US 82 in Mississippi
Adam Froehlig
notes for my webpage while I was at it.
US 82 in eastern Mississippi is an interesting case. From the east end
of Starkville to the Alabama border, it's an interstate-grade freeway
(even with paved shoulders), a shade under 30 miles worth, and is even
signed 70 MPH (except for a short segment through Columbus). Two
curious things about this...first, it's over 60 miles from the nearest
interstate...and second, most of it was completed even before
Mississippi began its 1987 Highway Program. It's even got
interstate-grade services signage (i.e. gas, food, lodging, etc...),
which I've never seen on a non-interstate Mississippi highway before.
My US 82 exit list is up and running now at
http://www.cybertron.com/~froggie94/roads/us82exits.htm .
By comparison, most of US 82 in Alabama from the border to Northport is
2-lane highway, though it appears to be an upgraded 2-lane, because it
had paved shoulders and a fair number of left-turn-lanes, and there are
occasional 4-lane segments as well.
There's been some talk somewhere about extending I-359 in Tuscaloosa
north to the Black Warrior River bridge on AL 69. It's a good idea, but
there's a fair number of businesses and such that would have to be taken
out in order to build such an extension. Another thing to point out is
that, though the bridge is 3 lanes each direction, there are NO
shoulders on the bridge.
Froggie
Meridian, MS
http://www.cybertron.com/~froggie94/roads/laudcohi.htm
Michael G. Koerner
>
> Took a little trip over to Tuscaloosa by way of Columbus. Took a few
> notes for my webpage while I was at it.
>
> US 82 in eastern Mississippi is an interesting case. From the east end
> of Starkville to the Alabama border, it's an interstate-grade freeway
> (even with paved shoulders), a shade under 30 miles worth, and is even
> signed 70 MPH (except for a short segment through Columbus). Two
> curious things about this...first, it's over 60 miles from the nearest
> interstate...and second, most of it was completed even before
> Mississippi began its 1987 Highway Program. It's even got
> interstate-grade services signage (i.e. gas, food, lodging, etc...),
> which I've never seen on a non-interstate Mississippi highway before.
The most recent available USGS 7 1/2' topos of the Columbus, MS area
show the US 82 freeway ending near a *very* sharp curve just east of US
45. How fast is that curve signed?
--
____________________________________________________________________________
Regards,
Michael G. Koerner
Appleton, WI
***NOTICE*** SPAMfilter in use, please remove ALL 'i's from the return
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____________________________________________________________________________
Adam Froehlig
>show the US 82 freeway ending near a *very* sharp curve just east of US
>45. How fast is that curve signed?
IIRC, that curve is banked and has no advisory speed, though I remember it
having chevrons. It's just signed at 60 MPH as is the rest of US 82 between the
Tenn-Tomm and just west of MS 12. The rest of the freeway, west to near
Starkville and east to the Alabama border is signed 70 MPH. I'll be up that way
again in a week and can take a look on my way home to MN.
Fmtyner
In article <36638B89...@cybertron.com>, Adam Froehlig
<frog...@cybertron.com> writes:
>Took a little trip over to Tuscaloosa by way of Columbus. Took a few
>notes for my webpage while I was at it.
>
>US 82 in eastern Mississippi is an interesting case. From the east end
>of Starkville to the Alabama border, it's an interstate-grade freeway
>(even with paved shoulders), a shade under 30 miles worth, and is even
>signed 70 MPH (except for a short segment through Columbus). Two
>curious things about this...first, it's over 60 miles from the nearest
>interstate...and second, most of it was completed even before
>Mississippi began its 1987 Highway Program.
Had you made the trip before January 1992, you'd noticed something else odd: a
"bypass" that bypassed the rural countryside between two cities (Starkville and
Columbus), but not the cities themselves! The opening of the Columbus bypass
saved a lot of time between Starkville and Columbus--it was amazing how fast
one could get from Mississippi State to Alabame. The Starkville is finally
under construction, but it will be at least 2001 before it's open, AFAIK.
>It's even got
>interstate-grade services signage (i.e. gas, food, lodging, etc...),
>which I've never seen on a non-interstate Mississippi highway before.
