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U.S. Route 51

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U.S. Route 51 marker
U.S. Route 51
Map
US 51 highlighted in red
Route information
Length1,277 mi[1](2,055 km)
ExistedNovember 11, 1926(1926-11-11)[2]–present
Major junctions
South endUS 61inLaPlace, LA
Major intersections
North endUS 2nearHurley, WI
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesLouisiana,Mississippi,Tennessee,Kentucky,Illinois,Wisconsin
Highway system
←US 50→US 52

U.S. Route 51orU.S. Highway 51(US 51) is a major south–northUnited States highwaythat extends 1,277 miles (2,055 km) from the western suburbs ofNew Orleans, Louisiana,to within 150 feet (46 m) of theWisconsin–Michiganstate line. As most of the United States Numbered Highways ending with "1", it is a cross-country north–south route extending from theGulf Coastregion to theGreat Lakes region.Much of the highway in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or is cosigned withInterstate 39(I-39) and much of the route in several states also parallels theIllinois Central Railroad.FromLaPlace, Louisiana,Mississippi,toMemphis, Tennessee,much of that portion of US 51 runs largely parallel or is concurrent withInterstate 55(I-55). The highway's northern terminus is betweenHurley, Wisconsin,andIronwood, Michigan,where it ends with aroundaboutatUS 2.Its southern terminus is in Laplace, Louisiana, ending atUS 61.US 51 is routed through the states ofLouisiana,Mississippi,Tennessee,Kentucky,Illinois,and Wisconsin.

In addition to singing about US 61 on his albumHighway 61 Revisited,musicianBob Dylanalso commemorated US 51, covering the folk song "Highway 51 Blues",earlier recorded by bothCurtis JonesandTommy McClennan,on his eponymous albumBob Dylan.TheNorth Mississippi Allstarsalso paid tribute to the highway in the title track of their album51 Phantom.

In Memphis, Tennessee, all of US 51 south ofSouth Parkway Eastwas renamed from Bellevue Boulevard toElvis PresleyBoulevard on January 17, 1972.Gracelandis located on this section of the highway, in the subdivision ofWhitehaven.

In 2004, the six states that US 51 traverses banded together as theExplore Hwy 51 Coalitionto help promote this "All-American Road". The group now offers visitor information for traveling the length of the road.[3]

Route description

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Louisiana

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Main article:U.S. Route 51 in Louisiana
Southern terminus of US 51 at US 61, LaPlace

US 51 begins at the intersection withUS 61inLaplaceand heads northeast. It intersectsI-10before running concurrently withI-55.Near the interchange withI-12,the route splits from I-55. It intersectsUS 190inHammondand remains running parallel with I-55 before enteringMississippi.In the 1930s, this highway was calledJefferson Davis Highway.[4]

Mississippi

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KML file(edit•help)
Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 51 in Mississippi
KML is not from Wikidata

US 51 enters Mississippi fromLouisianainOsykaand runs parallel withI-55.It intersectsUS 98inMcCombandUS 84south ofBrookhaven.Northwest ofCrystal Springs,it runs concurrently with I-55 and then splits at the interchange withI-20inJackson.The highway then runs through Jackson, intersectingUS 80.OutsideRidgeland,it passes under I-55 as it continues northeast. It continues throughCanton,Pickens,Goodman,andDurant.The highway continues to run along I-55, intersectingUS 82inWinonaandUS 278inBatesville.The route passes underI-69before enteringTennessee.

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

Tennessee

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Main article:U.S. Route 51 in Tennessee

US 51 enters Tennessee from Mississippi and travels throughMemphis.It intersectsI-55and thenI-240before intersectingUS 78.It then runs concurrently withUS 79before intersectingI-69.As it exits Memphis, it intersectsI-40and heads northeasterly. InDyersburg,it runs concurrently withUS 412for a half a mile before intersectingI-155's eastern terminus. US 51 then continues northeasterly before enteringKentucky.US 51 between Memphis and Kentucky is planned on running concurrently with I-69.

Kentucky

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Main article:U.S. Route 51 in Kentucky

US 51 enters Kentucky atFulton,running concurrently with I-69 and continues northward through the towns of Clinton, Bardwell and Wickliffe to theOhio River.The route intersects and runs concurrently withUS 62before separating from it inCairo.Along the way it also intersectsUS 60.The route then entersIllinoisbefore running concurrently withI-57.

Illinois

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Main article:U.S. Route 51 in Illinois
US 51 between Mounds and Cairo, during theGreat Mississippi Flood of 1927

US 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at the city ofCairo.The route heads northward to a village near Cairo calledMounds,and shares the pavement with I-57, following it for 24 miles (39 km) toDongola,before splitting and heading north. The route remains two lanes from Dongola to just beforeAssumptionwith the exception of a 10-mile (16 km) section betweenCentraliaandI-64.

