Mississippi Highway 6

Western Terminus:

At MS 161 in Lyon, Coahoma County

Eastern Terminus:

 At MS 25 near Amory, Monroe County

Distance:

 135.6 miles

Counties Served:

 Coahoma, Quitman, Panola, Lafayette, Pontotoc, Lee, Monroe

Cities/Towns Over 5,000 Population:

 Clarksdale, Batesville, Oxford, Tupelo, Amory

Highway Duplexes:

 US 278 (unsigned), MS 9, MS 178

Freeway segments:

 Along Oxford Bypass

Multilane segments:

 From Batesville to MS 76 (including Oxford Bypass)
Through Tupelo

National Highway System:

 From US 49/61 near Lyon to US 45 in Tupelo

MDOT's Vision 21 System:

 High Priority from US 61 to east of I-55
High Priority from MS 9 to US 45

Average Annual Daily Traffic Ranges (2004)

Coahoma County:

4,800 (MS 161 to US 49/61)
4,200 (E of US 49/61)
4,300 (Near Big Creek Rd)

Quitman County:

 3,500 (near Casco Rd)
3,300 (W of MS 316)
3,100 (E of MS 316)
4,400 (near James Reed Rd)

Panola County:

 4,900 (E of Nash Rd)
9,200 (E of Farrish Gravel Rd)
9,800 (W of MS 35 in Batesville)
12,000 (E of MS 35 in Batesville)
20,000 (W of US 51 in Batesville)
25,000 (near Vicks St in Batesville)
22,000 (W of I-55 in Batesville)
13,000 (E of Mill Cross Rd)
12,000 (E of MS 315 South)

Lafayette County:

 10,000 (W of Clear Creek Rd)
16,000 (W of Jackson Ave)
16,000 (Jackson Ave to Coliseum Dr in Oxford)
24,000 (Coliseum Dr to Old Taylor Rd in Oxford)
17,000 (Old Taylor Rd to Lamar Blvd in Oxford)
24,000 (Lamar Blvd to MS 7 in Oxford)
7,900 (MS 334 to Old MS 6)
8,300 (E of Campground Rd)
4,000 (near Denmark)
6,500 (E of MS 336)

Pontotoc County:

 5,600 (near Lafayette/Pontotoc Co Line)
2,400 (E of MS 76)
4,800 (W of Old Airport Rd in Pontotoc)
12,000 (MS 9 South to MS 15 in Pontotoc)
10,000 (MS 15 to Turnpike Rd in Pontotoc)
9,000 (near Cox St in Pontotoc)
8,200 (E of CR 51)
7,400 (E of Furrs)

Lee County:

 9,900 (W of Bissell Rd in Tupelo)
17,000 (E of Bissell Rd in Tupelo)
17,000 (E of Coley Rd in Tupelo)
25,000 (near Thomas St in Tupelo)
17,000 (E of Gloster St/MS 145 in Tupelo)
17,000 (W of US 45 in Tupelo)
17,000 (Canal St to Elvis Presley Blvd in Tupelo)
4,700 (SE of MS 178 East in Tupelo)
6,500 (SE of Eason Blvd)
5,700 (N of Central St in Plantersville)
2,900 (S of CR 830)
2,400 (S of CR 1149)
4,000 (N of Nettleton)
5,300 (E of Nettleton)

Monroe County:

 4,900 (NW of MS 371)
6,900 (MS 371 to MS 25)

Current/Upcoming Projects Listed in the STIP

Year:

Location: Type of Work: Funding:

2005

 MS 342 to MS 145 at Green St Grading for new 4-lane highway (Tupelo bypass) $19.4 million

2007

 MS 342 to MS 145 at Green St Paving for new 4-lane highway (Tupelo bypass) $10.0 million

2007

 Near Chapeltown Rd (W of Batesville) to near Good Hope Rd (E of Batesville) ROW for 2-lane bypass (Batesville bypass) $4.3 million

2007

 Near Chapeltown Rd (W of Batesville) to near Good Hope Rd (E of Batesville) New 2-lane highway (Batesville bypass) $15.0 million

Froggie's Notes:

- MS 6 is an important route across northern Mississippi.  It connects two large towns (Clarksdale and Tupelo) with the University of Mississippi in between.  In addition, it is also a Congressional High Priority Corridor and Appalachian Regional Corridor from I-55 at Batesville east to Tupelo (Corridor V).
- When US 278 was extended west into Arkansas in early 1998, it was decided to route it along MS 6 between Tupelo and Clarksdale.  As of late 2004, this extension was STILL not signed in Mississippi.
- Due to its importance, much of the uncompleted portions of the corridor were rolled into the Vision 21 program.  This includes a proposed southern bypass of Batesville.
- Construction is underway to complete the Pontotoc Bypass and extend a 4-lane corridor from MS 9 northeast of Pontotoc to MS 342.  The completed portion of the Pontotoc bypass is currently signed as MS 76.  This designation will be dropped and the entire bypass will be signed as MS 6 upon completion in late 2005 or 2006.
- Besides completion of the Pontotoc Bypass, there are long range plans to complete 4-laning of the corridor from Clarksdale to Tupelo, including a southern bypass of Tupelo.  There is also a long-range proposal to 4-lane the highway from Nettleton to Amory.
- Currently under study is a plan to replace the traffic signal at Jackson Ave in West Oxford with an interchange.  Once completed, this project will remove the only traffic signal between I-55 and Pontotoc.

Froggie Suggests:

- Construct paved shoulders on all 4-lane segments.
- While 4-laning the corridor between Clarksdale and Batesville is a long-range plan, expedite the widening through western Panola County.
- Implement access management along the segment between I-55 and Oxford, constructing frontage roads and removing private driveways and private access where possible, with the eventual goal of upgrading this segment to a freeway.
- Expedite construction of the interchange at Jackson Ave in West Oxford.
- Reconstruct the existing interchanges (nearly all of them substandard) along the Oxford Bypass.
- Reconstruct the interchange at MS 7 into a cloverleaf or other freeway-to-freeway interchange.  As an interim measure, construct a loop from EB MS 6 to NB MS 7 to reduce a nasty backup/safety situation on the EB off-ramp.
- Construct an interchange or overpass on the Pontotoc Bypass at MS 345.
- Expedite construction between MS 342 and US 45, with an extension of the corridor to Plantersville.  Construct these segments as expressway, with no private access allowed.

Photographs:

No photographs available

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Last Updated:  May 28, 2005

(C) 2005, 2004, Adam Froehlig