Mississippi Highway 304

Mississippi Highway 304 (MS 304) is east-west state highway in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Mississippi, running for 40.4 miles (65.0 km) as a four-lane freeway from U.S. Route 61 (US 61) in Tunica Resorts to the Tennessee state line near Collierville. It is mostly concurrent with Interstate 69 (I-69) and Interstate 269 (I-269).

Mississippi Highway 304 marker

Mississippi Highway 304

MS 304 in red, MS 304 Scenic in blue
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length40.387 mi[1] (64.997 km)
Existed1950–present
Major junctions
West end US 61 near Lake Cormorant
Major intersections
East end I-269 at the Tennessee state Line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountiesDeSoto, Marshall
Highway system
MS 302 MS 305

Route description

I-69 north/MS 304 east near the MS 301 interchange

MS 304 begins at a trumpet interchange with US 61 east of Tunica Resorts in the northern reaches of the Mississippi Delta region. The four-lane freeway has a half-diamond interchange with MS 3 that allows access to and from the east. MS 304 crosses over a rail line and has a partial interchange with a stub of I-69 that leads to MS 713 at Banks; the interchange includes a flyover from the westbound direction of the freeway. Immediately to the east of the interchange, I-69/MS 304 climbs some Loess bluffs to leave the Delta. The freeway has diamond interchanges with MS 301, Fogg Road, and Tulane Road. I-69/MS 304 crosses another rail line and passes over US 51 with no access just west of the state highway's terminus at I-55 on the northern end of Hernando, where I-69 joins I-55 heading north toward Memphis. The highways meet at a full cloverleaf interchange and then MS 304 runs east concurrent with Interstate 269 to the Tennessee state line.[2]

History

MS 304 was originally designated back in 1950 along a narrow, rural, two-lane highway running from US 61 in what was then known as Robinsonville (now Tunica Resorts) to I-55 in Hernando, in Tunica and De Soto counties respectively. Portions of this highway are still state maintained, including the new MS 713 (from Tunica Resorts to Banks) and MS 304 Scenic (from Eudora to Hernando). The portion in between (from Banks to Eudora) still exists and is county maintained, simply known as Old Highway 304.

The Mississippi Highway 304 Relocation project, completed in 2006,[3] and extended in 2018,[4] was a construction project that completely relocated the entire route of MS 304 onto a four-lane divided freeway, meant to connect the Tunica Resorts casino area to I-55. The I-69 designation was added to the project in 2000, with construction on the original portion (US 61 to I-55) being completed in 2006. When I-269 was given Federal approval in 2007, MS 304 was added to that project. When the Mississippi portion of I-269 was completed 2018, MS 304 was co-signed along the entire length of the Mississippi portion of I-269.

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
DeSoto0.00.0 US 61 Tunica, MemphisWestern terminus
0.91.4 MS 3Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
2.9–
3.2
4.7–
5.1


I-69 south / MS 713 south Tunica
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of concurrency with I-69
4.9–
5.5
7.9–
8.9
MS 301
8.9–
9.4
14.3–
15.1
Fogg Road
10.9–
11.5
17.5–
18.5
Tulane Road
Hernando13.8–
14.7
22.2–
23.7
1

I-55 / I-69 north / I-269 east Memphis, Southaven, Jackson
I-55 exit 283, eastern end of I-69 concurrency, western end of I-269 concurrency, exit numbers follow I-269
17.1–
17.8
27.5–
28.6
3Getwell Road
19.2–
19.8
30.9–
31.9
5Laughter Road
21.3–
22.0
34.3–
35.4
7Craft Road
23.4–
24.0
37.7–
38.6
9 MS 305 Olive Branch, Independence
27.4–
28.0
44.1–
45.1
13Red Banks Road
Byhalia29.1–
30.8
46.8–
49.6
16
I-22 east / US 78 Holly Springs, Tupelo, Birmingham, Olive Branch, Memphis
Western terminus of I-22; Signed as exits 16A (east) and 16B (west); I-22/US 78 exit 12
Marshall31.9–
32.5
51.3–
52.3
18 MS 309 Byhalia
Cayce37.6–
38.4
60.5–
61.8
23 MS 302 Southaven, Olive Branch
40.465.0
I-269 north Collierville
Tennessee state line; eastern terminus; eastern end of I-269 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Scenic route

Scenic Route plate blue.svg

Mississippi Highway 304 Scenic marker

Mississippi Highway 304 Scenic

LocationColdwater - Hernando
Length31.4 mi (50.5 km)

Mississippi Highway 304 Scenic (MS 304 Scenic) is a scenic route of MS 304, connecting the towns of Coldwater and Hernando with Arkabutla Dam and Lake.

