Somewhere in all that kudzu, there is an old US-11 bridge.

This sign very likely dates back to the early Tennessee Valley Authority days.

The state line, on old US-45.

One of the back roads of Corinth, MS.

We’re in Alabama now, and this is an abandoned US-72 alignment.

Local plant life.

Apparently, this is a problem.

Good luck finding a state-named interstate shield in Tennessee. I don’t know of any.

That about covers all the types of interstate shields you will find.

Alas, there will be no drinking and driving today.

Nope, not a state-named shield to be found. The last time I saw one was in January, 2004!

This is supposed to be Tennessee secondary route 255, but it definitely isn’t signed that way.

Bridge to nowhere.

Some secondary state route markers.

Interstate 24 barely makes it to Georgia – bouncing out once and then ending at I-59. Here is a shield with an extra-small state name.

Some overuse of the JCT banner.

We’re all mature folks around here and we see nothing unusual about the name of this supermarket.

Apparently, these truck route markers all over Birmingham are some of the oldest shields in Alabama. There are many more, and Jeff Royston has much better photos of them.

One with, one without.

Button copy is getting hard to find in Alabama. This gantry may very well be gone by now.

I do not know why they taped over the state name on this shield.

Alabama is filled with goats.

An old US-11 alignment somewhere in western Alabama.

Here is where the old alignment comes in. This shield is dated 1971 on the back.

The corresponding green sign is probably equally as old.

We’re back in Mississippi – home of the circle shields.

Another view of the bridge to Kudzuland.

These two state-named shields somehow survived Hurricane Katrina. And with that, we’re back at the airport and that’s it for this trip!

Along US-82 in southwest Arkansas is a wild animal farm. Here is a half-horse half-zebra creature.

Some of the last cutouts in Mississippi. There is a US-45 somewhere, too.

Extra tall sunset, somewhere approaching Tupelo on old US-78.

A bird on a stop sign.

Following US-82 in southern Arkansas, and looking to the north at this railroad bridge.

I don’t think that’s quite what they intended to say.

More from the farm – here is a buffalo.

An actual zebra, and several other creatures.

Gotta keep up with that llama farm in Nebraska.

The trees haven’t even been cleared yet – but, someday, this will be I-69.

Yes, that tends to be the case…

Arkansas uses classic US highway shields.

“5 tracks” is rare enough – and here is one with button copy!

Several of the five tracks, and switch engine number 1156.

Somehow, in the other direction – there’s six tracks? I am not sure how the arithmetic works out.

An old reflector embedded in a US-82 bridge from the early 1930s. Unfortunately, it does not reflect particularly well anymore.

I do not know why this road has a T suffix.

Further along US-82 is this tank.

We’re in Mississippi now – specifically, at the Greenville train station.

Specialization is for insects.

US-82 has long been on the bypass around town, but I’ll take this shield any day.

Mississippi uses the classic shields even for suffixed routes. They use the wide shield for their one three-digit route: 278.

Vertical squirrel is vertical.

Mississippi is bringing the state name back to its interstate markers.

The missile tail on the arrow is a nice touch on this white guide sign.

Birds and power lines.

We’re on old US-78 heading east now.

A railroad overpass.

Sunset over interstate 22.

More interstate 22. We stop somewhere around here for today.

U.S. 84 shifted from its Main Street alignment through Collins onto a new four-lane bypass north of town. The old alignment was redesignated Mississippi 184. A new partial-cloverleaf interchange joins U.S. 49 with the relocated U.S. 84.

U.S. 49′s approach to Interstates 20 and 55 at Richland was upgraded to an expressway recently. The controlled-access route bypasses some of the businesses, now served by frontage roads, from the split with Old Highway 49 north to U.S. 49′s merge onto Interstate 20 west & 55 south.

Interstates 20 & 55 westbound near their split in south Jackson. Road work is underway presently to replace the westbound bridge over U.S. 51 / State Street.

