Tennessee State Route 18
Encyclopedia
State Route 18 is a primary state highway
in south-central West Tennessee
. SR 18 is a two-lane facility throughout the majority of its length through the state with the exception being in Bolivar, Tennessee
. SR 18 has a short concurrency with US 64 and also with SR 125
at Bolivar.
SR 18 begins in extreme southeastern Fayette County in West Tennessee
at the northern terminus of Mississippi Highway 7, approximately 1.2 miles north of Michigan City, Mississippi
as a rural two lane route. This route continues in a northeasterly direction through rural Fayette County and briefly overlaps SR 57
at the communities of La Grange
and Grand Junction
near the Hardeman county line.
Hardeman County
At Bolivar, SR 18 continues its northeasterly trek through the city as Tennessee Street and is also overlapped with US 64. SR 18 is a four-lane undivided highway while overlapped with US 64 and passes nearby the site of the Western State Mental Health Institute on the western outskirts of the city. At the Hardeman County Courthouse, SR 18 breaks away from US 64 and turns left on North Main Street. Also at this location, SR 125
begins a 3.12 miles (5 km) hidden overlap with SR 18 at the courthouse. Outside the Bolivar city limits
, SR 18/SR 125 continue north through the Hatchie River
bottoms before reaching the community of Shandy. At Shandy, the SR 18 & SR 125 overlap ends with SR 125 turning north on Silerton Road toward Chickasaw State Park
. SR 18 in northern Hardeman County traverses sparsely populated farmland and swampland and intersects with SR 138 and SR 100
. The junction of SR 18 & SR 100 is a grade-separated
diamond interchange
where SR 18 expands briefly to a four-lane divided highway. North of this intersection, SR 18 resumes its northbound routing towards Jackson
as a rural two-lane highway.
Madison County
SR 18 continues as a two-lane route through rural southwestern Madison County and passes through the community of Medon
and Malesus just south of the Jackson city limits. In Jackson, the route ends at an expansive signalized intersection with US 45 and hidden SR 5
, known locally as South Highland Avenue.
.
SR 18 roughly follows the original route of the Mississippi Central Railroad
.
is currently underway to determine the feasibility of widening SR 18 from its current two-lane status to a divided four-lane highway. This work is part of a larger effort by TDOT
to widen SR 18 from Bolivar north to Jackson as directed in House Joint Resolution 16 of the 98th Tennessee General Assembly
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in south-central West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
. SR 18 is a two-lane facility throughout the majority of its length through the state with the exception being in Bolivar, Tennessee
Bolivar, Tennessee
Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat of Hardeman County. The town was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. Bolivar...
. SR 18 has a short concurrency with US 64 and also with SR 125
Tennessee State Route 125
Tennessee State Route 125 is a State Route in southwestern Tennessee in Hardeman County. It begins in the center of Bolivar, Tennessee and travels southward for a total of approximately twenty miles to its end at the Tennessee/Mississippi state line, where it continues as Mississippi Highway...
at Bolivar.
Route description
Fayette CountySR 18 begins in extreme southeastern Fayette County in West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
at the northern terminus of Mississippi Highway 7, approximately 1.2 miles north of Michigan City, Mississippi
Michigan City, Mississippi
Michigan City is a community in Benton County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along Mississippi Highway 7 in north central Benton County, just south of the Tennessee state line, approximately three miles north of U. S. Route 72. Michigan City has a post office, with the ZIP code of 38647....
as a rural two lane route. This route continues in a northeasterly direction through rural Fayette County and briefly overlaps SR 57
Tennessee State Route 57
Tennessee State Route 57 is an east–west highway that runs from Memphis to the Mississippi state line near Pickwick Dam and Pickwick Landing State Park. Except for in Shelby County, SR 57 is a two lane road generally with a speed limit...
at the communities of La Grange
La Grange, Tennessee
La Grange is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 136 at the 2000 census. The town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as La Grange Historic District.-Geography:...
and Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Tennessee
Grand Junction is a city in Fayette and Hardeman counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 301 at the 2000 census, and is currently 321. Grand Junction runs along Tennessee State Route 57, and is bordered to the west by Tennessee State Route 18 . Approximately ten miles to the...
near the Hardeman county line.
Hardeman County
At Bolivar, SR 18 continues its northeasterly trek through the city as Tennessee Street and is also overlapped with US 64. SR 18 is a four-lane undivided highway while overlapped with US 64 and passes nearby the site of the Western State Mental Health Institute on the western outskirts of the city. At the Hardeman County Courthouse, SR 18 breaks away from US 64 and turns left on North Main Street. Also at this location, SR 125
Tennessee State Route 125
Tennessee State Route 125 is a State Route in southwestern Tennessee in Hardeman County. It begins in the center of Bolivar, Tennessee and travels southward for a total of approximately twenty miles to its end at the Tennessee/Mississippi state line, where it continues as Mississippi Highway...
begins a 3.12 miles (5 km) hidden overlap with SR 18 at the courthouse. Outside the Bolivar city limits
City limits
The terms city limits and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limits is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limits/boundary and village limits/boundary mean the same as city limits/boundary, but apply to towns and villages...
