Mississippi Highway 315

Mississippi Highway 315
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length	78.174 mi (125.809 km)
Existed	1953–present
Major junctions
West end	US 49 / US 61 near Rich
Major intersections	MS 3 in Sledge US 51 in Sardis I-55 in Sardis in Panola County in Water Valley
East end	MS 9W in Paris
Location
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Counties	Coahoma, Quitman, Panola, Yalobusha, Lafayette
Highway system
Mississippi State Highway System Interstate US State
← MS 314 → MS 316

Mississippi Highway 315 (MS 315) is a 78.174-mile (125.809 km) long state highway located in northern Mississippi. The western terminus of the route is at US 49/US 61 near Rich in Coahoma County while the eastern terminus is at MS 9W near Paris in Lafayette County. Along the way, the highway passes over Sardis Dam east of the town of Sardis. It is a very rare east-west odd-numbered state highway, but it is signed north-south.

Route description

Mississippi Highway 3 northbound at its intersection with Mississippi Highway 315 in the town of Sledge, Located int the Mississippi Delta

MS 315 begins Mississippi Delta region at an intersection with US 49/US 61 near Rich in Coahoma County. The route heads east through flat farmland to cross into neighboring Quitman County, and it winds its way northeast have an intersection with MS 716 (Six Mile Lake Road) before crossing the Tallahatchie River and passing through the town of Sledge, intersecting MS 714 (Quitman Street) and MS 3.

The highway now enters Panola County and climbs some Loess bluffs out of the delta and into the North Central Hills. MS 315 travels through mostly wooded areas for the next several miles to enter the town of Sardis, where it has an intersection with US 51 before passing through downtown along Lee Street and having interchange with I-55 (Exit 252) shortly thereafter (where it becomes concurrent with MS 315 Scenic). The route leaves Sardis and winds its way east through woodlands for several miles to have its first split with MS 315 Scenic before passing alongside Sardis Dam through John W. Kyle State Park. MS 315 has an intersection with MS 35 to become concurrent (overlapped) with MS 315 Scenic for a second time for a short distance before passing along a short portion of the dam and traveling by some marinas. The highway now heads southeast through woodlands to become concurrent with westbound traffic on MS 6/US 278 for a few miles before turning southeast to enter Lafayette County.

The portion of the highway between Sardis Dam and the end of the concurrency with MS 6/US 278 is poorly signed.

MS 315 travels through a mix of farmland and wooded areas for several miles to have an intersection with MS 328 and crosses the Yocona River (at the northernmost reaches of Enid Lake) before entering neighboring Yalobusha County. The highway enters the Water Valley city limits, immediately becoming concurrent with MS 7 south, bypassing the majority of the town along its western side. MS 315 breaks off and follows MS 32 east for a short distance before following S Main Street back into town, where it makes a right onto Blackmur Drive at the southern edge of the historic downtown area. The highway now leaves Water Valley and- heads east up a narrow valley along the banks of Otoucalofa Creek for several miles to re-enter Lafayette County and come to an end shortly thereafter at an intersection with MS 9W in the community Paris.

The entire route of MS 315, excluding the concurrencies with MS 6/US 278 and MS 7 (which are both divided four-lane highways), as well as a short undivided four-lane section between US 51 and I-55 in Sardis, is a rural two-lane.

Scenic route

Mississippi Highway 315
Location	Batesville - Sardis
Length	20.4 mi (32.8 km)

Mississippi Highway 315 Scenic (MS 315 Scenic) is a 20.4-mile-long (32.8 km) scenic route of MS 315 in Panola County, Mississippi. It connects the town of Batesville with John W. Kyle State Park, as well as connect MS 315 with Sardis Dam.

