Mississippi Highway 26
Mississippi Highway 26 is a state highway in southern Mississippi. It runs from a continuation of Louisiana Highway 10 east through Pearl River, Stone, and George counties to MS 198 in Lucedale. Along the way it intersects several major highways including U.S. Route 11 in Poplarville, Interstate 59 in Poplarville, and US 49 in Wiggins.
In late September, 2021, a section of MS 26 east of Benndale collapsed due to heavy rains from Hurricane Ida and killed three people.
Route description
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. 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 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 before leaving Poplarville and crossing the Wolf River. The highway travels through rural woodlands before entering Stone County.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.
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.
The entire length of Mississippi Highway 26 is a rural two-lane highway.