>
Try driving US 78. It's the only non-interstate in Mississippi where I've seen
mile posts. Did you notice that the US 45 Alt. exit has services in West Point
on those signs, 8 miles from US 82?
>My US 82 exit list is up and running now at
>http://www.cybertron.com/~froggie94/roads/us82exits.htm .
>
>By comparison, most of US 82 in Alabama from the border to Northport is
>2-lane highway, though it appears to be an upgraded 2-lane, because it
>had paved shoulders and a fair number of left-turn-lanes, and there are
>occasional 4-lane segments as well.
The part from the Mississippi state line to Coal Fire (where a 4 lane segment
starts) is new. Most of it was opened about 2 years (?) after the Columbus
bypass. It's 2 lanes on 4 lane right-of-way, so it should eventually be 4
lanes. Given that Mississippi's part is a freeway, it seems that Alabama would
at least have made it an expressway. It's quite a change at the state line!
>
>There's been some talk somewhere about extending I-359 in Tuscaloosa
>north to the Black Warrior River bridge on AL 69. It's a good idea, but
>there's a fair number of businesses and such that would have to be taken
>out in order to build such an extension. Another thing to point out is
>that, though the bridge is 3 lanes each direction, there are NO
>shoulders on the bridge.
I doubt I-359 will be extended across downtown Tuscaloosa (that is currently
the best route to cross that city along US 82. I have heard that Tuscaloosa is
lobbying for a new "Warrior Loop", which would build a new bypass around the
city, including a new bridge over the Black Warrior River. I don't know where
this proposed roadway would be.
>
>Froggie
>Meridian, MS
Fred Tyner
Dallas, TX
Bill Cohen
>>US 82 in eastern Mississippi is an interesting case. From the east
end
>>of Starkville to the Alabama border, it's an interstate-grade freeway
>>(even with paved shoulders), a shade under 30 miles worth, and is even
>>signed 70 MPH (except for a short segment through Columbus). Two
>>curious things about this...first, it's over 60 miles from the nearest
>>interstate...and second, most of it was completed even before
>>Mississippi began its 1987 Highway Program.
>
I made this drive across the entire state in June. It seemed that they
are making the entire section between I-55 and the state line 4-lane,
although not totally limited access. It was a nice trip, and the first
time I was ever in any part of Mississippi north of the redneck riviera.
I was suprised by the quality of the roads.
Adam Froehlig
>are making the entire section between I-55 and the state line 4-lane,
>although not totally limited access. It was a nice trip, and the first
Indeed they are. By the end of 2002, all of US 45, US 72, US 82, and US 84,
and most of US 61, US 98, and MS 25 will be 4-laned. US 78 is all
limited-access through Mississippi (and a potential future I-22 according to
some sources). US 45 has limited-access sections around Meridian, Tupelo,
and Corinth. US 82 is currently limited-access from east of Starkville to
the Alabama border, with plans to add two more limited-access stretches; the
Starkville bypass, and a proposed bypass around Greenville.
Also, 2001 will see the start of Phase IV of Mississippi's 1987 Highway
Program. This will include 4-laning the rest of US 61 and US 98, all of MS
15, and stretches on various state highways.
>time I was ever in any part of Mississippi north of the redneck riviera.
>I was suprised by the quality of the roads.
So was I, when I first got down here. Lack of paved shoulders
notwithstanding, Mississippi actually has some decent roads.
David Simmons
Adam Froehlig <frog...@cybertron.com> wrote:
>US 82 in eastern Mississippi is an interesting case. From the east end
>of Starkville to the Alabama border, it's an interstate-grade freeway
>(even with paved shoulders), a shade under 30 miles worth, and is even
>signed 70 MPH (except for a short segment through Columbus). Two
>curious things about this...first, it's over 60 miles from the nearest
>interstate...and second, most of it was completed even before
>interstate-grade services signage (i.e. gas, food, lodging, etc...),
>which I've never seen on a non-interstate Mississippi highway before.
I lived in the Columbus/Starkville area for quite a few years, and
fell in love with this road. :)
As far as the freeway being far from any interstate and completed before
the 1987 Highway Program began... well, this is primarily due to the
economic structure of the region. The cities of Starkville, Columbus,
and West Point are very much tied together socially and economically,
and are referred to collectively as the "Golden Triangle". The three
cities share an airport centrally located on US82, and the large
amount of commercial and commuter traffic between the cities justified
the upgraded highways. Unless the US45 upgrades north of West Point
or south of Mayhew Junction (the US82/ALT-US45 intersection), or the
unfinished bits of 4-laned US45 between Tupelo and Columbus have been
completed, then the Golden Triangle is still an "island" of 4-lane
roads, with no way of getting to the Interstate Highway System without
travelling on a 2-lane road at some point.
US82 between Columbus and Starkville is truely a first class highway.
I have many fond memories from my high school days of driving very,
very fast on that road at odd hours of the night. The travel time
between Columbus (the US82 Main Street exit) and Starkville
(the US82/Hwy 182 junction) became somewhat of a boasting point.
My best time is about 13.5 minutes. Can anybody beat that? :)
>By comparison, most of US 82 in Alabama from the border to Northport is
>2-lane highway, though it appears to be an upgraded 2-lane, because it
>had paved shoulders and a fair number of left-turn-lanes, and there are
>occasional 4-lane segments as well.
Mississippi has some of the best roads I've seen in the country, and
Alabama has some of the worst. I joke sometimes about how Alabama
has not "invented" the four-lane road yet, since so few of their
non-Interstate highways are four-lane. Whenever driving from
Birmingham to Starkville, I always exclaim "Welcome to Mississippi,
home of the four-lane roads!" as I pass over the state line onto
the US82 freeway.
David
--
David Simmons | "There is no such thing
http://davidsimmons.com/ | as sleep deprivation, only
^^^ updated home page ^^^ | caffeine deficiency." -- Simmons
David Simmons
Adam Froehlig <frog...@cybertron.com> wrote:
>Indeed they are. By the end of 2002, all of US 45, US 72, US 82, and US 84,
>and most of US 61, US 98, and MS 25 will be 4-laned. US 78 is all
>limited-access through Mississippi (and a potential future I-22 according to
>some sources). US 45 has limited-access sections around Meridian, Tupelo,
>and Corinth. US 82 is currently limited-access from east of Starkville to
>the Alabama border, with plans to add two more limited-access stretches; the
>Starkville bypass, and a proposed bypass around Greenville.
Also, it is interesting to note that there is a beltway proposed
around Columbus. I saw the proposed route as published in the
_Commercial Dispatch_ earlier this year (or late last year?) and
it doesn't look like it would be a viable bypass to US82, although
it would be a tremendous boon to US45 traffic. The primary purpose
of this beltway is to improve traffic between the major industrial
sites and the freeways. A lot of people are also concerned about
the frequent (daily?) shipments of jet fuel between the US82 freeway
and Columbus Air Force Base along US45, which is a very busy
city road. The beltway would divert this CAFB traffic.
>>time I was ever in any part of Mississippi north of the redneck riviera.
>>I was suprised by the quality of the roads.
>
>So was I, when I first got down here. Lack of paved shoulders
>notwithstanding, Mississippi actually has some decent roads.
Mississippi has awesome roads!
David <-- living in Colorado now
Adam Froehlig
Fmtyner wrote:
>Had you made the trip before January 1992, you'd noticed something else odd: a
>"bypass" that bypassed the rural countryside between two cities (Starkville and
>Columbus), but not the cities themselves! The opening of the Columbus bypass
>saved a lot of time between Starkville and Columbus--it was amazing how fast
>one could get from Mississippi State to Alabame. The Starkville is finally
>under construction, but it will be at least 2001 before it's open, AFAIK.
My info has it under contract currently. It MIGHT be open as early as fall of
2000, but that's unlikely. They still had a fair bit of clearing to do.
>Try driving US 78. It's the only non-interstate in Mississippi where I've seen
>mile posts. Did you notice that the US 45 Alt. exit has services in West Point
>on those signs, 8 miles from US 82?
Certainly did...I should probably mention that on my US 82 exit list. All I've
done so far was mention the services.
