Interstate 59 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Slidell, Louisiana

The first 11 miles of I-59 lie within Saint Tammany Parish. The freeway begins at the junction of two other mainline interstate freeways at its southern terminus--Interstate 10, which brings traffic into Slidell from both New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (including Bay St. Louis and Gulfport) and Interstate 12, which runs from Slidell to Baton Rouge. I-12 crosses I-55 at Hammond, midway between Slidell and Baton Rouge.

Answer: John C. Stennis Space Center

Located in Hancock County, Mississippi, and originally known as the Mississippi Test Facility, the John C. Stennis Space Center is named in honor of the U.S. Senator who served the state from 1947 until 1989. Stennis has been used primarily as an engine-test facility during both the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Exit 1, for Nicholson, is also the exit for Stennis.

Answer: Evelyn Gandy

A native of Hattiesburg who obtained her degree in law from Ole Miss, Evelyn Gandy was the first woman to be elected to the positions of state treasurer, insurance commissioner, and lieutenant governor. She also ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1979 and 1983. Evelyn Gandy Parkway carries Mississippi state highway 42 into the community of Petal, a suburb of Hattiesburg.

Answer: A sharp S-curve

The dreaded S-curve featured some of the lowest speeds posted on a mainline interstate freeway. Beginning at Exit 95 A-B (16th Avenue), the speed limit dropped from 70 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour. After negotiating the S-curve, which also contained Exit 95-C (Beacon Street), the speed limit increased to 50 approaching Exits 96-A (Masonite Road and 4th Avenue) and 96-B (Cook Street). The speed zone ended beyond Exit 97 (Chantilly Street and US 84 East to Waynesboro).

The S-curve is being replaced by a new bridge and roadway segment that will allow traffic to move more swiftly through Laurel. Work began on the new roadway in 2006, with completion slated for 2009.

Answer: Meridian

Meridian is the last of three major cities along I-59's route in Mississippi (Laurel and Hattiesburg being the other two). I-20 runs across the central part of the state, connecting Meridian to the state capital at Jackson and to Vicksburg, which sits on the east bank of the Mississippi River. I-59's exit numbering is used in this multiplexed stretch, beginning at Exit 149, near Meridian's airport, on the west side of town.

Answer: Tuscaloosa

I-359 runs concurrently with Alabama state highway 69 from I-59 (at Exit 71) north into Tuscaloosa. At 2.3 miles, it is the shorter of the two spurs.

Answer: I-459

Opened in 1984, I-459 is the southern bypass for Birmingham. It passes near or through several communities, including Bessemer, Hoover, and Mountain Brook. The bypass begins at Exit 106 of the I-20/I-59 multiplex and ends at Exit 137, seven miles away from the point at which I-20 breaks from I-59 and heads east for Atlanta.

Answer: Gadsden

I-759 runs for 4.5 miles from I-59 into Gadsden, which is the seat of Etowah County. The city of over 37,000 inhabitants was for many years known as an industrial center, with steel and tires being its two biggest products.

Answer: I-24

The stretch of I-59 in Georgia is a little over 20 miles in length, making it just longer than the stretch of freeway in Louisiana. Traffic getting onto I-24 can head west to Nashville or east to Chattanooga.

Answer: 444 miles

Helping connect metropolitan New Orleans to points northeast of it, including the Pine Belt region of Mississippi and interior Alabama, I-59's length is contained mainly in Alabama (241 miles) and Mississippi (172 miles). It is an important commercial route, as well as a key evacuation route during hurricane season.