North of Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway toDecatur.In Decatur, US 51 followsI-72to bypass town. US 51 leaves I-72 after eight miles (13 km), and heads north toBloomington–Normalas an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 followsI-74for a mile, thenI-55for seven miles (11 km), before followingI-39for 140 miles (230 km).

US 51 follows I-39, intersectingI-80andI-88along the way. The highway also followsUS 20south ofRockford(while still following I-39). I-39/US 51 joinsI-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 followsIllinois Route 75(IL 75) west to the intersection ofIL 251,then turns north throughSouth Beloitto enterWisconsin.

Wisconsin

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Main article:U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin
Northern terminus of US 51 at US 2 in Hurley, Wisconsin

In the state of Wisconsin, US 51 enters fromIllinoisatBeloit.US 51 splits off from I-39/I-90 inSouth Beloit, Illinois,and continues northward throughJanesvilleandEdgerton.In Edgerton, US 51 rejoins I-39/I-90 for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) before splitting off towardsStoughtonandMcFarland.US 51 runs almost parallel to I-39/I-90 through the eastern portion ofMadison,crosses the Interstate inDeForest,and finally rejoins I-39 again atPortage.US 51 runs concurrently with I-39 until I-39's terminus inWausauand continues on as a mixture of freeway and expressway until just north of the interchange withUS 8.From there throughHazelhurst,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 toArbor Vitae;north of Arbor Vitae it returns to two lanes and continues to its northern end inHurley,where it terminates atUS 2.

Major intersections

[edit]
Louisiana
US 61inLaPlace
I-10in LaPlace
I-55northeast of LaPlace. The highways travel concurrently toHammond.
US 190in Hammond
Mississippi
US 98inMcComb
US 84south ofBrookhaven
I-55inCrystal Springs.The highways travel concurrently toJackson.
I-20/US 49in Jackson. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 80in Jackson
US 82inWinona
US 278inBatesville
Tennessee
I-55/Future I-69inMemphis
US 78in Memphis
US 64/US 70/US 72/US 79in Memphis. US 51/US 64/US 70/US 79 travels concurrently through the city.
I-240in Memphis
I-40in Memphis
Future I-69in Memphis
Future I-269inMillington
US 412inDyersburg.The highways travel concurrently through the city.
Future I-69/I-155/US 412in Dyersburg. I-69/US 51 travels concurrently to southwest ofTroy.
US 45Wnortheast ofUnion City.The highways travel concurrently toSouth Fulton.
US 45/US 45Ein South Fulton
Kentucky
Future I-69inFulton.The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 62inBardwell.The highways travel concurrently toCairo, Illinois.
US 60inWickliffe.The highways travel concurrently to Cairo, Illinois.
Illinois
I-57in Cairo. The highways travel concurrently to nearDongola.
I-64inRichview
US 50inSandoval.The highways travel concurrently through the village.
US 40inVandalia Township.The highways travel concurrently toVandalia.
I-70in Vandalia
US 36inHarristown
I-72in Harristown. The highways travel concurrently toDecatur.
I-74inBloomington Township.The highways travel concurrently to northwest ofNormal.
I-55inBloomington.The highways travel concurrently to Normal.
US 150in Bloomington
I-39/I-55in Normal. I-39/US 51 travels concurrently toSouth Beloit.
US 24inEl Paso
US 6inLaSalle
I-80in LaSalle
US 52on theTroy Grove–Ophirtownship line
US 34inMendota Township
US 30on theAmboy–Franklin Grovetownship line
I-88inDement Township
US 20inRockford.The highways travel concurrently toCherry Valley.
I-90in Cherry Valley. The highways travel concurrently to South Beloit.
Wisconsin
US 14in theTown of Janesville
I-39/I-90in theTown of Albion.The highways travel concurrently through the town.
US 12/US 18inMadison
US 151in Madison
I-39/I-90/I-94in theTown of Burke
I-39in theTown of Fort Winnebago.The highways travel concurrently to theTown of Rib Mountain.
US 10inStevens Point.The highways travel concurrently to theTown of Hull.
US 8in theTown of King
US 2in theTown of Kimball

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See also

[edit]
KML file(edit•help)
Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 51
KML is not from Wikidata

References

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  1. ^"U.S. Route Number Database".American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.December 2009.RetrievedDecember 6,2016.
  2. ^Bureau of Public Roads&American Association of State Highway Officials(November 11, 1926).United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials(Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC:United States Geological Survey.OCLC32889555.RetrievedNovember 7,2013– viaWikimedia Commons.
  3. ^"Explore Highway 51 Coalition".Archived fromthe originalon April 8, 2014.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
  4. ^Times Picayune, January 26, 1930[full citation needed]
  5. ^Rand McNally (2014).The Road Atlas(Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 32–33, 42, 44, 56, 94, 114–115.ISBN978-0-528-00771-2.
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