MS 315 Scenic crossing Sardis Dam, as viewed from Arty R. Tapp Overlook

MS 315 Scenic begins at an intersection between MS 35 and US 51 in the northern part of the city of Batesville. It heads west, concurrent (overlapped) with MS 35, along James Street through a neighborhood for about a block before turning right onto Broadway Street on the north side of downtown. The highway parallels the Tallahatchie River and a railroad as it travels northeast through an industrial area for a couple of miles to an interchange with I-55 (Exit 246), where the highway leaves the Batesville city limits and passes by the Panola County Airport and crosses Hotopha Creek. MS 35/MS 315 Scenic heads northeast through farmland for several up a narrow valley to enter John W. Kyle State Park, where they travel along the southern shore of Lower Lake and pass by several businesses to come to an intersection with MS 315, where MS 35 ends and MS 315 Scenic follows MS 315 south to gain elevation as they climb towards the top of Sardis Dam. MS 315 Scenic now breaks off along its own path at another intersection and passes northwestward along the very top of Sardis Dam for a little over too miles, passing by the Arty R. Tapp Overlook, Beach Point Public Use Area, and the John W. Kyle State Park Lodge, all the while offering stunning views of Sardis Lake. MS 315 Scenic makes a sharp left turn at Spillway Road, which leads to the Mallard Pointe Golf Course and the Sardis Lake Field Office (as well as other portions of the state park), and winds its way down the side of the dam, parallel to its spillway, for about a mile to a wooded portion of the valley, where MS 315 Scenic comes to another intersection with MS 315. They become concurrent and wind their way west through hilly woodlands to leave the state park and enter the town of Sardis, where they come to another interchange with I-55 (Exit 252), where MS 315 Scenic ends and mainline MS 315 continues west (signed north) into downtown.

I-55 at its interchange with MS 315 and MS 315 Scenic (Exit 252) in Sardis

The entire length of Mississippi Highway 315 Scenic is a two-lane highway.

The entire route is in Panola County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Batesville	0.0	0.0	US 51 / MS 35 south – Sardis, Courtland, Pope	Southern terminus; southern end of MS 35 concurrency
			Broadway Street – Downtown Batesville	Former MS 35
			I-55 – Grenada, Memphis	I-55 exit 246
John W. Kyle State Park			MS 315 north – Sardis MS 35 ends	Northern terminus of MS 35; southern end of MS 315 concurrency
			MS 315 south to MS 6 / US 278 – Water Valley, Oxford	Northern end of MS 315 concurrency
			Spillway Road – Mallard Point Golf Course, Sardis Lake Field Office
			MS 315 south – Lower Lake Recreation Area, Batesville	Southern end of MS 315 concurrency
Sardis	20.4	32.8	I-55 – Grenada, Memphis MS 315 north (E Lee Street) to US 51 – Downtown Sardis	I-55 exit 252; northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Coahoma	​	0.0	0.0	US 49 / US 61 / Great River Road – Tunica, Clarksdale, Helena, AR	Western (signed southern) terminus
Quitman	​	13.0	20.9	MS 716 west (Six Mile Lake Road)	Eastern terminus of MS 716
	Sledge	15.9	25.6	MS 714 east (Quitman Street)	Western terminus of MS 714
		16.6	26.7	MS 3 (Charley Pride Highway) – Marks, Crenshaw
Panola	Sardis	33.6	54.1	US 51 – Como, Batesville
		35.2	56.6	I-55 – Memphis, Grenada MS 315 Scenic begins	I-55 exit 252; northern terminus of MS 315 Scenic; western end of MS 315 Scenic concurrency
	John W. Kyle State Park	41.5	66.8	MS 315 Scenic south – John W. Kyle State Park Lodge, Mallard Point Golf Course, Sardis Dam, Beach Point	Eastern end of MS 315 Scenic concurrency
		43.6	70.2	MS 35 south / MS 315 Scenic south – Batesville	Northern terminus of MS 35; western end of MS 315 Scenic concurrency
		43.9	70.7	MS 315 Scenic north – Arty R. Tapp Overlook, Sardis Dam, Beach Point	Eastern end of MS 315 concurrency
	​	50.2	80.8	US 278 east / MS 6 east – Oxford	Western end of US 278/MS 6 concurrency
	​	52.6	84.7	US 278 west / MS 6 west – Batesville	Interchange; eastern end of US 278/MS 6 concurrency
Lafayette	​	60.3	97.0	MS 328 east	Western terminus of MS 328
Yalobusha	Water Valley	65.6	105.6	MS 7 north – Water Valley, OxfordModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated	Western end of MS 7 concurrency
	​	68.4	110.1	MS 7 south / MS 32 west – Coffeeville, Oakland	Eastern end of MS 7 concurrency; Western end of MS 32 concurrency
	Water Valley	69.0	111.0	MS 32 east (Main Street) – Bruce	Eastern end of MS 32 concurrency
Lafayette	Paris	82.3	132.4	MS 9W / MS 812 east – Oxford, Bruce, Paris	Eastern (signed northern) terminus; western terminus of MS 812
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus