section, and the 600's run in the most southern section. These routes are numbered just like other state highways, with odd routes running north-south and even routes running east-west. They also generally increase from the east / north to the west / south within their respective areas.
Routes 701 and higher (the current highest is MS 994) are almost all hidden (unsigned) roads that run mostly along main streets and major roads through the state's towns and cities. The 700's run through the northern part of Mississippi, the 800's run through the central part, and the 900's run through the southern part. These roads are generally not arranged in any pattern because they are so short (many run less than a mile).
Finally, Mississippi has several scenic highways that run near the state's lakes. These include Scenic Routes 32, 304, 315, and 333. They are signed with a blue shield and run loops connecting to the state's normal highways of the same number. For example, Scenic Route 304 runs from I-55 in Hernando along MS 304 west to MS 301, turning south to loop around Arkabutla Lake and connect to MS 306 and I-55 in Coldwater.
[edit] List of numbered Mississippi state highways
Each of the numbered Mississippi state highways are listed below with their termini.
- MS 1 - US 61 in Onward to US 49 in Lula
- MS 2 - MS 178 in Hickory Flat to the Tennessee state line near Corinth, where it continues as State Route 22
- MS 3 - US 61 in Redwood to US 61 in DeSoto County
- MS 4 - Fox Island west of Tunica to MS 25 in Tishomingo County, Mississippi
- MS 5 - MS 178 in Hickory Flat to MS 7 north of US 72
- MS 6 - MS 161 in Clarksdale to MS 25 in Amory
- MS 7 - US 45W in Belzoni to the Tennessee state line at Benton County, where it continues as State Route 18
- MS 8 - MS 1 in Rosedale to US 278 in eastern Monroe County
- MS 9 - MS 12 in Ackerman to MS 30 east of New Albany
- MS 9W - MS 9 north of Bruce to MS 7 south of Oxford
- MS 12 - MS 1 in western Washington County to the Alabama state line east of Columbus, where it continues as State Route 18
- MS 13 - US 49 in southern Forrest County to MS 16 / MS 25 in southern Leake County
- MS 14 - Mayersville in western Issaquena County to the Alabama state line east of Macon, where it continues as State Route 32
- MS 15 - US 90 in Biloxi to the Tennessee state line north of Walnut, where it continues as State Route 125
- MS 16 - MS 1 in northern Issaquena County to the Alabama state line east of Scooba, where it continues as Sumter County Road 30
- MS 17 - MS 16 in eastern Madison County to north Carroll County
- MS 18 - US 61 in Port Gibson to the Alabama state line at Clarke County, where it continues as Choctaw County Road 20
- MS 19 - State Route 10 at the Alabama state line in Lauderdale County to US 51
- MS 21 - MS 35 in Forrest to US 45 in Shuqualak
- MS 22 - I-20 in Edwards to US 51 / MS 16 in Canton
- MS 23 - MS 25 in Smithville to the Alabama state line at northern Itawamba County, where it continues as State Route 24
- MS 24 - Fort Adams in western Wilkinson County to I-55 / US 98 in McComb
- MS 25 - I-55 in Jackson to the Tennessee state line north of Iuka, where it continues as State Route 57
- MS 26 - Louisiana Highway 10 at the Louisiana state line at Pearl River County to MS 63 in Lucedale
- MS 27 - Louisiana Highway 25 at the Louisiana state line at Walthall County to I-20 / US 61 in Vicksburg
- MS 28 - MS 33 in Fayette to US 84 west of Laurel
- MS 29 - MS 26 in Wiggins to MS 28 in Soso
- MS 30 - MS 7 in Oxford to the Natchez Trace Parkway in eastern Tishomingo County
- MS 32 - MS 1 in western Bolivar County to MS 41 in Okolona