Mississippi 7 joins Interstate 55 north from Grenada between Exits 206 and 211.

Several Mississippi state highways double as scenic routes. Where these designations exist, blue on white shields are used. This assembly lies along the northbound Interstate 55 off-ramp at Exit 227.

Interstate 69 northbound at its merge onto Interstate 55 north at Hernando. Interstate 55 and 69 now cosign northward to the Tennessee state line. Additionally all Interstate shields installed from late 2008 onwards will include the state-name.

Interstate 55 & 69 northbound signage at the Exit 291 (State Line Road / Main Street), the final Mississippi interchange. Upon entering Tennessee, Interstate 69 disappears with the exception of Future I-69 Corridor signs.

Interstate 240 west/north at the redesigned interchange with Interstate 40 east of downtown Memphis. This interchange originally included provisions for unconstructed Interstate 40 leading east to Overton Park. When Interstate 40 was cancelled through the parkland, the I-40 designation shifted to the northern half of Interstate 240. It was not until recent years that work redesigned the previous cloverleaf interchange to remove unused ramps and upgrade the movements between Interstates 40 & 240 to include high speed ramps. Pictured here is the new flyover carrying drivers from Interstate 240 onto Interstate 40 west.

Upgrades also took place at the Interstates 40 and 240 eastern junction. A new flyover was added for movements between I-40 west to I-240 west. A ramp stub is in place for further upgrades for the I-40 westbound ramp onto the beltway. In this scene I-40 exits itself via a one-lane left-hand ramp (Exit 12C) as Interstate 240 begins.

Entering the Exit 9 six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with Mallory Avenue along Interstate 55 north in Memphis. The exit is currently closed as TNDOT is in the process of reconstructing the junction into a single point urban interchange (SPUI). Work commenced in 2008 and will be completed in 2010.

One of the most substandard connections along the Interstate system is that of the Interstate 55 cloverleaf interchange with Crump Boulevard in Memphis. The northbound mainline of I-55 utilizes a loop ramp from the freeway north onto Crump Boulevard west leading toward the Mississippi River Bridge. This scene looks at the I-55 northbound mainline at the Crump Boulevard southbound loop ramp. Fortunately TNDOT will be upgrading the interchange in the near future. Both Alternatives under study involve shifting the Interstate 55 mainline onto a new alignment skimming the southwestern quadrant of the current cloverleaf interchange.

Interstate 55 crosses the Mississippi between Memphis and West Memphis over the equally substandard Memphis & Arkansas Bridge. The cantilever span opened in 1949.

Westbound at the split of Interstate 40 to Little Rock and 55 north to Blytheville. Road work is currently underway at the merge of the two freeways ahead of Exit 279 to the east.

Northbound future Interstate 555 and U.S. 63 at the recently completed Exit 7 diamond interchange with Arkansas 135. There are no remaining at-grade intersections between Arkansas 135 and Interstate 55.

A sharp ramp carries drivers from Future Interstate 555 & U.S. 63 south onto Interstate 55 north. Arkansas 77 travels south from the directional cloverleaf interchange into Turrell.

The northbound beginning of Business Loop Interstate 55 near New Madrid, Missouri. This is the first business loop of I-55 in Missouri. Others exist further north at Cape Girardeau (Exit 93B), Jackson (Exit 99), Crystal City (Exit 174A) and Herculaneum (Exit 178).

Construction starting around 2000 involved widening all remaining two-lane sections of U.S. 45 northward from the Alabama state line to Meridian. This work included an expressway bypass of Quitman and completes U.S. 45 as a four-lane route trough to the Tennessee state line.

Widening of U.S. 45 ties into another four-lane corridor underway along Mississippi 57 south to Leakesville and Mississipi 63 between Leakesville and Moss Point. This work is partially complete with a 12-mile stretch of new expressway grade road for Mississippi 57 from U.S. 45 south. A new alignment was built east of Main Street, extending the state route to a partial trumpet interchange with U.S. 45. Included in the work was the relocation of Mississippi 42 onto St. Peter Street and a new diamond interchange between the two highways.

