U.S. Route 51 (Louisiana)

U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin–Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered Highways ending with "1", it is a cross-country north-south route extending from the Gulf Coast region to the Great Lakes region. Much of the highway in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or is cosigned with Interstate 39 (I-39) and much of the route in several states also parallels the Illinois Central Railroad. From LaPlace, Louisiana, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee, much of that portion of US 51 runs largely parallel or is concurrent with Interstate 55 (I-55). The highway's northern terminus is between Hurley, Wisconsin, and Ironwood, Michigan, where it ends with a Trumpet interchange at US 2. Its southern terminus is in Laplace, Louisiana, ending at US 61. US 51 is routed through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

In addition to singing about US 61 on his album ''Highway 61 Revisited'', musician Bob Dylan also commemorated US 51, covering the folk song " Highway 51 Blues", earlier recorded by both Curtis Jones and Tommy McClennan, on his eponymous album ''Bob Dylan''. The North Mississippi Allstars also paid tribute to the highway in the title track of their album ''51 Phantom''.

In Memphis, Tennessee, all of US 51 south of South Parkway East was renamed from Bellevue Boulevard to Elvis Presley Boulevard on January 17, 1972. Graceland is located on this section of the highway, in the subdivision of Whitehaven, Memphis, Whitehaven.

In 2004, the six states that US 51 traverses banded together as the ''Explore Hwy 51 Coalition'' to help promote this "All-American Road". The group now offers visitor information for traveling the length of the road.

Route description

Louisiana

US 51 begins at the intersection with US 61 in Laplace, Louisiana, Laplace and heads northeast. It intersects Interstate 10, I-10 before running concurrently with Interstate 55, I-55. Near the interchange with Interstate 12, I-12, the route splits from I-55. It intersects U.S. Route 190, US 190 in Hammond, Louisiana, Hammond and remains running parallel with I-55 before entering Mississippi. In the 1930s, this highway was called Jefferson Davis Highway.Times Picayune, January 26, 1930

Mississippi

US 51 enters Mississippi from Louisiana in Osyka, Mississippi, Osyka and runs parallel with Interstate 55, I-55. It intersects U.S. Route 98, US 98 in McComb, Mississippi, McComb and U.S. Route 84, US 84 south of Brookhaven, Mississippi, Brookhaven. Northwest of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, Crystal Springs, it runs concurrently with I-55 and then splits at the interchange with Interstate 20, I-20 in Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson. The highway then runs through Jackson, intersecting U.S. Route 80, US 80. Outside Ridgeland, Mississippi, Ridgeland, it passes under I-55 as it continues northeast. It continues through Canton, Mississippi, Canton, Pickens, Mississippi, Pickens, Goodman, Mississippi, Goodman, and Durant, Mississippi, Durant. The highway continues to run along I-55, intersecting U.S. Route 82, US 82 in Winona, Mississippi, Winona and U.S. Route 278, US 278 in Batesville, Mississippi, Batesville. The route passes under Interstate 69, I-69 before entering Tennessee.

The Mississippi section of US 51 is defined at Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.

Tennessee

US 51 enters Tennessee from Mississippi and travels through Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. It intersects Interstate 55, I-55 and then Interstate 240 (Tennessee), I-240 before intersecting U.S. Route 78, US 78. It then runs concurrently with U.S. Route 79, US 79 before intersecting Interstate 69, I-69. As it exits Memphis, it intersects Interstate 40, I-40 and heads northeasterly. In Dyersburg, Tennessee, Dyersburg, it runs concurrently with U.S. Route 412, US 412 for a half a mile before intersecting Interstate 155 (Missouri–Tennessee), I-155's eastern terminus. US 51 then continues northeasterly before entering Kentucky. US 51 between Memphis and Kentucky is planned on running concurrently with I-69.

Kentucky

US 51 enters Kentucky at Fulton, Kentucky, Fulton, running concurrently with I-69 and continues northward through the towns of Clinton, Bardwell and Wickliffe to the Ohio River. The route intersects and runs concurrently with U.S. Route 62, US 62 before separating from it in Cairo, Illinois, Cairo. Along the way it also intersects U.S. Route 60, US 60. The route then enters Illinois before running concurrently with Interstate 57, I-57.

Illinois

US 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at the city of Cairo, Illinois, Cairo. The route heads northward to a village near Cairo called Mounds, Illinois, Mounds, and shares the pavement with I-57, following it for to Dongola, Illinois, Dongola, before splitting and heading north. The route remains two lanes from Dongola to just before Assumption, Illinois, Assumption with the exception of a section between Centralia, Illinois, Centralia and Interstate 64, I-64.

North of Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway to Decatur, Illinois, Decatur. In Decatur, US 51 follows Interstate 72, I-72 to bypass town. US 51 leaves I-72 after , and heads north to Bloomington, Illinois, Bloomington–Normal, Illinois, Normal as an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 follows Interstate 74, I-74 for a mile, then Interstate 55, I-55 for , before following Interstate 39, I-39 for .

