Mississippi Highway 53 (MS 53) is a state highway in

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. The highway starts at U.S. Highway 49 (US 49) in Gulfport and travels northwestward to MS 603 in Hancock County. The road then travels north to Poplarville, meeting

Interstate 59 Interstate 59 (I-59) is an Interstate Highway located in the southeastern United States. It is a north–south route that spans from a junction with I-10 and I-12 at Slidell, Louisiana, to a junction with I-24 near Wildwood, Georgia. ...

(I-59). MS 53 ends at MS 26 and

US 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

in southwestern Poplarville. The road that became MS 53 has existed since 1928, and the highway was designated in 1950. The highway was completely paved by 1957, and an interchange was created at I-59 in 1967.

Route description

MS 53 is located in

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

, and

Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...

counties. The highway is legally defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3, as part of the state highway system. The section from US 49 to MS 26 is known as the

Larkin I. Smith Larkin Irvin Smith (June 26, 1944 – August 13, 1989) was an American Congressman from Mississippi serving for seven months until he was killed in a plane crash in Perry County, Mississippi in 1989. Smith was born in Poplarville, Mississip ...

Memorial Highway. The highway starts at its intersection with US 49 and North Swan Road in northern Gulfport. The road travels westward towards the

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

of Lyman after crossing over a

KCS Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and ...

railroad. MS 53 travels northwestward through Lizana and rural western Harrison County. At Herman Ladner Road, the highway turns westward and crosses the Wolf River, entering Hancock County. Near Sellers in Hancock County, the road travels northwest to its

T-intersection A three-way junction (or three-way intersection) is a type of road intersection with three arms. A Y junction (or Y intersection) generally has three arms of equal size coming at an acute or obtuse angle to each other; while a T junction (or T ...

at MS 603. MS 53 turns northward at the intersection, and shifts westward at Dogwood Lane, south of the county line. The highway enters Pearl River County past Road 205. Once inside Pearl River County, the road intersects multiple private driveways through the farmland. At Savannah, MS 53 intersects Savannah Millard Road, which has an interchange at I-59. Past Jesse Wells and Restertown Roads, the highway intersects a road that leads to the Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport. The highway enters Poplarville near the

diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...

at I-59, and it becomes

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with MS 26. MS 53 ends at US 11 after crossing a

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...

railroad and Jumpoff Creek. Highway 53 in Lizana - panoramio

History

The road that became MS 53 existed at least since 1928, as a

gravel road A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the Unit ...

from Lyman to Poplarville. A small section of the road near Poplarville was paved in 1939. By 1948, a few miles of the road near Lyman was paved, and MS 53 was designated along the road two years later. Almost all of MS 53 in Harrison County was paved by 1953. A small portion in Pearl River County was also paved during this time. The Pearl River section of the highway was near completely paved by 1956, and all of the highway was completely paved one year later. By 1967, an interchange was created at I-59 and MS 53.

Major intersections

References

External links

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