Further south, all of Mississippi 63 was four-laned between an interchange with U.S. 98 and the city of Moss Point by 2000. Mississippi 63 remains a two-lane route between U.S. 98 northeast of Lucedale to its overlap with Mississippi 57 through Leakesville. This is changing now with the construction of a new four-lane highway from the current stub end with U.S. 98 to a widening of existing Mississippi 57 north of its split with Mississippi 63.

The final 25-mile stretch of new four-lane is presently under construction. Completion expected by fall 2011, the $42.1 million roadway includes substantial new alignments for Mississippi 63 and 57 and a diamond interchange where they come together southeast of Leakesville.

A look at changes made to the State Line area road network between 2000 and 2009. Note the relocation of Mississippi 42 from Kennedy Street onto St. Peter Street and the realignment of its intersection west from Alabama 56. Mississippi 57 north from a crossover south of St. Peter Street to the end with U.S. 45 exists as a limited access freeway with partial shoulders.

A May 9, 2009 photo tour of the area, starting with U.S. 49 and its new overlap with Mississippi 42, the Mississippi 57 freeway, Mississippi 42 and its former alignment which retains reassurance markers despite the 2007 relocation.

Sources:

1. “MDOT’s District Six Offers Project Updates.” MDOT Press Release, February 13, 2009.

Mississippi 15 southbound at the new trumpet interchange with Mississippi 67.

Mississippi 67 was fully opened to traffic after a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 16, 2009. Work on the nine-miles leading northwest to U.S. 49 from Traditions Parkway opened to traffic by May 14, 2008. The final section entailed ten miles between Mississippi 605 and Mississippi 15 north of Woolmarket. The highway cost $72 million and took six years to complete.

Heading northbound at the off-ramp to Mississippi 605 south and Tradition Parkway north.

New Mississippi 605 opened on December 20, 2006 as an extension of Cowan-Lorraine Road 8.2 miles north to Mississippi 67 at the planned Traditions community. The new road cost $16 million and presently is mostly undeveloped.

One mile south of the interchange with Mississippi 67 on Mississippi 605 northbound.

Traditions is a master-planned community entailing over 4,000 acres of currently undeveloped lands adjacent to the six-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange between Mississippi 67 and 605. Tradition Parkway ties into the exit as a four-lane parkway by the new St. Patrick High School. The parkway curves north and west from that junction, meeting Mississippi 67 again at an at-grade intersection northwest of the planned town center. See the site plan here for what’s in store.

The southbound beginning of Mississippi 67 as the highway leaves U.S. 49 via a trumpet interchange.

Future plans in the preliminary stages involve an upgrade of the Interstate 10/110/Mississippi 67 full-cloverleaf interchange at D’Iberville. Potential work will replace the westbound to southbound loop ramp with a flyover, add a collector/distributor roadway to Interstate 10 east for ramps to/from the north-south road, and add ramps to Old Highway 15 (half-diamond interchange) and Lamey Bridge Road to serve the adjacent Lakeview Village and Biloxi Promenade shopping centers. Further work will replace the intersection with Sangania Boulevard north of Interstate 10 with a folded-diamond interchange. More information on these projects can be found here .

Westbound Interstate 10 at the Exit 46B off-ramp to Mississippi 15 & 67 north. Note that the Exit 46A panels no longer reflect the overlap of Mississippi 15 south with Interstate 110. Signs at the south end of Interstate 110 now include “TO MS-67″ instead of MS-15.

All photos taken 03/29/09 by Alex Nitzman and Brent Ivy.

