In late September a section of MS 26 six miles (9.7 km) east of Benndale collapsed due to heavy rains from Hurricane Ida and killed three people.
Route description
Sign for MS 26 eastbound
MS 26 begins in Pearl River County at the Louisiana state line at a bridge over the Pearl River, where it continues west across the bridge into Bogalusa as Louisiana Highway 10 (LA 10). It heads east through woodlands for a couple miles to pass through the community of Crossroads, where it has an intersection with MS 43, before passing through rural for the next several miles, where it crosses White Sand Creek. The highway travels through the suburb of West Poplarville before entering the town of Poplarville, bypassing downtown to the south as it has an intersection with US 11 (where it becomes concurrent (overlapped) with MS 53) and crosses a bridge over some railroad tracks. MS 26 now passes through a business district, where MS 53 splits off, before having an interchange with I-59 (Exit 29) before leaving Poplarville and crossing the Wolf River. The highway travels through rural woodlands before entering Stone County.
Typical scenery along Mississippi Highway 26
MS 26 travels through a mix of farmland and wooded areas for several miles to cross Black Creek before entering the town of Wiggins. It passes through some neighborhoods before passing by the town's airport and having an interchange with US 49. The highway passes through more neighborhoods as Central Avenue before passing along the southern edge of downtown as it has an interchange between MS 29 and MS 149. MS 26 passes through more neighborhoods before leaving Wiggins and traveling through farmland for the next several miles. The highway passes through the community of Whites Crossing before traveling through the southern portion of De Soto National Forest, where it has an intersection with the southern section of MS 15, before entering George County.
The Pascagoula River bridge along MS 26 eastbound
MS 26 crosses Cypress Creek before traveling through the community of Benndale, where it has a junction with MS 57. It now crosses the Pascagoula River, and passes through the community of Crossroads, before having an interchange with MS 63 to enter the town of Lucedale along Winter Street. The highway passes through a business district, where it has an intersection with Old Highway 63 before entering downtown, where it comes to an end at an intersection with MS 198 (Main Street).
The entire length of Mississippi Highway 26 is a rural two-lane highway.[2]
History
On August 31, 2021, two people were killed and at least ten others were injured when their vehicles plunged into a deep hole on a collapsed section of Highway 26 nearly six miles east of Benndale. Heavy rains from Hurricane Ida caused the highway to collapse.[3] On September 11, 2021, one of the others injured died bringing the death toll to three.[4][5] By late September, the Department of Transportation announced that a geotechnical review was finished and that a company will be chosen by early October to repair the damage.[5] On Thursday, October 7, the Department of Transportation awarded a $1.8 million contract to T.L. Wallace Construction, of Columbia. The road is expected to be opened in early winter 2021, and totally complete by early 2022.[6]
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