>>By comparison, most of US 82 in Alabama from the border to Northport is
>>2-lane highway, though it appears to be an upgraded 2-lane, because it
>>had paved shoulders and a fair number of left-turn-lanes, and there are
>>occasional 4-lane segments as well.
>
>The part from the Mississippi state line to Coal Fire (where a 4 lane segment
>starts) is new. Most of it was opened about 2 years (?) after the Columbus
>bypass. It's 2 lanes on 4 lane right-of-way, so it should eventually be 4
>lanes. Given that Mississippi's part is a freeway, it seems that Alabama would
>at least have made it an expressway. It's quite a change at the state line!
Certainly is. I figured something was up when the speed limit went down to 60
first, from 70, and then down to 55 when I realized my lane no longer existed.
BTW, one thing to point out here is that the old route of US 82 is marked on the
Mississippi side as MS 182, but there's nothing to even remotely indicate that over
on the Alabama side.
>I doubt I-359 will be extended across downtown Tuscaloosa (that is currently
>the best route to cross that city along US 82. I have heard that Tuscaloosa is
>lobbying for a new "Warrior Loop", which would build a new bypass around the
>city, including a new bridge over the Black Warrior River. I don't know where
>this proposed roadway would be.
*thinking*.....could that be why ALDOT is building a new interchange on I-20/I-59
at MM 68? (a few miles west of I-359/AL 69). It's a trumpet interchange they're
building from the interstate north. Looks to me like a new routing of some sort,
but all I've seen so far is the interchange construction itself along the
interstate.
Andrew Snyder
> >time I was ever in any part of Mississippi north of the redneck riviera.
> >I was suprised by the quality of the roads.
>
> So was I, when I first got down here. Lack of paved shoulders
> notwithstanding, Mississippi actually has some decent roads.
>
Mississippi chooses to spend money on roads rather than fund other projects such
as education.. This explains why they have such decent roads for such a poor
state.
Andrew Snyder
Fmtyner
In article <74g8mp$3cm$1...@news1.rmi.net>, sim...@usenetmail.davidsimmons.com
(David Simmons) writes:
>In article <36677B60...@cybertron.com>,
>Adam Froehlig <frog...@cybertron.com> wrote:
>>Indeed they are. By the end of 2002, all of US 45, US 72, US 82, and US 84,
>>and most of US 61, US 98, and MS 25 will be 4-laned.
Don't forget US-278 (former MS-6/76). It isn't part of the AHEAD program due
to its special funding (Pork is great if it's your state!), but work progresses
nonetheless.
>>US 78 is all
>>limited-access through Mississippi (and a potential future I-22 according to
>>some sources). US 45 has limited-access sections around Meridian, Tupelo,
>>and Corinth. US 82 is currently limited-access from east of Starkville to
>>the Alabama border, with plans to add two more limited-access stretches; the
>>Starkville bypass, and a proposed bypass around Greenville.
>
A man at MDOT told me the new Mississippi River bridge at Greenville would be
built after he retires. He's retiring soon, so maybe the bridge isn't far
behind. :-)
>Also, it is interesting to note that there is a beltway proposed
>around Columbus. I saw the proposed route as published in the
>_Commercial Dispatch_ earlier this year (or late last year?) and
>it doesn't look like it would be a viable bypass to US82, although
>it would be a tremendous boon to US45 traffic.
Beltway? I heard something about a possible "US 45 Relief Route" some 8 or 9
years ago. Haven't heard anything since. As a rule, Mississippi doesn't build
beltways or full circle bypasses. BTW, where might this proposed roadway be?
Is MDOT really planning to build it, or is someone trying to build support for
it? For example, there is a proposal to build a bypass around the north part
of Meridian. Some local officials have promoted it in recent times, but MDOT
is not seriously pursuing it, AFIAK. Who announced it. Sometimes, elected
highway commissoners supporting a project means nothing. No telling how many
promised projects have never gone beyond pure rhetoric.
>The primary purpose
>of this beltway is to improve traffic between the major industrial
>sites and the freeways. A lot of people are also concerned about
>the frequent (daily?) shipments of jet fuel between the US82 freeway
>and Columbus Air Force Base along US45, which is a very busy
>city road. The beltway would divert this CAFB traffic.