Sources

1. “Highway 67 now open for 19 miles.” WLOX, January 17, 2009.
2. “Part of New Hwy 67 to Open Next Week.” WLOX, May 9, 2008.
3. “New Road Opened with Casino Road Tax Money Won’t Help Biloxi Casino Traffic Congestion.” GulfCoastNews.com, December 21, 2006.

1974 Alabama official highway map.

Furthermore, Interstate 10 gains the control city of Mobile along eastbound from Gulfport and Biloxi through Moss Point. There’s no mention of Pascagoula outside of exit signs for Mississippi 613 and 63.

1971 Gousha Alabama/Georgia highway map.

The same can be said for Interstate 10′s control point from Slidell, Louisiana, which features the U.S. 90 city of Bay St. Louis. When Interstate 10 ended at Mississippi 607 (Exit 2) from Louisiana, it made sense to have Bay St. Louis, since MS 607 to U.S. 90 carried motorists directly into the Hancock County city. Nowadays Interstate 10 bypasses the community well to the north.

1971 Mississippi Gousha Mississippi highway map.

Throughout the years the same cities are carbon copied without any thought to updating the signs. However it is possible to change such designations. Texas officials altered signs in 2007 for U.S. 75 leading north from Dallas that replaced Sherman with McKinney…

Beginning in the east, the U.S. 90 Ocean Springs Bridge is finally open to traffic after 18 months of work. Initially opened to traffic on November 1, 2007, the bridge presently carries two lanes of traffic on a span that eventually will accommodate six lanes and a pedestrian/bicycle path. The span travels much higher than the original four-lane crossing, thus negating the need for a draw-span. See MDOT’s BiloxiBayBridge page for more details on the construction, which is slated for completion on April 16, 2008, with a full bridge opening on March 28, 2008. Work began on June 16, 2006.

U.S. 90 first spans the CSX Railroad line over an arm of the Old Fort Bayou before ascending along the high-level Biloxi Bay Bridge. Features of the new span include a retro-style guard rail and light yellow paint motif.

Continuing west, the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina becomes increasingly evident as one leaves Biloxi and enters Gulfport, Long Beach, and Pass Christian. Presently crews are repaving the U.S. 90 roadway, which remains somewhat bumpy after the Hurricane.

Some new development has occurred on the stretch, but much of it remains abandoned or clear of any structures. One such structure that was replaced is the St. Louis Bay Bridge of U.S. 90. Crews opened half of the eventual four-lane bridge on May 17, 2007, linking the city of Bay St. Louis with Pass Christian. As of December 10, 2007, the span still carries two-lanes and a 12-foot pedestrian/bicycle path.

U.S. 90 westbound on the St. Louis Bay Bridge – December 10, 2007. Traffic shifted from the completed eastbound lanes onto the westbound lanes on November 26, 2007 so that contractors could finish the final elements of the bridge including lighting, signs, and railing.

Construction on the St. Louis Bay Bridge commenced on June 7, 2006, just three months after demolition began on the remnants of the original span. U.S. 90 originally traveled along a two four-lane draw bridge, but with an 85 foot clearance on the new span, motorists will not longer suffer delays from marine traffic below. The $266.8 million project is near completion.

U.S. 90 remains a somewhat lonely road from its partition with Mississippi 607 in western Hancock County. Continuing from there through the Pearlington area, a series of truss, lift, and pony truss bridges carry the two-lane highway through bayou country. Once U.S. 90 nears the Rigolets, a waterway that joins Lake Pontchartrain to the west with Lake Borgne to the east, another bridge project is well underway. Crossing the Rigolets is the narrow two-lane Fort Pike Bridge, a truss with a swing span first opened to traffic in 1930.

The stretch of U.S. 90 suffered damaged due to Katrina’s storm surge, however the bridge suffered limited damage structurally (but major damage to its electrical system). LADOTD’s replacement project of the aging span was already underway when Hurricane Katrina made landfall. However contractors working on the span were pulled away from the project for emergency repairs to the Interstate 10 bridges over Escambia Bay after Hurricane Ivan.

Looking east at the original Fort Pike Bridge and its future replacement at the Rigolets in eastern Orleans Parish.

A three-year construction project is underway to build a 5,500-long span with a 70 foot clearance. No longer will motorists experience anxiety when crossing the waterway on 10 feet lanes as the new bridge will carry two 12 foot lanes with 12 foot shoulders. Work began on the $50.6-million project November 2004 with an expected completion by June 2008.

Another of the three crossings between Orleans and St. Tammany Parish is that of the twin bridges of Interstate 10 over Lake Pontchartrain. These, like those of Interstate 10′s crossing of Escambia Bay in Florida, suffered the same fate of the U.S. 90 bridges in Mississippi with storm surges higher than the bridge itself toppling the concrete decks into the lake waters below. For a short time period, there was no Interstate 10 crossing between New Orleans and Slidell, with the narrow U.S. 11 bridge carrying the entire load. However an interim solution arose that salvaged submerged bridge deck components in conjunction with temporary metal-deck trusses.

Currently Interstate 10 traffic still utilizes a combination of the original bridges and those temporary metal trusses, similar to what travelers endured for several years at Pensacola. Construction is well underway however on the eventual replacement of the original four lane crossing with a much higher set of three lane bridges along the eastbound side. Costing $800-million, the twin-span replacement project will result in bridges ranging between 15 and 28 feet higher than the original bridges. Opening of the future westbound bridge is expected by late 2009. That span will carry four lanes of travel as crews work on the two-year completion of the new eastbound bridge.

Spanning Interstate 10 along U.S. 11 at Irish Bayou. Work on the Interstate 10 replacement spans is still in the early stages.

Four overall lanes of traffic are still accommodated along the 1965-built bridges. When the westbound bridge opens in 2009, demolition will begin on the original spans.

In related news, crews put the finishing touches on the new westbound bridge carrying Interstate 10 across Escambia Bay this week (December 12, 2007). Work was planned for completion by Christmas, but now cross country travelers and commuters alike will reap the benefits of the three-year $245-million construction job done in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. The new spans travel 25 feet higher than original shoulder less two-lane bridges. Drivers may now safely span Escambia Bay along three overall lanes per direction that includes shoulders on both the inside and outside lanes.

A look at the Escambia Bay Bridge project just four days prior to the opening of the new westbound bridge. Portions of the original bridge are being used to create an artificial reef in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

As it stands now, the bridge carries six overall lanes across the bay. Eastbound traffic reduces to two lanes once reaching land in Santa Rosa County. The third westbound lane becomes exit-only for the U.S. 90 (Exit 17) folded-diamond interchange. It is expected that Interstate 10 will be widened to six-lanes overall between Exit 17 and Exit 13 (Florida 291 / Davis Highway) in the near future.

Sources:

Reconstruction Of The Bay St. Louis Bridge - MDOT

“Top Louisiana Construction Projects (2005),” McGraw-Hill Construction.

“Gov reopens I-10 bridge.” Pensacola News Journal, December 12, 2007.

Drivers along congested U.S. 319 northbound soon will be provided with a direct on-ramp to Interstate 10 west. Presently, motorists must maneuver onto adjacent Florida 61 to access Interstate 10 at the nearby diamond interchange; A flyover from the separation of U.S. 319 south from Florida 61 south complicates the adjacent intersection. Photo taken July 13, 2007.

Further west, I finally had the opportunity to travel across the “Crooked Bridge” over Escambia Bay. The Escambia Bay Bridges of Interstate 10 took a beating during September 2004′s Hurricane Ivan. Many segments of the bridge deck were toppled into the Bay or destroyed. Road work commenced soon after on temporarily reopening the ailing spans and the construction of their replacement. The first of two “Crooked Bridges” opened earlier this year and now carries four lanes of overall traffic. Crews continue building the future westbound span while also dismantling the original twin spans.

