Mississippi Highway 604
{{short description|Highway in Mississippi}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=MS
|type=MS
|route=604
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-lat=30.2717|frame-long=-89.5984|zoom=11|type=line|from=Mississippi Highway 604.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=MS 604 highlighted in red
|length_mi=5.071
|length_round=3
|length_ref={{Cite report |author=Mississippi Department of Transportation Planning Division |date=December 31, 2011 |title=Mississippi Public Roads Selected Statistics Extent, Travel, and Designation |url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Programs/Statistics%20Book/2011%20MDOT%20Public%20Roads%20Statistics%20Extent%2C%20Travel%2C%20and%20Designation.pdf |publisher=Mississippi Department of Transportation |access-date=July 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514212501/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Programs/Statistics%20Book/2011%20MDOT%20Public%20Roads%20Statistics%20Extent%2C%20Travel%2C%20and%20Designation.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
|established=1950
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=MS|US|90}} in Pearlington
|junction=
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=MS|MS|607}} near Pearlington
|previous_type=MS
|previous_route=603
|next_type=MS
|next_route=605
|counties=Hancock
}}
Mississippi Highway 604 (MS 604) is a {{convert|5.071|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} 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 {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}}. About {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} south of MS 607, MS 604 travels northward. The road soon ends at MS 607 at a T-intersection.{{Bing maps|url=http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=30.271809~-89.599074&lvl=12&sty=r&rtp=pos.30.239853_-89.610037_near%20MS-604%20%26%20US-90%2C%20Pearlington%2C%20MS%2039572___a_~pos.30.303756_-89.583187_near%20MS-607%20N%20%26%20Highway%20604%2C%20Bay%20St%20Louis%2C%20MS%2039520___a_&mode=D&rtop=0~0~0~&form=LMLTCC|title=Mississippi Highway 604|access-date=July 6, 2014}}
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.{{cite web|title=MDOT Traffic Count Application|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/applications/trafficcounters/|publisher=Mississippi Department of Transportation|access-date=July 6, 2014}} MS 604 is legally defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.{{cite web|title=Mississippi Code Of 1972 As Amended - SEC. 65-3-3. State highways designated.|url=http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/mscode/|publisher=Mississippi Legislature|access-date=April 21, 2014}} MS 604 is maintained by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. 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.{{cite press release |last=Strecker |first=Rebecca |date=October 25, 2013 |title=Stennis Officials Issue Buffer Zone Reminder |url=http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/october/stennis-officials-issue-buffer-zone-reminder/ |location=Stennis Space Center |publisher=NASA Office of Communications |agency=National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date=October 23, 2014}}
History
Since 1928, US 90 was routed through Santa Rosa, and concurrent with US 11 before crossing into Louisiana.{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201935%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Department|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Department|title=Condition Map of State Highway System|year=1928|access-date=October 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714153835/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201935%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} In 1936, a new, paved road was built from US 90 to south of Slidell, bypassing the town.{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201935%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Department|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Department|title=Road Map of Mississippi|year=1935|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714153835/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201935%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201936%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Department|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Department|title=Road Map of Mississippi|year=1936|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714113748/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201936%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} 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,{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201938%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Department|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Department|title=Road Map of Mississippi|year=1938|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514205613/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201938%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201939%20January%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|date=January 1939|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714164748/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201939%20January%20Front.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} which would become MS 11-90 a year later.{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201940%20%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Department|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Department|title=Road Map of Mississippi|year=1940|access-date=October 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316050608/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201940%20%20Road%20Map%20of%20MS.pdf|archive-date=March 16, 2014|url-status=dead}} In 1948, the route was renumbered to MS 43,{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201948%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|year=1948|access-date=October 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514210459/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201948%20Front.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} and by 1950, the former alignment of US 90 bypassed in 1936 became signed as MS 604.{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201949%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|year=1949|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132548/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201949%20Front.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201950%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|year=1950|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714125130/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201950%20Front.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} In 1967, MS 43 was rerouted to its east, and the old alignment became MS 607.{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201965%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|year=1965|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514210831/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201965%20Front.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201967%20Front.pdf|cartography=Mississippi State Highway Commission|publisher=Mississippi State Highway Commission|title=Official State Highway Map of State of Mississippi|year=1967|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514210845/http://mdot.ms.gov/documents/planning/Maps/State%20Highway%20Maps%20Archive/HWY%20Map%201967%20Front.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}
Major intersections
{{Jcttop|state=MS|county=Hancock|length_ref=}}
{{MSint
|location=Pearlington
|mile=0.000
|road={{Jct|state=MS|US|90|city1=Bay St. Louis|location2=New Orleans, LA}}
|notes=Southern terminus
}}
{{MSint
|location=none
|mile=5.071
|road={{Jct|state=MS|MS|607|city1=Picayune|city2=Bay St. Louis}}
|notes=Northern terminus; provides access to John C. Stennis Space Center
}}
{{Jctbtm}}
References
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