Mississippi Highway 8

Mississippi Highway 8 (MS 8) is an east–west state highway in northern Mississippi, running 168.1 miles (270.5 km) from MS 1 in Rosedale to U.S. Route 278 (US 278) northeast of Aberdeen. Points of interest along the route include Great River Road State Park, Delta State University, Grenada Lake, Hugh White State Park, and the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Mississippi Highway 8
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length168.1 mi[1] (270.5 km)
(160.932 mi excluding concurrencies)
Existed1932–present
Major junctions
West end MS 1 in Rosedale
 
East end US 278 in Wise Gap
Location
CountiesBolivar, Sunflower, Leflore, Tallahatchie, Grenada, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Monroe
Highway system
MS 7 MS 9

Route description

Highway 8 in Grenada County

MS 8 begins in the Mississippi Delta region in Bolivar County at an intersection with MS 1 (which is part of the Great River Road) in Rosedale, just south of downtown, directly across the street from Great River Road State Park, and only two miles west of the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. MS 8 heads east as a two-lane highway to leave Rosedale and pass through farmland for several miles, where it passes just to the south of Malvina, and just to the north of Mound City. It crosses Bogue Phalia as it travels through Pace, where it has an intersection with MS 817, before continuing east for several miles to enter Cleveland. The highway passes by Delta State University as it travels through neighborhoods along W Sunflower Road. MS 8 now enters downtown and comes to an intersection with US 61/US 278 (Davis Avenue). The highway now widens to a four-lane undivided highway and passes through more neighborhoods along E Sunflower Road before leaving Cleveland, widening to a divided highway, and heading southeast to cross into Sunflower County.

MS 8 now curves to the east as it passes through Dockery, where it travels past the Dockery Plantation and crosses the Sunflower River, and Ruleville, where it narrows to two-lanes and has an intersection with US 49W (unsigned MS 3). The highway now crosses the Quiver River before entering Leflore County.

MS 8 continues east through farmland to pass through Minter City, where it has an intersection with US 49E and crosses an Oxbow of the Tallahatchie River, before entering Tallahatchie County. The highway now crosses the Tallahatchie and travels through Philipp and the Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge, where it passes through Wetlands and crosses another former alignment of the Tallahatchie, to enter Grenada County.

MS 8 travels through Oxberry, where it becomes concurrent with MS 35, and they now climb into the North Central Hills region as they cross the Yalobusha River. The highway now travels through Holcomb, which MS 8 bypasses town on its north side as it splits from MS 35 and follows MS 7 towards Grenada. MS 7/MS 8 follow along the south bank of the Yalobusha for several to enter Grenada, where they widen to a four-lane undivided boulevard and pass through an industrial area. The highway now comes to an interchange with I-55 (Exit 206), which MS 7 splits off and follows north, and MS 8 heads southeast into central Grenada, passing through a business district and neighborhoods to come to an intersection with US 51 (Commerce Street/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). MS 8 now crosses Batupan Bogue into the Futheyville neighborhood, where it has an intersection with MS 333 Scenic (which provides access to Grenada Lake and Grenada Dam) and Old Highway 8 (which provides access to Hugh White State Park). The highway narrows to two-lanes and leaves Grenada to pass along the south shore of Grenada Lake for several miles to pass through Gore Springs, where it has an intersection with former MS 335 (Graysport Crossing Road). It crosses into Calhoun County.

MS 8 passes through Sabougla, bypassing Dentontown just to the north, to have a Y-Intersection and become concurrent with MS 9 and they immediately head northeast to cross Topashaw Creek. The highway then crosses the Yalobusha for the final time to enter Calhoun City, where MS 8 splits off to pass through Derma at a traffic circle in downtown (which is also where it meets the other end of Old Highway 8 (Veterans Avenue), which leads to the village of Big Creek). MS 8 heads east to pass straight through downtown Derma before leaving the Calhoun City-Derma area and passing northeast through farmland for several miles. It now passes through Vardaman, where it has an intersection with MS 341, before entering Chickasaw County.

MS 8 passes through Pyland before having an interchange with MS 15 and passing straight through downtown Houston, where it has an intersection with MS 389. The highway now leaves Houston and jogs southeast for a few miles to have an interchange with the Natchez Trace Parkway. MS 8 turns east again and passes through Trebloc, where it has an intersection with MS 47, before passing through a wooded as it crosses Tibbee Creek. The roadway enters Monroe County shortly thereafter.