>
>>So was I, when I first got down here. Lack of paved shoulders
>>notwithstanding, Mississippi actually has some decent roads.
>
>Mississippi has awesome roads!
Like the road to Moma's house. Even if it is the roughest road in the state,
it's great one anyway!
>
>David <-- living in Colorado now
Fred Tyner
living in Dallas, TX now.
Bill Cohen
>Mississippi chooses to spend money on roads rather than fund other
projects such
>as education.. This explains why they have such decent roads for such a
poor
>state.
>
I'll betcha they turn out some damn good truck drivers though
David Simmons
Fmtyner <fmt...@aol.com> wrote:
>Beltway? I heard something about a possible "US 45 Relief Route" some 8 or 9
>years ago. Haven't heard anything since. As a rule, Mississippi doesn't build
>beltways or full circle bypasses. BTW, where might this proposed roadway be?
>Is MDOT really planning to build it, or is someone trying to build support for
>it? For example, there is a proposal to build a bypass around the north part
>of Meridian. Some local officials have promoted it in recent times, but MDOT
>is not seriously pursuing it, AFIAK. Who announced it. Sometimes, elected
>highway commissoners supporting a project means nothing. No telling how many
>promised projects have never gone beyond pure rhetoric.
This was front page news in the Commercial Dispatch either early this
year, or very late last year. I don't recall reading anything in the
article about MDOT involvement; it seemed that this was mainly a project
that the city of Columbus was pursuing. Although they called it a
beltway (or "beltline"?), a 360-degree highway was not planned -- a
portion of the southwest segment of the would-be beltway was omitted.
The newspaper article had a diagram with the planned route. The highway
would begin at the current US82/Main Street intersection and go north,
heading east across the current US45 somewhere north of town and south
of the Columbus Air Force Base. The highway then heads back southward,
intersects US82 again on the east end of town, and finally turns back
west to connect to the Industrial Park that is in the southeast portion
of the city (along MS-69?).
So, I guess I can't say that this road is a "sure thing", you could
be right -- it could all be just a figment of local politics. :)
David
Andrew Snyder
> built after he retires. He's retiring soon, so maybe the bridge isn't far
> behind. :-)
Are you sure the new bridge crossing will be at Greenville? I know there will be
at least, and probably only one new bridge in this area, which supposidly will tie
in with the impending I-69. I've read proposals for the new bridge to be built in
Greenville, Rosedale, and Helena. Is there going to be more than one bridge
built? Has it been decisively concluded that the bridge will be built there?
Andrew Snyder
bu...@hotmail.com
Andrew Snyder <mor...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Are you sure the new bridge crossing will be at Greenville? I know there will
be
> at least, and probably only one new bridge in this area, which supposidly will
tie
> in with the impending I-69. I've read proposals for the new bridge to be
built in
> Greenville, Rosedale, and Helena. Is there going to be more than one bridge
> built? Has it been decisively concluded that the bridge will be built there?
There may be a new US 278 bridge at Rosedale (the Great River Bridge). I have
also heard there was going to be a new bridge at Greenville, too...
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Fmtyner
>Are you sure the new bridge crossing will be at Greenville?
Yes. OK, technically, it will be south of Greenville. Mississippi and
Arkansas are planning to build a cable-stayed bridge to replace the existing
two-lane US 82 bridge. AFAIK, the long awaited Greenville bypass is to be
built at about the same time and will tie in to that bridge. The proposal to
build a bridge at Rosedale (US 278/I 69?) is a seperate project.
>I know there will be
>at least, and probably only one new bridge in this area, which supposidly
>will tie
>in with the impending I-69. I've read proposals for the new bridge to be
>built in
>Greenville, Rosedale, and Helena. Is there going to be more than one bridge
>built? Has it been decisively concluded that the bridge will be built there?
>
The US 82 bridge will be built, but I don't know when. As for I 69, I don't
know. Greenville officials want the highway, and propose that the new US 82
bridge can be used for the route. Those who want a new bridge at Rosedale say
that two bridges are better than one. (Especially if the Federal Government
builds it.) Personnally, I don't see the I 69 proposal as a sure thing--just
an idea caught up in the winds of politics.
Fred Tyner
Dallas, TX