Mississippi Highway 604

MS Highway 604
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length:	5.071 mi[1] (8.161 km)
Existed:	1950 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 90 in Pearlington
North end:	MS 607 near Pearlington
Location
Counties:	Hancock
Highway system
Numbered Highways in Mississippi Interstate US State Unsigned ← MS 603 MS 605 →

Mississippi Highway 604 (MS 604) is a 5.071-mile-long (8.161 km) state highway on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 90 (US 90). MS 604 travels northward through Pearlington to its northern terminus at MS 607. The route was designated in 1950, after US 90 was realigned off of it in 1939 onto a new road built in 1936.

Route description

All of the undivided, two-laned route is located in western Hancock County. MS 604 starts at US 90 south of Pearlington and travels north. The road goes through a small forest, before turning northwest and entering Pearlington. MS 604 goes through the center of Pearlington, and turns north at Levee Street. The route soon travels northeast as it leaves Pearlington. MS 604 enters into larger forests for around three miles (4.8 km). About 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south of MS 607, MS 604 travels northward. The road soon ends at MS 607 at a T-intersection.^[2]

In 2013, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) calculated as many as 1,000 vehicles traveling north of Birch Drive, and as few as 840 vehicles traveling south of MS 607.^[3] MS 604 is not included as a part of the National Highway System (NHS), a network of highways identified as being most important for the economy, mobility and defense of the nation.^[4] MS 604 is legally defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.^[5] MS 604 is maintained by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.^[1] The route is part of the Westonia Senic Byway to Space, which starts at MS 607, travels on MS 604, and ends at Stennis Space Center's buffer zone near Pearlington.^[1][6]

History

Since 1928, US 90 was routed through Santa Rosa, and concurrent with US 11 before crossing into Louisiana.^[7] In 1936, a new, paved road was built from US 90 to south of Slidell, bypassing the town.^[7][8] Three years later, US 90 was realigned south on this new road. This caused the southern terminus to be US 90, and the northern terminus at an unsigned highway,^[9][10] which would become MS 11-90 a year later.^[10][11] In 1948, the route was renumbered to MS 43,^[12][13] and by 1950, the former alignment of US 90 bypassed in 1936 became signed as MS 604.^[13][14] In 1967, MS 43 was rerouted to its east, and the old alignment became MS 607.^[15][16]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Hancock County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Pearlington	0.000	0.000	US 90
	5.071	8.161	MS 607
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. Mississippi Department of Transportation Planning Division (December 31, 2011). Mississippi Public Roads Selected Statistics Extent, Travel, and Designation (PDF) (Report). Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
2. Microsoft; Nokia (July 6, 2014). "Mississippi Highway 604" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
3. "MDOT Traffic Count Application". Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
4. National Highway System: Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. November 2003. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
5. "Mississippi Code Of 1972 As Amended - SEC. 65-3-3. State highways designated.". Mississippi Legislature. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
6. Strecker, Rebecca (October 25, 2013). "Stennis Officials Issue Buffer Zone Reminder" (Press release). Stennis Space Center: NASA Office of Communications. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
7. Condition Map of State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Department. Mississippi State Highway Department. 1928. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
8. Road Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Department. Mississippi State Highway Department. 1936. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
9. Road Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Department. Mississippi State Highway Department. 1938. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
10. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. January 1939. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
11. Road Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Department. Mississippi State Highway Department. 1940. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
12. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. 1948. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
13. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. 1949. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
14. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. 1950. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
15. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. 1965. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
16. Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Mississippi State Highway Commission. Mississippi State Highway Commission. 1967. Retrieved July 6, 2014.