U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is a parallel route of U.S. Route 78, US 78. It currently runs for from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Wickes, Arkansas at U.S. Route 71, US 71/U.S. Route 59, US 59, passing through five states in the process. Landmarks along its route include the United States Department of Energy, Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in eastern Mississippi. There are several universities located along the highway including Georgia State University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Route description

Arkansas

US 278 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 59, US 59/U.S. Route 71, US 71 in the town of Wickes, Arkansas, Wickes in southwestern Arkansas. From Wickes, US 278 continues eastward near Gillham Lake to an overlap with U.S. Route 70, US 70 through Dierks, Arkansas, Dierks. Continuing south, US 278 overlaps Arkansas Highway 26, Highway 26 for at Center Point, Howard County, Arkansas, Center Point. Further south the route continues into Nashville, Arkansas, Nashville. The route overlaps U.S. Route 371, US 371 and later Arkansas Highway 27, Highway 27 upon entering Nashville. Entering Hempstead County, Arkansas, Hempstead County, the highway winds through rural areas to Ozan, Arkansas, Ozan and Washington, Arkansas, Washington, before meeting U.S. Route 278 Business (Hope, Arkansas), US 278 Business (US 278B) outside Hope, Arkansas, Hope. The highway crosses over Interstate 30 (I-30) shortly after entering the city limits and overlaps Arkansas Highway 29, Highway 29 and Arkansas Highway 32, Highway 32. US 278/AR 29/AR 32 intersect U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas, US 67 in east Hope. South of this junction AR 29 splits and US 278/AR 32 continues southeast. Further along this route, AR 32 turns southeast to Willisville, Arkansas, Willisville and US 278 runs toward Camden, Arkansas, Camden. The route intersects Arkansas Highway 53, Highway 53 in rural Nevada County, Arkansas, Nevada County, overlaps US 371 in Rosston, Arkansas, Rosston, and has a junction with Arkansas Highway 57, Highway 57 upon entering Ouachita County, Arkansas, Ouachita County. In Camden, Arkansas, Camden, US 278 intersects Arkansas Highway 24, Highway 24 before it meets U.S. Route 278 Business (Camden, Arkansas), US 278B and U.S. Route 79 Business (Camden, Arkansas), US 79B prior to overlapping U.S. Route 79 in Arkansas, US 79. US 278 breaks from US 79 near Harrell Field shortly before entering East Camden, Arkansas, East Camden. US 278 continues into Calhoun County, Arkansas, Calhoun County and Hampton, Arkansas, Hampton and a junction with U.S. Route 371, US 371. The east edge of town brings an intersection with Arkansas Highway 274, Highway 274 as US 278 continues to Harrell, Arkansas, Harrell and Arkansas Highway 160, Highway 160 before entering Bradley County, Arkansas, Bradley County. Aside from Banks, Arkansas, Banks, where US 278 has a junction with Arkansas Highway 275, Highway 275, the route runs through rural country until Warren, Arkansas, Warren, where US 278 almost entirely bypasses the city to the south while US 278B runs downtown, including a brief overlap with U.S. Route 63B (Warren, Arkansas), US 63B. US 278 has an intersection with U.S. Route 63, US 63/Arkansas Highway 8, AR 8 along the southern edge of Warren before serving as the eastern terminus for US 278B. Further east the highway intersects Arkansas Highway 172, Highway 172, which gives access to the Warren Prairie Natural Area just east of the Drew County, Arkansas, Drew County line. The route continues to Monticello, Arkansas, Monticello to McGehee, Arkansas, McGehee, where it meets U.S. Route 65, US 65. US 278 overlaps US 65 southward for until they separate in Lake Village, Arkansas, Lake Village. There, US 65 splits off and US 278 overlaps U.S. Route 82, US 82 east to the Mississippi River, where US 82/US 278 crosses into Mississippi. Long-term plans are to move US 278 to the Charles W. Dean Bridge, which is part of the proposed extension of Interstate 69, I-69.

Mississippi

US 82/US 278 goes through Greenville, Mississippi, Greenville to Leland, Mississippi, Leland, where US 278 separates from US 82 at U.S. Route 61, US 61. US 278 then joins US 61 northward through Cleveland, Mississippi, Cleveland before splitting in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Clarksdale. East of Clarksdale, it overlaps Mississippi Highway 6 through Batesville, Mississippi, Batesville, Oxford, Mississippi, Oxford, and Pontotoc, Mississippi, Pontotoc before reaching Tupelo, Mississippi, Tupelo. At Tupelo, MS 6 separates from US 278 while US 278 overlaps U.S. Route 45, US 45 south to New Wren, Mississippi, New Wren. From New Wren, US 278 continues east through Amory, Mississippi, Amory before entering Alabama.

