Starting Point: At I-55 in Jackson, Hinds County
Ending Point: Tennessee line north of Cross Roads, Tishomingo County
Official Length (MDOT): 227.624 miles
Counties: Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Attala, Winston,
Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Clay, Monroe, Itawamba, Tishomingo
Cities/towns over 5,000 pop served: Jackson, Flowood,
Carthage, Louisville,
Starkville, West Point, Aberdeen, Amory
Multiplexes: MS 471, MS 15, MS 12, US 82, ALT US 45, US 45, MS 8, US 78
NHS: From I-55 to US 82/ALT US 45 interchange and along duplexes with US 45 and US 78.
Freeway Segments:
From Old MS 25 southwest of Starkville to US 82
Exit List
Along duplex with US 82 between MS 182 and ALT US 45
Exit List
Along duplex with US 78
Other Multilane Segments:
From I-55 to just north of MS 43
>From near the Scott/Leake County line to north end of Carthage bypass
>From just south of MS 15 South to MS 15 North
Along multiplexes with MS 12/US 82/ALT US 45
>From west end of Aberdeen to MS 8 East
Along ARC Corridor V segment from US 78 to about 7 miles north
>From US 72 to about 4 miles north
Average Daily Traffic (1999):
Hinds County: 49,000
Rankin County: 55,000 (near Pearl River
bridge) to 27,000 (east of MS 475) to 4,100 (near Scott County)
Scott County: 4,100
Leake County: 4,100 (near Scott County) to
5,300 (near MS 13) to 2,800 (north of MS 16) to 3,400 (east of MS 35) to 2,400
(northeast of Marydell)
Attala County: 2,700
Winston County: 2,400 (northeast of MS 19)
to 5,100 (north of MS 14) to 2,600 (northeast of MS 15) to 3,600 (near Webster)
Oktibbeha County (southwest of MS 12):
3,900 (near Winston County) to 14,000 (south of MS 12)
Monroe County (northeast of ALT US 45):
2,100 (near Terrells) to 10,000 (US 45 duplex) to 3,700 (north of MS 8) to
13,000 (in Amory) to 2,200 (north of MS 23)
Itawamba County (excluding US 78 duplex):
2,100 (south of Tilden) to 4,400 (south of US 78) to 1,200 (north of MS 178) to
2,600 (north of Fairview) to 2,300 (near Tishomingo County)
Tishomingo County: 2,100 (north of Iuka
bypass) to 6,500 (north of US 72)
Notes:
Has basically a hidden duplex with US 82 and ALT US 45 between Starkville and north of
West Point, although it's signed in some places with US 82. Section between Jackson
and Starkville was not part of original state highway system.
Between Jackson and Starkville is part of the original 1987 Highway Program. A more recent addition to Phase IV of the 1987 Highway Program is the section from Aberdeen north.
Construction is underway on much of the remaining sections between Jackson and Starkville, including a bypass of Starkville. Currently under study is a "parkway-style" bypass of Amory.
What I'd Do:
Lots on this route. First off, I would build the "Jackson Airport
Connector", which is a proposed freeway from I-55 at High Street to the
airport, with a spur up to MS 25 just east of MS 475, and I would move MS 25 to
this freeway and spur. I would then extend the freeway section along
existing MS 25 at least up to MS 43. The Carthage, Louisville, and
Starkville bypasses would also become freeway-grade.
From Aberdeen to US 78 would become a 4-lane expressway, with freeway segments bypassing Aberdeen and Amory. North of Corridor V would also become a 4-lane expressway up to US 72.
Some have called for a new MS 25 routing from Starkville to either West Point, or the existing ALT US 45/MS 25 interchange north of West Point. I don't think the traffic is there currently, but I would at least study this.