U.S. Route 278

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U.S. Route 278

Length:

1074 mi^[1] (1728 km)

West end:

U.S. 59/71/ at Wickes, AR

Major
junctions:

I-30 in Hope, AR

I-55 in Batesville, MS

Future I-22 in Hamilton, AL

I-65 in Cullman, AL

I-59 in Gadsden

I-285 near Atlanta, GA

I-75/85 in Atlanta

I-20 in Covington, GA

I-520 near Augusta, GA

I-95 in Hardeeville, SC

East end:

BUS US 278 in Hilton Head, SC

United States Numbered Highways
Spur of US 78
List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

U.S. Route 278 is a spur of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 1,074 miles (1,728km) from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to Wickes, Arkansas at U.S. Highway 71/U.S. Highway 59. It passes through the states of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. It goes through the cities of Augusta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, Rockmart, Georgia, Cedartown, Georgia,Gadsden, Alabama, and Amory, Mississippi.

1 Route description
2 History
3 Major intersections
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Route description

[edit] Arkansas

US 278 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 59/U.S. Route 71 in the town of Wickes in southwestern Arkansas. From Wickes, US 278 continues eastward through Hope, Camden, and Monticello to McGehee, where it meets U.S. Route 65. US 278 overlaps US 65 southward for 16 miles until they separate in Lake Village. There, US 65 splits off and US 278 overlaps U.S. Route 82 east to the Mississippi River, where US 82 and US 278 cross into Mississippi.

[edit] Mississippi

US 82 and US 278 go through Greenville to Leland, where US 278 separates from US 82 at U.S. Route 61. US 278 then joins US 61 northward through Cleveland before splitting in Clarksdale. East of Clarksdale, it overlaps Mississippi Highway 6 through Batesville, Oxford, and Pontotoc before reaching Tupelo. At Tupelo, MS 6 separates from US 278 while US 278 overlaps U.S. Route 45 south to New Wren. From New Wren, US 278 continues east through Amory before entering Alabama.

[edit] Alabama

Main article: U.S. Route 278 in Alabama

U.S. 278 enters Alabama between Greenwood Springs, Mississippi and Sulligent, Alabama. As in Georgia, this and all U.S routes are partnered with state routes; however, there are few instances throughout the state where the state route number is posted. From the Mississippi state line to Guin, U.S. 278 is paired with State Route 118. From Hamilton to the Georgia state line, U.S. 278 is paired with State Route 74.

U.S. 278 junctions U.S. Route 431 at Gadsden. The two routes overlap until they split at Attalla. After a reconfiguration of 3rd St SW at Main Ave SW to connect directly with 4th St SW in Cullman, U.S. 278 no longer briefly overlaps U.S. Route 31 for a block. U.S. 278 overlaps U.S. Route 43 between Hamilton and Guin. Prior to the completion of Corridor X (Future I-22), these two routes also overlapped U.S. Route 78 between these two towns, with East U.S. 78 travelling in the same direction as West U.S. 278.

[edit] Georgia

In Atlanta, it (U.S. 278) runs along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway (Bankhead Highway), North Avenue, briefly along Piedmont Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue. Outside the Perimeter, U.S. 278 runs along Covington Highway. In Lithonia, Georgia, at the intersection with Turner Hill Road (S.R. 124), U.S. 278 merges with Interstate 20 for 15 miles. It leaves I-20 at exit 90, in Covington, Georgia.

U.S. 278 is co-signed with a state route for its entire length in Georgia, as are all U.S. highways in the Peach State. From the Alabama line into Lithia Springs, Georgia, it is cosigned with S.R. 6. From Lithia Springs through Atlanta, it is merged with U.S. Route 78/S.R. 8. In Atlanta, the federal highway merges further with other highways including S.R. 10 and U.S. Route 23 before splitting off at Ponce de Leon Ave. and East Lake Road in Decatur. In Avondale Estates, Georgia, S.R. 12 is paired with U.S. 278, all the way into Thomson, Georgia. There, the federal route merges with U.S. 78/S.R. 10 to the South Carolina line.

[edit] South Carolina

After crossing the Savannah River, U.S. 278 winds through a corner of the Savannah River Site. U.S. 278 ends at U.S. 278 Business in Hilton Head Island. Old U.S. 278 was routed along what is now U.S. 278 Business until 1998, when a new toll road, dubbed the Cross Island Parkway was built. U.S. 278 was routed along the new parkway. The completion of the "Gateway to Hilton Head", a direct expressway connection from the north side to the south side of the island, has caused a great amount of commercial and residential development along the road.