U.S. Route 45 in Mississippi

U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as .

US 45 is notable for incorporating, in its maiden alignment, the first paved road in the South, a 49-mile segment in Lee County, Mississippi. Let to contract in July 1914, the concrete highway opened on November 15, 1915.

As of 2006, the highway's northern terminus is in Ontonagon, Michigan, at the corner of Ontonagon and River Streets, a few blocks from Lake Superior ( M-64 formerly terminated there as well until its rerouting in October 2006 to use the newly built Ontonagon River Bridge). US 45's southern terminus is in Mobile, Alabama, at an intersection with U.S. Route 98.

Route description

Alabama

US 45 is concurrent with unsigned SR 17 between Mobile and Vinegar Bend, just north of Deer Park, in Washington County, Alabama. From Vinegar Bend to the Mississippi state line, US 45 is concurrent with unsigned SR 57.

Mississippi

U.S. Highway 45 is part of a designated hurricane evacuation route in Mississippi. It is entirely four-laned from its point of entry from Alabama, at the town of State Line, to the Tennessee line just north of Corinth, along the way serving the towns of (from south to north) Waynesboro, Meridian, Columbus and Tupelo.

At Brooksville, U.S. 45 splits away from U.S. 45 Alternate and serves the towns of Columbus and Aberdeen before rejoining U.S. 45 Alternate south of Tupelo. The alternate roadway provides a more direct and entirely four-laned route between Meridian and Tupelo, bypassing Columbus to the west and, more closely, Starkville, Mississippi, Starkville to the east.

Major junctions of U.S. 45 in Mississippi include U.S. Route 84 at Waynesboro, Interstate 20/Interstate 59, 59 at Meridian, U.S. Route 82 at Columbus, Interstate 22/U.S. Route 78 at Tupelo and U.S. Route 72 at Corinth. Each of these junctions is an interchange and, with the exception of Waynesboro, each is part of a freeway segment.

The Mississippi section of U.S. 45 is defined at Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.

Tennessee

Southern section

From the Mississippi state line, US 45 extends north past the cities of Guys, Tennessee, Guys, Eastview, Tennessee, Eastview, Selmer, Tennessee, Selmer, Bethel Springs, Tennessee, Bethel Springs, Finger, Tennessee, Finger, Henderson, Tennessee, Henderson, Pinson, Tennessee, Pinson, and Jackson, Tennessee, Jackson to Three Way, Tennessee, Three Way, where the highway splits into US 45W and US 45E.

U.S. Route 45W

US 45W is a state highway in West Tennessee, connecting Jackson, Tennessee, Jackson with South Fulton, Tennessee, South Fulton via Humboldt, Tennessee, Humboldt, Trenton, Tennessee, Trenton, Dyer, Tennessee, Dyer, Rutherford, Tennessee, Rutherford, Kenton, Tennessee, Kenton, and Union City, Tennessee, Union City. For the majority of its length, it is concurrent with unsigned Tennessee State Route 5, State Route 5 (SR 5).

U.S. Route 45E

US 45E is a state highway in West Tennessee, connecting Jackson, Tennessee, Jackson with South Fulton, Tennessee, South Fulton via Medina, Tennessee, Medina, Milan, Tennessee, Milan, Bradford, Tennessee, Bradford, Greenfield, Tennessee, Greenfield, Sharon, Tennessee, Sharon, and Martin, Tennessee, Martin. For the majority of its length, it is concurrent with unsigned Tennessee State Route 43, State Route 43 (SR 43) for most of the route's length except for short segments at Martin and South Fulton, where it is cosigned with Tennessee State Route 216, SR 216 and Tennessee State Route 215, SR 215 respectively.

Northern section

Mainline US 45, concurrent with unsigned Tennessee State Route 3, SR 3, goes northeast and passes through neighborhoods in South Fulton, Tennessee, South Fulton along Chickasaw Drive before turning north onto Highland Drive at an intersection with Kentucky Route 116 (KY 116/W State Line Street) at the western edge of downtown. US 45 then crosses into Kentucky and the city of Fulton, Kentucky, Fulton.

