U.S. 49 joins the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the capital city of Jackson via Hattiesburg and Collins. The US Highway originates at U.S. 90 by ports facilities along Mississippi Sound in Gulfport. Comprising a heavily developed arterial, U.S. 49 connects Downtown Gulfport with I-10 and suburban areas to the north. The four lane corridor extends north to Saucier, Wiggins and U.S. 98 on the south side of Hattiesburg.
U.S. 98 bypasses Hattiesburg to the west alongside I-59 while U.S. 49 follow an older arterial route with service roads west of Downtown to The University of Southern Mississippi. Northwest from Interstate 59, U.S. 49 serves regional and freight traffic to I-20 and I-55 at Richland and Pearl.
Through Jackson, U.S. 49 overlaps with I-20 west and I-220 north to circumvent the city. 205 miles from Gulfport, U.S. 49 travels to Yazoo City, where it splits into east and west branches. U.S. 49E loops through Greenwood while U.S. 49W connects with Indianola. The two converge at Tutwiler to the north, where U.S. 49 resumes northward 41 miles to Clarksdale, Lula and the Helena Bridge into Arkansas.
U.S. 49 Mississippi Guides
Through Hattiesburg, U.S. 49 Business was previously designated along Edwards Street north to James Street, and along Bay Street north onto Main Street through Downtown. The business route combined with Mississippi Highway 42 west from Main Street back to U.S. 49.
U.S. 49 was originally an intrastate route, running north in Mississippi to Clarksdale. The extension to Brinkley, Arkansas was jointly requested by both states in an application submitted to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on April 18, 1963:
This proposed extension would provide a direct U.S. Numbered connection between U.S. 70 and Interstate Route 40 at Brinkley, Arkansas, and Interstate Route 55 and Interstate Route 20 at Jackson, Mississippi, and Interstate Route 59 at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast Area via the new Mississippi River Bridge near Helena, Arkansas.
The present Route is now an adequately improved Federal-aid Primary highway carrying an established and necessary flow of interstate traffic not otherwise provided for by existing U.S. Routes.
With approval by AASHO on June 19, 1963, U.S. 49 overlapped with U.S. 61 north to Mississippi Highway 6 at Rich, and northwest over Multi State Route 6 to the Helena Bridge and Brinkley, Arkansas.
Following the completion of Interstate 220 in May 1980, U.S. 49 was subsequently realigned around Jackson as approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on November 8, 1986:
This request is made so that a full access control bypass of a congested urban area may be utilized. The present facility is a four lane route with partial access control. The new facility will provide the through traffic with a high speed freeway around the City of Jackson with full access control which overlaps I-220 five miles and I-20 a distance of six miles.
 scenes |
 | MS 469 crosses Indian Creek just east of the intersection with U.S. 49 in Florence. This confirming marker posted beyond U.S. 49 was removed after 2021. 12/19/09 |
Photo Credits:
12/19/09 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 10
Interstate 20
Interstate 55
Interstate 59
Interstate 220
U.S. 11
U.S. 84
U.S. 90
U.S. 98
Highway 26
Highway 42
Page Updated 09-04-2024.