Traveling the new “Crooked Bridge” of Interstate 10 westbound over Escambia Bay at Pensacola. A good portion of the deck for the future westbound-only span is complete nearby; further away crews continue on the removal of the original twin spans. Photo taken July 13, 2007.

Nearby, the same contractors are nearing completion of the Interstate 10/110 interchange project and Pensacola widening of I-10. Westbound traffic now utilizes essentially what is the final configuration with a c/d roadway handling movements between Florida 291 (Davis Highway) and Interstate 110. The high flyover set to carry westbound drivers onto Interstate 110 south is also near completion. Work will be completed by this fall on the 5-year project.

Westbound Interstate 10 at the nearly completed interchange with Interstate 110 (Exit 12). For a short while longer, drivers will utilize the future c/d roadway westbound to access Interstate 110 south via the original loop ramp. Upon completion, this high-speed flyover will segregate the Interstate 110 southbound movement from that of the same movement from the c/d roadway and Florida 291 (Davis Highway). Photo taken July 16, 2007.

Interstate 110 widening meanwhile moves forward but will not be completed until 2009. New signs are going up along northbound for the interstate 10 interchange and work also is underway on the new split-diamond interchange with Airport Boulevard and Brent Lane (Florida 296). I wrote the contractor about existing signs along Interstate 110 and how they omit both the State Road 295 and 296 designations, and those will finally be reflected on new signs. The Florida 295 interchange is also being redesigned from a standard diamond into that of a partial-cloverleaf interchange. Further south, signs toppled by Hurricane Ivan are finally replaced at the stack interchange between Interstate 110 and U.S. 98 Business.

Signs along the Interstate 110 southbound viaduct near downtown Pensacola are finally replaced after two plus years since their destruction at the winds of Hurricane Ivan. Photo taken July 15, 2007.

Shifting westward into Mobile County, Alabama, work is ongoing along the Alabama 158 (Industrial Parkway) extension from U.S. 45 to Schillinger Road. Widening of Industrial Parkway between Interstate 65 and U.S. 45 is already completed as is the upgrade of the Kali-Oka Road grade-separated intersection into a full diamond interchange. A diamond is also open at U.S. 45 awaiting the completion of Alabama 158 west.

Alabama 158 (Industrial Parkway) eastbound at the new diamond interchange with Kali-Oka Road (Mobile County 55). Signs for Kali-Oka Road only reflect Mobile County 55 and a small University of Mobile sign. At U.S. 45, only U.S. 45 shields are posted (no green signs). Photo taken July 17, 2007.

Schillinger Road presently ends at Alabama 217 (Lott Road) at a dirt road in rural Mobile County. Work to widen the dirt road into a four-lane paved highway between Lott Road and new U.S. 98/Alabama 158 is also underway.

Schillinger Road northbound at its present end with junction Alabama 217 (Lott Road) north of Semmes. Work is quite evident on the Schillinger Road extension northward to future U.S. 98. Photo taken July 16, 2007.

All of the Alabama 158 extension work is conducted to tie the road into the new U.S. 98 bypasses of both Wilmer and Semmes. Work began on that new roadway earlier this year as well. When all is said and done, U.S. 98 will no longer travel any of Moffett Road between the Mississippi state line and Interstate 65. A connector will be built at some point to tie new U.S. 98 into old U.S. 98 east of Semmes, but that time table is uncertain at this time. U.S. 98 otherwise will not be a freeway, however interchanges will be built in place of intersections at Mobile County 63, McCrary Road, Schillinger Road, and Alabama 217 (Lott Road). It is unclear at this time if old U.S. 98 will be signed as Business U.S. 98 or a state road.

I also scoped out the south end of Mobile County 39 (McDonald Road Extension) at Irvington. The road presently ends at a half-diamond interchange with U.S. 90 with grading for future loop ramps to bring it up to a folded-diamond. Projections of Mobile County 39 south include a second interchange south of the nearby CSX Railroad with Park Boulevard and an end at the intersection of Padgett Switch and Half Mile Roads. No work on the extension is underway at this time.