Kentucky

U.S. 45 enters Kentucky at Fulton, Kentucky, Fulton then northeast past Mayfield, Kentucky, Mayfield then heads directly north into Paducah, Kentucky, Paducah as a four-lane highway. In Paducah, U.S. 45 serves as a major artery, intersecting with Interstate 24 (Kentucky), Interstate 24 at exit 7, and intersecting U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky, US 60 and US 62 (KY), 62. U.S. 45 leaves Kentucky from Paducah's northern border across the two-lane, metal-grate Brookport Bridge to Brookport, Illinois across the Ohio River.

Illinois

In the state of Illinois, U.S. 45 runs from Brookport Bridge, a bridge across the Ohio River from Paducah, Kentucky, through Shawnee National Forest and north to the Wisconsin border east of Antioch, Illinois. With a length of in Illinois, U.S. 45 is the longest numbered route in Illinois.

In its progress north from the Ohio River U.S. 45 first joins Interstate 24 as far as Vienna, Illinois, Vienna then heads northeast through Harrisburg, Illinois, Harrisburg and Eldorado, Illinois, Eldorado in Saline County and north through Fairfield, Illinois, Fairfield, Flora, Illinois, Flora, Effingham, Illinois, Effingham, Mattoon, Illinois, Mattoon, Champaign, Illinois, Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, Urbana, Gilman, Illinois, Gilman and Kankakee, Illinois, Kankakee, then straight north through the western suburbs of Chicago in Will County, Illinois, Will County, Cook County, Illinois, Cook County and Lake County, Illinois, Lake County to the Wisconsin border.

Wisconsin

U.S. 45 enters the state in southeast Wisconsin. It runs concurrent with Interstate 894 and U.S. Route 41 in Wisconsin, U.S. Route 41 through the west side of metro Milwaukee to form a major artery through the metropolitan area. It runs north to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac. The highway routes near the western shore of Lake Winnebago through Oshkosh, Wisconsin. U.S. 45 then travels north through Wittenberg, Wisconsin, Wittenberg, Antigo, Wisconsin, Antigo, and Eagle River, Wisconsin, Eagle River, as well as the state and national forests, until it leaves the state at Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, Land O' Lakes and enters Michigan.

Michigan

US 45 enters Michigan south of Watersmeet, Michigan, Watersmeet. From there, the highway crosses the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula through the Ottawa National Forest running north to Ontonagon, Michigan, Ontonagon. US 45 ends just south of Lake Superior in downtown Ontonagon. The terminus was not changed in 2006 despite realignment then of M-38 (Michigan highway), M-38 and M-64 from the terminus to a crossing south.Bessert, Christopher J
Michigan Highways: Ontonagon State Trunkline Changes 2006
. URL accessed June 24, 2007.

History

Until March 1935, US 45's northern terminus was at US 12 in Des Plaines, Illinois near Chicago.

Prior to the construction of the Interstate Highway system, US 45 was one of the main routes south out of Chicago toward New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Much of the traffic left US 45 at Effingham, Illinois, continuing on through Cairo, Illinois along Illinois Route 37.

Major intersections

;Southern segment
:;Alabama
:: in Mobile
:: in Prichard, Alabama, Prichard
:;Mississippi
:: in Waynesboro
:: in Meridian
:: in Meridian
:: west of Columbus. The highways travel concurrently to Columbus.
:: north-northwest of New Wren, Mississippi, New Wren. The highways travel concurrently to the Verona, Mississippi, Verona–Tupelo city line.
:: in Tupelo
:: in Corinth
:;Tennessee
:: in Selmer, Tennessee, Selmer. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
:: in Jackson, Tennessee, Jackson
:: in Three Way, Tennessee, Three Way
:: in Milan, Tennessee, Milan ()
:: in Humboldt, Tennessee, Humboldt ()