US 51 follows I-39, intersecting Interstate 80, I-80 and Interstate 88 (Illinois), I-88 along the way. The highway also follows U.S. Route 20, US 20 south of Rockford, Illinois, Rockford (while still following I-39). I-39/US 51 joins Interstate 90, I-90, making US 51 one of the only toll roads in Illinois that is a U.S. Highway. US 51 exits I-39/I-90 just a mile south of the Wisconsin state line. US 51 follows Illinois Route 75 (IL 75) west to the intersection of Illinois Route 251, IL 251, then turns north through South Beloit, Illinois, South Beloit to enter Wisconsin.

Wisconsin

In the state of Wisconsin, US 51 enters from Illinois at Beloit, Wisconsin, Beloit. US 51 splits off from I-39/I-90 in South Beloit, Illinois and continues northward through Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville and Edgerton, Wisconsin, Edgerton. In Edgerton, US 51 rejoins I-39/I-90 for before splitting off towards Stoughton, Wisconsin, Stoughton and McFarland, Wisconsin, McFarland. US 51 runs almost parallel to I-39/I-90 through the eastern portion of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison, crosses the Interstate in DeForest, Wisconsin, DeForest, and finally rejoins I-39 again at Portage, Wisconsin, Portage. US 51 runs concurrently with I-39 until I-39's terminus in Wausau, Wisconsin, Wausau and continues on as a mixture of freeway and expressway until just north of the interchange with U.S. Route 8, US 8. From there through Hazelhurst, Wisconsin, Hazelhurst, US 51 is a two-lane road with sporadic three-lane sections (which were constructed in 2008). US 51 expands to four lanes, with a central fifth turn lane from Hazelhurst to Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, Arbor Vitae; north of Arbor Vitae it returns to two lanes and continues to its northern end in Hurley, Wisconsin, Hurley, where it terminates at US 2.

Major intersections

;Louisiana
: in LaPlace, Louisiana, LaPlace
: in LaPlace
: northeast of LaPlace. The highways travel concurrently to Hammond, Louisiana, Hammond.
: in Hammond
;Mississippi
: in McComb, Mississippi, McComb
: south of Brookhaven, Mississippi, Brookhaven
: in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, Crystal Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson.
: in Jackson. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
: in Jackson
: in Winona, Mississippi, Winona
: in Batesville, Mississippi, Batesville
;Tennessee
: in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis
: in Memphis
: in Memphis. US 51/US 64/US 70/US 79 travels concurrently through the city.
: in Memphis
: in Memphis
: in Memphis
: in Millington, Tennessee, Millington
: in Dyersburg, Tennessee, Dyersburg. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
: in Dyersburg. I-69/US 51 travels concurrently to southwest of Troy, Tennessee, Troy.
: northeast of Union City, Tennessee, Union City. The highways travel concurrently to South Fulton, Tennessee, South Fulton.
: in South Fulton
;Kentucky
: in Fulton, Kentucky, Fulton. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
: in Bardwell, Kentucky, Bardwell. The highways travel concurrently to Cairo, Illinois.
: in Wickliffe, Kentucky, Wickliffe. The highways travel concurrently to Cairo, Illinois.
;Illinois
: in Cairo. The highways travel concurrently to near Dongola, Illinois, Dongola.
: in Richview, Illinois, Richview
: in Sandoval, Illinois, Sandoval. The highways travel concurrently through the village.
: in Vandalia Township, Fayette County, Illinois, Vandalia Township. The highways travel concurrently to Vandalia, Illinois, Vandalia.
: in Vandalia
: in Harristown, Illinois, Harristown
: in Harristown. The highways travel concurrently to Decatur, Illinois, Decatur.
: in Bloomington Township, McLean County, Illinois, Bloomington Township. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Normal, Illinois, Normal.
: in Bloomington, Illinois, Bloomington. The highways travel concurrently to Normal.
: in Bloomington
: in Normal. I-39/US 51 travels concurrently to South Beloit, Illinois, South Beloit.
: in El Paso, Illinois, El Paso
: in LaSalle, Illinois, LaSalle
: in LaSalle
: on the Troy Grove Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, Troy Grove–Ophir Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, Ophir township line
: in Mendota Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, Mendota Township
: on the Amboy Township, Lee County, Illinois, Amboy–Franklin Grove Township, Lee County, Illinois, Franklin Grove township line
: in Dement Township, Ogle County, Illinois, Dement Township
: in Rockford, Illinois, Rockford. The highways travel concurrently to Cherry Valley, Illinois, Cherry Valley.
: in Cherry Valley. The highways travel concurrently to South Beloit.
;Wisconsin
: in the Janesville (town), Wisconsin, Town of Janesville
: in the Albion, Dane County, Wisconsin, Town of Albion. The highways travel concurrently through the town.
: in Madison, Wisconsin, Madison
: in Madison
: in the Burke, Wisconsin, Town of Burke
: in the Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin, Town of Fort Winnebago. The highways travel concurrently to the Rib Mountain (town), Wisconsin, Town of Rib Mountain.
: in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Stevens Point. The highways travel concurrently to the Hull, Portage County, Wisconsin, Town of Hull.
: in the King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin, Town of King
: in the Kimball, Wisconsin, Town of Kimball

See also

*

References

External links

Endpoints of US 51

{{Authority control

U.S. Route 51,
United States Numbered Highway System, 51
U.S. Highways in Mississippi, 51
Interstate 69, 051
Interstate 55, 051