I-55 northbound at the exit for MS 304 Scenic in Hernando (exit 280)

MS 304 Scenic begins in Tate County in the town of Coldwater at an interchange with I-55 (exit 271). It heads west, concurrent with MS 306, as a two-lane through a wooded area on the northern edge of town for about a mile to an intersection with US 51, where MS 306 ends and MS 304 Scenic follows US 51 southbound to enter town. The highway passes through a business district, where they widen to four-lane divided, before passing through a neighborhood and entering downtown, where MS 304 Scenic splits off along W Central Avenue. MS 304 Scenic heads west as a two-lane through a neighborhood before leaving Coldwater and crossing Hickahala Creek. The highway travels through a mix of farmland and wooded areas for several miles to enter the community of Arkabutla, where it becomes concurrent with MS 301. MS 304 Scenic/MS 301 turn northward to Arkabutla and wind their way through some woodlands for a few miles, following along the coastline of the Sunfish Bay of Arkabutla Lake to pass along the western side of Arkabutla Dam, where they cross a bridge over the Coldwater River into De Soto County.

MS 304 Scenic/MS 301 make a sharp left onto Pratt Road for a few miles, where they cross Cub Lake Bayou, before making a sharp right turn and traveling through a mix of farmland and wooded areas to the community of Eudora, where MS 304 Scenic splits off and heads east along Old Highway 304. MS 304 Scenic crosses an extremely swampy area, which is an extension of the northern part of Arkabutla Lake, before traveling through farmland for several miles to enter the Hernando city limits. It enters town along W Commerce Street and passes through a suburb, then a neighborhood, before entering downtown and having another intersection with US 51 via a roundabout around the De Soto County Courthouse. MS 304 Scenic leaves downtown along E Commerce Street and passes through a major business district for several blocks before coming to an end at another interchange with I-55 (exit 280).[5]

Prior to 2006, when mainline MS 304 was relocated onto its new four-lane divided freeway to the north, MS 304 Scenic previously actually met its parent route, with the two running concurrent with each other between Eudora and the I-55 interchange (exit 280) in Hernando, which served as the terminus for both highways.

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
TateColdwater0.00.0 I-55 Grenada, Memphis

MS 306 east Independence
Southern terminus; I-55 exit 271; southern end of MS 306 concurrency
0.91.4
US 51 north Hernando

MS 306 ends
Western terminus of MS 306; southern end of wrong-way US 51 concurrency
1.72.7
US 51 south Senatobia
E Central Avenue – Downtown
Northern end of wrong-way US 51 concurrency
Arkabutla10.216.4
MS 301 begins
Southern terminus of MS 301; southern end of MS 301 concurrency
De SotoEudora21.434.4
MS 301 north West Days
Old Highway 304 west Tunica Resorts
Northern end of MS 301 concurrency; MS 304 Scenic begins following former MS 304
25.440.9

Fogg Road to I-69 / MS 304 Days
27.444.1

Tulane Road to I-69 / MS 304 Horn Lake
Hernando30.348.8 US 51 Coldwater, Horn Lake, SouthavenVia roundabout around De Soto County Courthouse
31.450.5 I-55 Grenada, MemphisNorthern terminus; I-55 exit 280; road continues east as East Commerce Street
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 December 3, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  2. Google (May 5, 2021). "Map of Mississippi Highway 304" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. "WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | First Mississippi stretch of I-69 opens to the public". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  4. "Last section of I-269 set to open Oct. 26, completing new loop around Memphis". The Daily Memphian. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  5. Google (August 11, 2021). "MS 304 Scenic" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
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