Starting Point: At Louisiana line south of Sandy Hook, Marion County
Ending Point: At MS 315 near Sardis Dam, Panola County
Official Length (MDOT): 266.732 miles
Counties: Marion, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Smith, Scott,
Leake, Attala, Carroll, Grenada, Tallahatchie, Panola
Cities/towns over 5,000 pop served: Columbia, Forest, Kosciusko,
Batesville
Multiplexes:
1.1 miles with US 98 near Foxboro
4.4 miles with MS 13 near Columbia
1.2 miles with MS 28 near Mize
1.1 miles with MS 14 in Kosciusko
4.3 miles with MS 19 in Kosciusko
1.0 miles with MS 430 near Vaiden
0.6 miles with MS 17 in Carrollton
3.8 miles with MS 8 in western Grenada County
1.6 miles with MS 32 near Charleston
NHS: Along duplex with US 98
Freeway Segments: None
Other Multilane Segments:
From 1 mile south of US 98 to US 98
Along US 98 duplex
From I-20 to MS 21 in/near Forest
From south Carthage to MS 25
From Natchez Trace to MS 12 WEST in Kosciusko
Average Daily Traffic (1998): Ranges from 500 in northern Carroll County to 15,000 along duplex with US 98 and in Forest. At least 2,800 between Forest and Kosciusko. Hits a secondary low of 1,100 in northern Marion County.
Notes:
The southern portion from the Louisiana line to US 98 is part of Phase 4 of the 1987
Highway Program.
A few realignments have occured in recent years. One is in effect a bypass of
Mount Olive, between MS 149 and MS 532, while the other is a major realignment
north of Raleigh.
What I'd Do:
MS 35 is significant enough south of Vaiden that I would give it full paved
shoulders. I would also bypass Raleigh, Mize, and north Kosciusko (all
with 4-lane bypasses)
4-lane the following: south of US 98; from Forest to Vaiden;
Work on access management in Columbia, Forest, Carthage, and Kosciusko.