Shifting to Mississippi, the Mississippi 15 four-lane roadway tie in with the new Mississippi 67 expressway nears completion. Traffic still utilizes old Mississippi 15 north of Interstate 110, but the new four-lane asphalt roadway appears to be close to opening. Eventually Mississippi 67 will travel northwest from a trumpet interchange with Mississippi 15 all the way to U.S. 49 as an expressway. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to scope out these new roadways that well.

The opening of the replacement bridge for U.S. 90 across Biloxi Bay between Biloxi and Ocean Springs cannot come fast enough for area commuters. Interstate 110 northbound provides a slow go for the evening exodus of commuters between Biloxi and the D’Iberville interchange (Exit 2). See http://www.biloxibridge.com/ for progress on the new span.

If you have not been on Caillavet Street since Hurricane Katrina, you will not recognize it! The old alignment for Mississippi 15 street now appears as a green four-lane parkway. Originally the road looked like this!

Also, what happened to the sign bridge on Interstate 110 north at Interstate 10? The sign assembly currently at the cloverleaf-interchange is meant for a diamond interchange, not a freeway to freeway connection. Photo taken July 17, 2007.

Click for larger

Mississippi got a head start on Interstate 69 by opening a fully signed stretch in DeSoto County. During the Fall of 2006, Mississippi 304 opened as an east-west freeway between U.S. 61 and Interstate 55 in the far northern part of the state. The road improves access to Tunica from the east and also serves the growing Memphis southern suburbs. The freeway is the first step within Mississippi in the completion of Interstate 69.

As envisioned, Interstate 69 will travel southwest from Memphis to McGehee and El Dorado, Arkansas. Mississippi still has a lot of road to build, including from U.S. 61 near Memphis to Rosedale and a new Mississippi River crossing but in Arkansas, the freeway is still in the early planning stages. Memphis meanwhile plans to use part of its existing freeway network for the Interstate highway.

Robert Lee passed along several photos covering the new Interstate 69 earlier this month. Here’s a sample of what the road looks like:

Interstate 55 northbound at the east end of the new Interstate 69 & Mississippi 304 freeway. A full-cloverleaf interchange with collectori/distributor roadways facilitates the movements between the two freeways. Interstate 69 receives the control city of Tunica for the connection with U.S. 61 south.

A night time look at the temporary east end of Interstate 69 at its northbound loop ramp to Interstate 55.

The first southbound reassurance shield assembly for Interstate 69 & Mississippi 304, posted after the tandem leave the interchange with Interstate 55. Note the state-name included within the shield! Since when is MDOT using the state-names for their Interstate shields?

Interstate 69 & Mississippi 304 split before both coming to an end at U.S. 61. Mississippi 713 constitutes a southwest freeway spur from Mississippi 304 to old Mississippi 304 near Banks. New Mississippi 304 continues west to a half-diamond interchange with Mississippi 3 and a trumpet interchange with U.S. 61. Mississippi 713 is still under construction as road work on the merge with old Mississippi 304 is completed.

U.S. 61 northbound at the eastbound beginning of the Mississippi 304 freeway. Mississippi 304 merges with Interstate 69 & Mississippi 713 a couple miles to the east. Hernando is the control city for Interstate 69, but is only used at the junction with U.S. 61.

Interstate 69 officially begins at the Tunica and DeSoto County line. Begin and end signs are present at the boundary.
In summary, the new Mississippi 713 freeway will have a 65 mph speed limit posted while the rest of Interstate 69 will have a 70 mph speed limit; both highways have a minimum of 40 mph. Signage along old Mississippi 304 remains unchanged at the present, but Adam Froehlig reports that the old highway will be turned over to the county. Again we want to give thanks to Robert Lee for sharing his photos with us!