Alabama

US 278 enters Alabama between Greenwood Springs, Mississippi, and Sulligent, Alabama. As in Georgia, this and all U.S routes are partnered with state routes; however, there are few instances throughout the state where the state route number is posted. From the Mississippi state line to Guin, Alabama, Guin, US 278 is paired with State Route 118 (Alabama), State Route 118. From Hamilton, Alabama, Hamilton to the Georgia state line, US 278 is paired with State Route 74 (Alabama), State Route 74. US 278 junctions with U.S. Route 431, US 431 at Gadsden, Alabama, Gadsden. The two routes overlap until they split at Attalla, Alabama, Attalla. US 278 overlaps U.S. Route 43, US 43 between Hamilton, Alabama, Hamilton and Guin, Alabama, Guin. Prior to the completion of Corridor X (Appalachian Development Highway System), Corridor X (Future Interstate 22, I-22), these two routes also overlapped U.S. Route 78, US 78 between these two towns; eastbound US 78 traveled in the same direction as westbound US 278.

Georgia

In Atlanta, US 278 runs along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway (Bankhead Highway), North Avenue, briefly along Piedmont Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue. Outside Interstate 285 (Georgia), the Perimeter, US 278 runs along Covington Highway. In Lithonia, Georgia, at the intersection with Turner Hill Road (State Route 124 (Georgia), SR 124), US 278 merges with Interstate 20, I-20 for . It leaves I-20 at exit 90, in Covington, Georgia. US 278 is co-signed with a state route for its entire length in Georgia, as are all U.S. Highways in the state. From the Alabama line into Lithia Springs, Georgia, Lithia Springs, it is co-signed with State Route 6 (Georgia), SR 6. From Lithia Springs through Atlanta, it is merged with US 78/State Route 8 (Georgia), SR 8. In Atlanta, US 278 merges further with other highways including State Route 10 (Georgia), SR 10 and U.S. Route 23, US 23 before splitting off at Ponce de Leon Ave. and East Lake Road near Decatur, Georgia, Decatur. In Avondale Estates, Georgia, Avondale Estates, State Route 12 (Georgia), SR 12 is paired with US 278, all the way into Thomson, Georgia, Thomson. There, US 278 merges with US 78/SR 10 to the South Carolina line.

South Carolina

After crossing the Savannah River, US 278 bypasses North Augusta, South Carolina, en route to Beech Island, South Carolina, Beech Island and Johnson Crossroads. It then winds through a corner of the Savannah River Site. The route then continues onward through the towns of Allendale, South Carolina, Allendale, Fairfax, South Carolina, Fairfax, Hampton, South Carolina, Hampton, Varnville, South Carolina, Varnville, Ridgeland, South Carolina, Ridgeland, and Hardeeville, South Carolina, Hardeeville where it meets Interstate 95, I-95. US 278 shares the route between Ridgeland and Hardeeville with U.S. Route 17, US 17. Upon reaching Hardeeville, the route heads eastward toward the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic with major new developments lining the spine of the road from Hardeeville through Sun City, South Carolina, Sun City and Bluffton, South Carolina, Bluffton before crossing over the bridge to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Hilton Head Island. US 278 ends at US 278 Business on the southern portion of Hilton Head Island, just outside Sea Pines Plantation.

