Vision 21: MFES Proposal

The following proposal is designed to replace Phase Four of the four-lane highway program. It is completely of my own invention, and will probably never be adopted, but here's my plan:

The Mississippi Freeway and Expressway System

With apologies to the great state of California, I propose separating the existing four-lane routes into three categories: freeway corridors, expressway corridors, and non-expressway corridors.

Freeway Corridors

The following routes, if not already at Interstate highway standards, would be upgraded to Interstate highway standards:

• All existing Interstate highways (I-10, I-20, I-55, I-59, I-110, I-220)
• Proposed Interstate 69 from Benoit to Interstate 55
• U.S. Highway 45 from I-20 at Meridian to the north end of the Tupelo bypass at MS 145 (following Alternate U.S. 45 from Brooksville to the south end of the Tupelo bypass)
• U.S. Highway 49 from I-20 at Jackson to I-10 at Gulfport-Biloxi
• U.S. Highway 78 across the state (Future I-22)
• U.S. Highway 82 across the state
• Mississippi Highway 304 from I-55 to Tennessee Highway 385
• An interstate spur from I-69 to U.S. 82 southeast of Greenville
• No fewer than 3 additional Interstate spurs from I-10 to U.S. 90 along the Gulf Coast
• An interstate spur from I-55 @ High Street to Jackson International Airport

Expressway Corridors

The following routes would be constructed to expressway standards, with no direct access to private property from the mainline. At-grade intersections and interchanges would be acceptable; however, the use of traffic signals would be strongly discouraged, and they would be used only as an interim traffic control until an interchange could be constructed and stop signs on mainlines (such as four-way stops) prohibited. Portions could be constructed at freeway standards if deemed necessary.

These routes would include municipal bypasses as necessary.

• U.S. 45 from State Line to MS 145 south of Meridian; from Brooksville to Columbus; from Columbus to Alternate U.S. 45; from MS 145 north of Tupelo to the Tennessee state line.
• U.S. 49 from Helena, Ark. to I-69 at Rich, and from I-220 to Yazoo City
• U.S. 49W from Yazoo City to Indianola
• Relocated U.S. 49W from Indianola to I-69 at or near Cleveland
  (U.S. 49W would follow I-69 north to Clarksdale. U.S. 49E would be extended north from Tutwiler to Clarksdale. MS 3 would take over existing U.S. 49W from Indianola to Tutwiler.)
• U.S. 61 from the Louisiana state line to I-69, and from I-69 to the Tennessee state line
• U.S. 72 across the state, including a bypass of Corinth
• U.S. 84 across the state
• U.S. 98 across the state
• U.S. 278 (Mississippi 6) from I-69 to U.S. 45 (west of Clarksdale, it would follow I-69)
• Relocated U.S. 278 from Nettleton to MS 25 at Amory
  (Existing U.S. 278 would become an eastward extension of MS 32, replacing MS 41 east of Okolona.)
• (new route) Mississippi 6N from U.S. 49/I-69 interchange at Rich to U.S. 278 (MS 6) at or near Marks
• Mississippi 7 from U.S. 82 at Greenwood to the Tennessee state line
• Mississippi 9 from U.S. 278 at or near Pontotoc to U.S. 78 at or near Sherman.
• Mississippi 15 from I-10 to the Tennessee state line
• Mississippi 25 from I-55 to U.S. 82 at Starkville, and from Alternate U.S. 45 to U.S. 72
• Mississippi 57/63 from I-10 to State Line
• Mississippi 67 from I-10 to U.S. 49
• Mississippi 76 from MS 25 to or near Red Bay, Alabama
• Mississippi 302 from U.S. 78 to U.S. 72

Non-Expressway Corridors

All remaining projects in the four-lane highway program would be designated in this category.

Back to the real Vision 21.