MS 8 immediately has an interchange with US 45 Alternate before heading east to pass through Gibson before entering Aberdeen at an interchange with US 45. MS 8 becomes concurrent with four-lane US 45, bypassing downtown along its western and southern sides, while becoming concurrent with MS 25 and having an intersection with MS 145. US 45/MS 8/MS 25 now cross the Tombigbee River (Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway) to leave Aberdeen and MS 8/MS 25 split from US 45 immediately thereafter at an interchange just north of Lackey, with MS 8 splitting off on its own not to far after. MS 8 passes northeast through farmland for a few miles before entering the wooded Appalachian Foothills, bypassing Athens to the south before coming to an end at an intersection with US 278 (former MS 6) at the community of Wise Gap, near the Alabama state line.[2]

History

Prior to the construction of Grenada Dam, which created Grenada Lake, in 1954, MS 8 ran farther north than it does today between Grenada and Calhoun City. It split off the current alignment at Futheyville at the intersection with MS 333 Scenic, headed east to pass through what is now Hugh White State Park, and followed the Yalobusha River to pass through Big Creek before entering downtown Calhoun City along Veterans Avenue. The majority of this route is now underwater, though some sections of the highway can be seen at low tide.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
BolivarRosedale0.00.0 MS 1 / Great River Road (Main Street) Greenville, Clarksdale
State Park Road - Great River Road State Park
Western terminus; access road into park
6.210.0Malvina Road - Malvina
Pace9.515.3Symonds Road - Symonds
10.717.2 MS 817 south (Jenny Washington Street) PaceNorthern terminus of MS 817
14.623.5Shaw-Skene Road - Skene, Shaw
Cleveland19.531.4 US 61 / US 278 (Davis Avenue) Clarksdale, Leland
SunflowerRuleville29.547.5 US 49W (MS 3) Drew, Indianola
LefloreMinter City43.169.4 US 49E Clarksdale, Greenwood
Tallahatchie
No major junctions
GrenadaOxberry60.096.6 MS 35 north CharlestonWest end of MS 35 overlap
Holcomb63.7102.5 MS 7 south GreenwoodWest end of MS 7 overlap
63.9102.8 MS 35 south CarrolltonEast end of MS 35 overlap
Grenada71.7–
72.0
115.4–
115.9
I-55 / MS 7 north Grenada, JacksonEast end of MS 7 overlap; I-55 exit 206
74.2119.4 US 51 (Commerce Street) Duck Hill, Downtown Grenada, Airport
76.4123.0
MS 333 Scenic north (Old Highway 8) – North Grenada Lake, Grenada Dam, State Park
Southern terminus of MS 333 Scenic; former MS 8 east
Calhoun102.9165.6 MS 9 south Slate Springs, EuporaWest end of MS 9 overlap
Calhoun City106.5171.4 MS 9 north (Main Street) Pittsboro, Bruce, Oxford
Veterans Avenue - Big Creek
East end of MS 9 overlap; traffic circle around city park; Veterans Avenue is Old MS 8 west
Vardaman114.0183.5 MS 341 (Main Street) Atlanta
ChickasawHouston122.2–
122.5
196.7–
197.1
MS 15 Pontotoc, AckermanInterchange
124.3200.0 MS 389 south (S Jackson Street) StarkvilleNorthern terminus of MS 389
128.3206.5 Natchez Trace ParkwayInterchange
Trebloc135.9218.7 MS 47 Buena Vista, McCondy
Monroe142.6–
142.9
229.5–
230.0

US 45 Alt. Okolona, West Point
Interchange
Aberdeen149.5240.6 US 45 north TupeloInterchange; west end of US 45 overlap
152.1244.8 MS 25 south West PointWest end of MS 25 overlap
154.3248.3 MS 145 north (E Commerce Street) AberdeenSouthern terminus of MS 145
156.2251.4 US 45 south ColumbusInterchange; east end of US 45 overlap
157.8254.0 MS 25 north AmoryEast end of MS 25 overlap
Wise Gap168.1270.5 US 278 Amory, Gattman, SulligentEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. "Mississippi Public Roads Selected Statistics" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Transportation. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-03. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  2. Google (December 22, 2020). "Route of Mississippi Highway 8" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
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