- MS 33 - Louisiana Highway 19 at the Louisiana state line at Wilkinson County to US 61 in Fayette
- MS 35 - Louisiana Highway 21 at the Louisiana state line at Marion County to MS 315 in Panola County
- MS 37 - US 84 in eastern Covington County to MS 35 south of Raleigh
- MS 39 - Interstates 20 and 59 / MS 19 in Meridian to US 45 in Shuqualak
- MS 41 - US 45 / US 278 in northern Monroe County to MS 15 in Pontotoc
- MS 42 - Simpson County / Lawrence County line northwest of New Hebron to the Alabama state line at Wayne County, where it continues as State Route 56
- MS 43 - US 90 in Bay St. Louis to MS 407 in southern Montgomery County
- MS 44 - US 51 in McComb to MS 42 in Sumrall
- MS 46 - MS 15 in Mantee to MS 50 west of West Point
- MS 47 - MS 50 west of West Point to MS 8 in southern Chickasaw County
- MS 48 - MS 24 / MS 33 in Centreville to MS 35 in southern Marion County
- MS 50 - MS 9 in Walthall to the Alabama state line at Lowndes County, where it continues as State Route 96
- MS 53 - US 49 in Gulfport to MS 26 in Poplarville
- MS 57 - US 90 in southern Jackson County to MS 42 in State Line
- MS 63 - US 90 / MS 611 in Pascagoula to US 84 in Waynesboro
- MS 67 - I-10 in Biloxi to US 49 in northern Harrison County
- MS 69 - State Route 14 at the Alabama state line at Lowndes County to U.S. Routes 82 and 45 in Columbus
- MS 76 - US 278 / MS 6 in Pontotoc to MS 9 in Pontotoc
- MS 145 - the number for several old routings of U.S. Route 45
- MS 172 - a local branch off U.S. Route 72 that serves downtown Iuka, Mississippi
- MS 178 - the number for the old routing of U.S. Route 78
- MS 245 - the number for the old routing of U.S. Route 45 Alternate through Okolona, Mississippi
- MS 302 - runs east-west from Walls to U.S. Route 72 in Marshall County, Mississippi, west of Mt. Pleasant
- MS 350 - runs east-west from Corinth to Mississippi Highway 25 in Tishomingo County, Mississippi
- MS 364 - runs east-west from Booneville to MS 25 in Tishomingo County
- MS 365 - runs north-south through Tishomingo County, passing through Burnsville
- MS 366 - Belmont, Mississippi to the Alabama state line
- MS 463 - runs east-west through Madison County
- MS 469 - runs north-south from Brandon, Mississippi to MS 28 east of Georgetown, Mississippi
- MS 472 - runs east-west through Copiah County and Simpson County
- MS 478 - runs east-west from MS 43 north of New Hebron, Mississippi to MS 27 south of Georgetown, Mississippi
- MS 528 - runs east-west from US 11 east of Heidelberg, Mississippi to MS 15 in Bay Springs, Mississippi
- MS 550 - runs east-west from US 51 in Brookhaven, Mississippi to MS 28 west of Hazlehurst, Mississippi
- MS 554 - runs east-west through Adams County
- MS 555 - runs north-south through Adams County
- MS 587 - runs north-south from US 84 in Monticello, Mississippi to US 98 west of Columbia, Mississippi
- MS 588 - US 84 in Collins to MS 29 in Ellisville
- MS 589 - US 49 in Seminary to I-59 near Purvis
- MS 590 - US 49 in Seminary to US 11 in Ellisville
- MS 609 - US 90 in Ocean Springs to I-10 in St. Martin
- MS 760 - runs from MS 25 to MS 366 in Golden, Mississippi
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Passage of the 1987 Highway Program. Jere Nash and Andy Taggart, Daily Journal. December 19, 2006. Last accessed December 29, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Mississippi Department of Transportation
- Mississippi Public Roads Selected Statistics - Extent, Travel, and Designation (PDF) (includes a route log)
- Magnolia Meanderings by Adam Froehlig
- Mississippi State Highway Endpoint Photos by Adam Froehlig
- Mississippi Highway Ends by Robert Lee
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