U.S. Highway 98 West - Hattiesburg to McComb

U.S. 98 west
Just past the Exit 59 interchange is the first set of Interstate 59 north/U.S. 98 westbound reassurance shields. U.S. 98 originally overlapped with U.S. 49 through the city limits of Hattiesburg to Hardy Street. A vestige of this original routing can be found in the Mississippi 198 designation between Exit 65 and U.S. 49 near the University of Southern Mississippi campus. Photo taken 06/01.
Exit 60 for U.S. 11 on Interstate 59 northbound. This interchange serves South Hattiesburg, with U.S. 11 carrying four lanes from the interchange northward to U.S. 49 and downtown. Photo taken 04/14/02.
Close-up of the U.S. 11 guide sign on Interstate 59 northbound. U.S. 11 is rural south of this junction, but is seeing increased development as it travels northward. An antiquated cloverleaf interchange exits with U.S. 49 in central Hattiesburg, with heavy commercial development situated nearby. Photo taken 06/01.
Northbound at the gore for Exit 60. U.S. 11 has two bridges over Interstate 59, but quickly sees a reduction to a rural two lane highway south of this junction. Photo taken 06/01.
Advance guide signage for Exit 65/U.S. 98 west/Hardy Street on Interstate 59 northbound. This interchange marks the end of the six mile overlap. Photo taken 06/01.
Traffic for Exit 65 leaves the mainline of Interstate 59 on a northbound collector distributor roadway. The interchange is not a diamond as shown on the Mississippi official state map, as a loop ramp for westbound U.S. 98 is present. Photo taken 04/14/02.
Close-up of the Exit 65A/B gore sign on Interstate 59 northbound for the c/d roadway. In the background is a sign bridge for Exit 65A. This exit takes traffic onto Mississippi 198 (although it is unsigned on Interstate 59 related guide signage) into downtown Hattiesburg. Photo taken 06/01.
A look at the sign bridge and overheads on the northbound c/d lane for Exits 65A and B. Hardy Street is four lanes and divided eastward to U.S. 49. The roadway also bisects the University of Southern Mississippi campus between Interstate 59 and downtown. Photo taken 06/01.
Overheads on the northbound Exit 65 c/d roadway for U.S. 98 westbound and its departure from Interstate 59. Traffic is initially greeted with heavy commercial development west of the interchange with shopping plazas adjacent to the interchange. Traffic continuing westbound on U.S. 98 reaches Columbia in 29 miles, with an ultimate migration towards McComb and Natchez. Photo taken 06/01.
Westbound U.S. 98, as it leaves Interstate 59 on the northwest side of Hattiesburg. U.S. 98 is congested for the first couple of miles westward, but then opens up on the 30 mile trek to Columbia. In the future, U.S. 98 may extend from the southern junction with Interstate 59 as an expressway westward to bypass this portion of the metro area. Photo taken 10/14/00.
Mississippi 24 continues from U.S. 98 westward to the town of Liberty (pop. 633) with Mississippi 48 in 20 miles. The state route used to end at U.S. 51 in McComb itself. The relocation of U.S. 98 from an overlap with U.S. 51 to an overlap with Interstate 55 truncated the state route by two miles. Photo taken 10/23/03.
While U.S. 98 overlaps with Interstate 55 for five miles, reassurance shields allude to U.S. 98 in trailblazer form only. Shield assemblies at Exit 17/Delaware Avenue also allude to U.S. 98 in this fashion. Photo taken 10/23/03.
Interstate 55 north/U.S. 98 west one mile south of the Downtown McComb interchange at Delaware Avenue. This diamond interchange is just over a mile west of the central business district of the city. Photo taken 10/23/03.
Northbound at the Exit 17 ramp departure for Delaware Avenue. The surface arterial continues a short distance to the northwest before concluding at Mississippi 570/Smithdale Road. Photo taken 10/23/03.
Situated within the diamond interchange of Exit 17 is the one mile guide sign for Exit 18/Mississippi 570. Smithdale Road travels between U.S. 51/Northwest Avenue and Delaware Avenue in the northern reaches of the city. The street derives its name from the village of the same name to the northwest along Mississippi 570. Photo taken 10/23/03.
Exit 18 is the final interchange to serve the city of McComb via Interstate 55. Pictured here is the diamond interchange and ramp departure for Mississippi 570. The state route begins nearby at U.S. 51 and travels 14 miles northwest of the freeway to Smithdale. Photo taken 10/23/03.
A short distance to the north of McComb is the town of Summit (pop. 1,428). Interstate 55 splits with U.S. 98 at this locale via the Exit 20 cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 10/23/03.
Interstate 55 north/U.S. 98 west at Exit 20A for Lawrence Street and downtown Summit. This surface arterial was U.S. 98 before the highway relocated to Interstate 55. Photo taken 10/23/03.
U.S. 98 departs Interstate 55 after a five mile overlap. From here to the northwest, U.S. 98 travels 30 miles to U.S. 84 and Bude. There the route overlaps 35 miles westward to the Mississippi River city of Natchez. Photo taken 10/23/03.

Page Updated February 22, 2004.

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