Ohio State Route 143

State Route 143
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length:	20.15 mi[1] (32.43 km)
Existed:	1923[2][3] – present
Major junctions
South end:	SR 7 near Pomeroy
North end:	US 50 near Albany
Location
Counties:	Meigs, Athens
Highway system
Ohio Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SR 142 SR 144 →

State Route 143 (SR 143, OH 143) is a north–south state highway in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. The southern terminus of State Route 143 is at a T-intersection with the concurrency of State Route 7 and State Route 124 approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the village of Pomeroy. Its northern terminus is at a T-intersection with U.S. Route 50 nearly 2.75 miles (4.43 km) southwest of Albany.

Route description

Along its way, State Route 143 passes through the western half of Meigs County and ducks into the extreme southwestern portion of Athens County. There is no portion of this state highway that is included within the National Highway System, a network of routes deemed most important for the country's economy, mobility and defense.^[4]

History

The debut of the State Route 143 designation took place in 1923. Originally, this highway started in downtown Middleport at the intersection of 2nd Avenue, the former routing of State Route 7, and Mill Street. It followed Mill Street to the northwest, which becomes known as Bradbury Road once it leaves the village. State Route 143 continued on Bradbury Road to its intersection with State Route 124, then turned east onto the current alignment of State Route 124. It proceeded east to the State Route 7 intersection, then turned north onto what is presently the concurrency of State Route 7 and State Route 124 to the current southern terminus of State Route 143. It then followed the entirety of its current alignment, coming to an end at the predecessor to U.S. Route 50, State Route 26.^[2][3]

By 1969, in conjunction with the completion of a new State Route 7 bypass of Middleport and Pomeroy, the State Route 143 designation was removed from the portions located to the south of its current southern terminus, thus resulting in the highway taking on the shape it has today. Jurisdiction of the portion of State Route 143 along Mill Street in Middleport was turned over to the county, while control of the Bradbury Road section was transferred to Meigs County. The east–west concurrent segment with State Route 124 became just State Route 124, while the north–south concurrent stretch with State Route 124 turned into a concurrency of State Route 7 and State Route 124.^[5][6]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Meigs	Salisbury Township	0.00	0.00	SR 7 / SR 124 – Pomeroy, Gallipolis
	Scipio Township	8.25	13.28	SR 684 north / CR 3 (New Lima Road) – Pageville	Southern terminus of SR 684
Athens	Lee Township	19.58	31.51	SR 32 (James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway) – Wellston, Athens
		20.15	32.43	US 50 – McArthur, Athens
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. Ohio Department of Transportation. "Technical Services Straight Line Diagrams". Retrieved 2011-02-14.
2. Map of Ohio State Highways (MrSID) (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works. April 1922. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
3. Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (MrSID) (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works. July 1923. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
4. National Highway System: Ohio (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. December 2003. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
5. Official Ohio Highway Map (MrSID) (Map). Cartography by ODOH. Ohio Department of Highways. 1967. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
6. Official Ohio Highway Map (MrSID) (Map). Cartography by ODOH. Ohio Department of Highways. 1969. Retrieved 2011-02-14.