Highway 42
Mississippi Highway 42 travels 115.2 miles from the Simpson/Lawrence County line to State Line. The western leg of the rural highway heads south through New Hebron, where it overlaps with MS 43, to Prentiss. Gradually turning east, MS 42 continues through the towns of Bassfield and Sumrall to U.S. 49 northwest of Hattiesburg. Combining with U.S. 49, MS 42 angles southeast to I-59, which it joins northeast to Evelyn Gandy Parkway, a four-lane bypass across the north side of Petal via Glendale.
Leaving Petal, MS 42 advances east to MS 15 in the town of Richton. Following a short overlap with MS 15 north, MS 42 resumes an easterly course across hill country to MS 63 at Sand Hill and MS 57 in the town of State Line. The state highway concludes at U.S. 45 just north of the Alabama state border.
Through Hattiesburg and Petal, MS 42 previously branched east from U.S. 49 to U.S. 11 at Bouie Street. U.S. 11 and MS 42 overlapped across the Leaf River to Central Avenue, which took MS 42 east through Downtown Petal. Prior to construction of the MS 57 expressway through State Line, MS 42 turned northeast from St. Peter Street along Kennedy Street to connect with U.S. 45 and Alabama State Route 56. The highway was realigned to join MS 57 at a diamond interchange in 2007.
Honoring former Lt. Governor Evelyn Gandy (1920-2007), Evelyn Gandy Parkway was dedicated on June 11, 2002 in a ceremony held in Hattiesburg. The 2002 Legislature passed a bill to name the proposed 40 mile highway bypassing Hattiesburg and Petal.1 The first phase of the four lane highway opened to traffic following a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 14, 2006 at the Eatonville interchange along Interstate 59. Costing $7.7 million, the initial segment linked I-59 with U.S. 11. Work on the $5 million, second phase through the end of 2006 lengthened the roadway two miles from U.S. 11 east to MS 42. The third phase involved expanding MS 42 from two to five lanes.2 Split into three parts, the $13.4 million expansion project along MS 42 ran to June 1, 2012.3
East
MS 42 formerly turned northeast from State Line along Kennedy Street to connect with U.S. 45 and Alabama 56.
05/09/09
With completion of the MS 57 bypass, MS 42 was realigned to meet the state highway at a diamond interchange midway between Main Street (old MS 57) and U.S. 45.
05/09/09
Removed reassurance marker for MS 42 along Kennedy Street north of St. Peter Street.
05/09/09
MS 42 along Kennedy Street crossed the Wayne County line just beyond St. Peter Street.
05/09/09
Kennedy Street (old MS 42) passes under the MS 57 expressway just ahead of U.S. 45.
05/09/09
U.S. 45 connects State Line with Waynesboro to the north and Citronelle, Alabama to the south.
05/09/09
MS 42 previously extended east across U.S. 45 as an unsigned route to SR 56 in Washington County, Alabama. This shield assembly was removed with expansion of U.S. 45 to four lanes.
02/10/02
MS 42 was cosigned with U.S. 45 north from State Line to the connector with SR 56 east toward Chathom, Alabama in 2007. The concurrency was dropped after 2010.
05/09/09
Alabama State Route 56 takes over from the former end of Mississippi 42, 0.6 miles east of U.S. 45. SR 56 travels 14 miles to SR 17 in the town of Chatom.
05/09/09
West
MS 42 stems 0.75 miles west from U.S. 45 to a diamond interchange with the MS 57 expressway at State Line.
05/09/09
MS 57 north concludes in 1.5 miles at a trumpet interchange with U.S. 45. U.S. 45 continues from there to Waynesboro.
05/09/09
MS 57 heads south 23 miles to MS 63 near Leakesville. MS 63 extends the expressway from MS 57 another 51 miles to Interstate 10 at Moss Point.
05/09/09
MS 42 bends southward from MS 57 along St. Peter Street through the State Line business district.
05/09/09
Traveling beyond State Line, MS 42 ventures 20 miles to Sand Hill, where it briefly combines with MS 63 southbound. Richton follows in 30 miles.
05/09/09
MS 42 (St. Peter Street) west at Main Street (old MS 57) in State Line. MS 57 formerly began along Main Street south of St. Charles Street. The route was realigned in 2007 to the nearby expressway.
05/09/09
02/10/02
References:
- "Gandy Parkway is Dedicated in Hattiesburg." Sun Herald (Biloxi, MS), June 13, 2002.
- "I-59 to U.S. 11 Connector to Open." Sun Herald (Biloxi, MS), November 11, 2006.
- "Gandy Parkway taking shape." Mississippi Press, The (Pascagoula, MS), August 5, 2010.
Photo Credits:
- ABRoads: 05/09/09
- Alex Nitzman: 02/10/02
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Page Updated Sunday March 24, 2019.