History

In 1954, US 278 was extended from Guin, Alabama, to Augusta, Georgia. The extension was routed along U.S. Route 43, US 43 from Guin to Hamilton, Alabama, then over Alabama State Route 74, SR 74 to the Georgia state line. In Georgia, US 278 was routed over Georgia State Route 6, SR 6 to Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta and Georgia State Route 12, SR 12 to Augusta. A further extension from Augusta to Jacksonboro, South Carolina, in 1955 was denied by AASHO in 1955. In 1989, US 278 was rerouted through Dallas, Georgia; the former route through town was redesignated U.S. Route 278 Bypass (Dallas, Georgia), US 278 Byp. AASHTO approved another relocation through Rockmart, Georgia, in 1990; the former route through town became U.S. Route 278 Business (Rockmart, Georgia), US 278 Bus. A third relocation the following year in Cedartown, Georgia, was also approved. Alabama rerouted a section of US 278 in Guin over a section of Alabama State Route 118, SR 118 in 1995. At the same time, South Carolina rerouted the highway in Ridgeland, South Carolina, Ridgeland over U.S. Route 17, US 17 and South Carolina Highway 88, SC 88. Mississippi and Arkansas extended US 278 westward in 1997 from U.S. Route 45, US 45 in Nettleton, Mississippi, to U.S. Route 71, US 71 in Wickes, Arkansas. The following year, the highway was relocated on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; the former routing because U.S. Route 278 Business (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina), US 278 Bus. Alabama relocated US 278 in Gadsden, Alabama, Gadsden in 2000. Until early 2005, US 278 was only signed in Mississippi from the Alabama state line to US 45 west of Amory, Mississippi, Amory. US 278 in western Alabama was formerly routed through Haleyville via current SR 195 and SR 129. In 2014, Alabama relocated US 278 in Cullman, Alabama, Cullman.

Major intersections

;Arkansas : in Wickes, Arkansas, Wickes : north-northeast of Dierks, Arkansas, Dierks. The highways travel concurrently to Dierks. : west of Nashville, Arkansas, Nashville. The highways travel concurrently to Nashville. : in Hope, Arkansas, Hope : in Hope : in Rosston, Arkansas, Rosston. The highways travel concurrently through Rosston. : in Camden, Arkansas, Camden. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest of East Camden, Arkansas, East Camden. : in Hampton, Arkansas, Hampton : in Warren, Arkansas, Warren : east of Warren : in Monticello, Arkansas, Monticello : west of Monticello : northwest of McGehee, Arkansas, McGehee. The highways will travel concurrently to Clarksdale, Mississippi. : in McGehee. US 65/US 278 travels concurrently to south-southeast of Lake Village, Arkansas, Lake Village. US 165/US 278 travels concurrently to Dermott, Arkansas, Dermott. : in Lake Village. The highways travel concurrently to east of Leland, Mississippi. ;Mississippi : east of Leland. US 61/US 278 travels concurrently to Clarksdale, Mississippi, Clarksdale. : in Clarksdale. The highways travel concurrently through Clarksdale. : in Clarksdale : in Batesville, Mississippi, Batesville : in Batesville : on the Verona, Mississippi, Verona–Tupelo, Mississippi, Tupelo city line. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of New Wren, Mississippi, New Wren. ;Alabama : in Guin, Alabama, Guin. The highways travel concurrently to Hamilton, Alabama, Hamilton. : in Hamilton : in Cullman, Alabama, Cullman : in Cullman : south-southwest of Summit, Alabama, Summit : northwest of Attalla, Alabama, Attalla. The highways travel concurrently to Gadsden, Alabama, Gadsden. : in Attalla. The highways travel concurrently through Attalla. : in Attalla : in Gadsden ;Georgia : in Cedartown, Georgia, Cedartown. The highways travel concurrently through Cedartown. : in Lithia Springs, Georgia, Lithia Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Druid Hills, Georgia, Druid Hills. : in Atlanta : in Atlanta. The highways travel concurrently through Atlanta. : in Atlanta. US 29/US 278 travels concurrently to Druid Hills. : in Atlanta. The highways travel concurrently to Druid Hills. : in Belvedere Park, Georgia, Belvedere Park : southeast of Lithonia, Georgia, Lithonia. The highways travel concurrently to Covington, Georgia, Covington. : south of Social Circle, Georgia, Social Circle : in Madison, Georgia, Madison. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Madison. : in Barnett, Georgia, Barnett : southeast of Thomson, Georgia, Thomson. The highways travel concurrently to Clearwater, South Carolina. : in Harlem, Georgia, Harlem : in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta : in Augusta. The highways travel concurrently to Clearwater, South Carolina. : in Augusta. The highways travel concurrently to North Augusta, South Carolina. ;South Carolina : in North Augusta : in Allendale, South Carolina, Allendale. The highways travel concurrently through Allendale. : in Fairfax, South Carolina, Fairfax : in Hampton, South Carolina, Hampton. The highways travel concurrently through Hampton. : in Ridgeland, South Carolina, Ridgeland. The highways travel concurrently to Hardeeville, South Carolina, Hardeeville. : in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Hilton Head Island.

References

External links

U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina (Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page)

{{DEFAULTSORT:78-2 U.S. Route 278, United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Mississippi