, SR 18/SR 125 continue north through the Hatchie River
Hatchie River
The Hatchie River is a stream in northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. It is of considerable geographic, cultural, and historic significance. In large measure this is because it is the only major stream of West Tennessee that has never been impounded, channelized, or otherwise...
bottoms before reaching the community of Shandy. At Shandy, the SR 18 & SR 125 overlap ends with SR 125 turning north on Silerton Road toward Chickasaw State Park
Chickasaw State Park (Tennessee)
Chickasaw State Park is a state park located in Chester County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The park consists of 1,280 acres amidst a 14,384 acres state forest, and includes Lake Placid and some of West Tennessee's highest areas.-External links:*...
. SR 18 in northern Hardeman County traverses sparsely populated farmland and swampland and intersects with SR 138 and SR 100
Tennessee State Route 100
State Route 100 is a west–east route that connects Whiteville, Tennessee with Belle Meade, Tennessee.- Route description :Once it leaves SR-15, State Route 100 passes south of Whiteville along with US-64. Then SR-100 passes through an interchange with US-64 and SR-15 and leaves Whiteville...
. The junction of SR 18 & SR 100 is a grade-separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
where SR 18 expands briefly to a four-lane divided highway. North of this intersection, SR 18 resumes its northbound routing towards Jackson
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
as a rural two-lane highway.
Madison County
SR 18 continues as a two-lane route through rural southwestern Madison County and passes through the community of Medon
Medon, Tennessee
Medon is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. It is included in the Jackson, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Medon is located at ....
and Malesus just south of the Jackson city limits. In Jackson, the route ends at an expansive signalized intersection with US 45 and hidden SR 5
Tennessee State Route 5
State Route 5 is a major south–north highway in West Tennessee. SR 5 is long and, except for the section north of Union City, is overlapped with US 45 & 45W.-Route description:...
, known locally as South Highland Avenue.
Counties traversed
SR 18 traverses the following counties, south to north, shown in the table below.| County | miles | kilometers |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 5.54 | 8.92 |
| Hardeman | 30.98 | 49.86 |
| Madison | 9.83 | 15.82 |
History
Little has changed along SR 18 since its designation as a state route. Prior to 1981, SR 18 had one alternate route near Grand Junction which was originally signed as State Route 18A. This entire route was renamed to what is now known as Tennessee State Route 368Tennessee State Route 368
Tennessee State Route 368 is a Tennessee designated state route in Grand Junction, Tennessee. It is approximately 1.7 miles long. It begins as a fork in the road from Tennessee State Route 18 and travels nearly due south, intercepting Old Grand Junction Road and Summit Street. From this point it...
.
SR 18 roughly follows the original route of the Mississippi Central Railroad
Mississippi Central Railroad
Mississippi Central Railroad may refer to:*Mississippi Central Railroad , a line from Oxford, Mississippi to Grand Junction, Tennessee owned by Pioneer Railcorp...
.
Future
In Hardeman County, an Environmental Impact StatementEnvironmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
is currently underway to determine the feasibility of widening SR 18 from its current two-lane status to a divided four-lane highway. This work is part of a larger effort by TDOT
Tennessee Department of Transportation
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in aviation, public transit, waterways and railroads...
to widen SR 18 from Bolivar north to Jackson as directed in House Joint Resolution 16 of the 98th Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Intersects | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| begins at Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... State Line. |
||||
| Fayette | La Grange La Grange, Tennessee La Grange is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 136 at the 2000 census. The town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as La Grange Historic District.-Geography:... |
3.97 | ||
| 4.25 | To Pickwick Landing State Park Pickwick Landing State Park Pickwick Landing State Park is a state park in Hardin County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. The park is situated around the Pickwick Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River, and is named for Pickwick Landing, a 19th-century riverboat stop.-External links:* — official... |
|||
| Hardeman | Grand Junction Grand Junction, Tennessee Grand Junction is a city in Fayette and Hardeman counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 301 at the 2000 census, and is currently 321. Grand Junction runs along Tennessee State Route 57, and is bordered to the west by Tennessee State Route 18 . Approximately ten miles to the... |
6.27 | (Old SR 18 ALT) | |
| Bolivar Bolivar, Tennessee Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat of Hardeman County. The town was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. Bolivar... |
22.92 | Begin US 64 Overlap. | ||
| 23.63 | Overlap with US 64 ends at Main Street. Hidden overlap with SR 125 begins. | |||
| 26.75 | Overlap with SR 125 ends. To Chickasaw State Park Chickasaw State Park (Tennessee) Chickasaw State Park is a state park located in Chester County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The park consists of 1,280 acres amidst a 14,384 acres state forest, and includes Lake Placid and some of West Tennessee's highest areas.-External links:*... |
|||
| 30.00 | ||||
| 32.46 | ||||
| Madison | Medon Medon, Tennessee Medon is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. It is included in the Jackson, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Medon is located at .... |
39.52 | Riverside Drive | |
| Jackson Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area... |
47.06 | Northern terminus of SR 18. | ||