;Northern segment
:;Tennessee
:: in South Fulton, Tennessee, South Fulton. US 45 / US 51 travel concurrently to Fulton, Kentucky.
:;Kentucky
:: north of Mayfield, Kentucky, Mayfield
:: in Paducah, Kentucky, Paducah
:: in Paducah. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
:: in Paducah. US 45/US 60 travels concurrently through the city.
:;Illinois
:: in Metropolis, Illinois, Metropolis
:: north-northeast of Vienna, Illinois, Vienna
:: north of Mill Shoals, Illinois, Mill Shoals
:: east of Flora, Illinois, Flora. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Flora.
:: in Effingham, Illinois, Effingham. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
:: in Effingham
:: northeast of Neoga, Illinois, Neoga
:: in Mattoon, Illinois, Mattoon
:: in Tuscola Township, Douglas County, Illinois, Tuscola Township
:: in Pesotum, Illinois, Pesotum
:: in Champaign, Illinois, Champaign. The highways travel concurrently to Urbana, Illinois, Urbana.
:: in Urbana
:: in Rantoul, Illinois, Rantoul
:: in Gilman, Illinois, Gilman. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
:: east of Ashkum, Illinois, Ashkum. The highways travel concurrently to Peotone Township, Will County, Illinois, Peotone Township.
:: in Kankakee, Illinois, Kankakee
:: in Frankfort, Illinois, Frankfort
:: on the Mokena, Illinois, Mokena–Orland Park, Illinois, Orland Park–Tinley Park, Illinois, Tinley Park city line
:: in Orland Park
:: west of the Palos Hills, Illinois, Palos Hills–Hickory Hills, Illinois, Hickory Hills city line. US 12/US 45 travels concurrently to Des Plaines, Illinois, Des Plaines. US 20/US 45 travels concurrently to the Stone Park, Illinois, Stone Park–Melrose Park, Illinois, Melrose Park city line.
:: in Willow Springs, Illinois, Willow Springs
:: on the Countryside, Illinois, Countryside–Hodgkins, Illinois, Hodgkins city line
:: in La Grange, Illinois, La Grange
:: on the Westchester, Illinois, Westchester–Hillside, Illinois, Hillside–Bellwood, Illinois, Bellwood city line
:: west of Rosemont, Illinois, Rosemont
:: in Des Plaines
:;Wisconsin
:: in Greenfield, Wisconsin, Greenfield. The highways are concurrent for a 1/2 mile.
:: in Greenfield. I-41 and US-41 stay concurrent until Richfield, Washington County, Wisconsin, Richfield. I-894 stays concurrent to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Wauwatosa city line.
:: in Milwaukee.
:: in Wauwatosa.
:: in the Fond du Lac (town), Wisconsin, Town of Fond du Lac
:: in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Oshkosh
:: in Winchester, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winchester. The highways travel concurrently for 3 miles.
:: in Monico, Wisconsin, Monico. The highways travel concurrently through the town.
:;Michigan
:: in Watersmeet, Michigan, Watersmeet
:: River Street/Chippewa Street in Ontonagon, Michigan, Ontonagon

See also

*U.S. Route 45 Business (Wittenburg, Wisconsin), U.S. Route 45 Business in Wittenburg, Wisconsin
*U.S. Route 45 Business (New London, Wisconsin), U.S. Route 45 Business in New London, Wisconsin
*U.S. Route 45 Business (Paducah, Kentucky), U.S. Route 45 Business in Paducah, Kentucky
*U.S. Route 45 Bypass (Jackson, Tennessee), U.S. Route 45 Bypass in Jackson, Tennessee
*''U.S. Route 45W Business (Trenton, Tennessee), U.S. Route 45W Business'' in Trenton, Tennessee; decommissioned and re-signed as Tennessee State Route 367, State Route 367
*U.S. Route 45W Business (Humboldt, Tennessee), U.S. Route 45W Business in Humboldt, Tennessee
*U.S. Route 45E Business (Martin, Tennessee), U.S. Route 45E Business in Martin, Tennessee
*''U.S. Route 45 Business (Tupelo, Mississippi), U.S. Route 45 Business'' in Tupelo, Mississippi
*''U.S. Route 45 Alternate (Brooksville-Shannon, Mississippi), U.S. Route 45 Alternate'' in Brooksville, Mississippi and Shannon, Mississippi

References

External links

Endpoints of US 45

{{s-end

U.S. Route 45,
United States Numbered Highway System, 45
U.S. Highways in Mississippi, 45