The Mississippi River Trail (abbreviated MRT ) is a designated bicycle and pedestrian trail that traverses the shores of the Mississippi River in the United States . The trail extends from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to near the mouth of the river in Venice, Louisiana . Much of the trail’s 3,000 miles (4,800 km) follows roadways used by motor vehicles, although some of the route is on multi-use trails. The segment in Minnesota has been designated as U.S. Bicycle Route 45 ( USBR 45 ), part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System .
35-564: The Mississippi River Trail route marker is based on a 2012 design that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has allowed several states, including Illinois , Kentucky , and Tennessee , to use as U.S. Bicycle Route markers. The design features a green background with a white triangle and a bicycle symbol. However, the Mississippi River Trail's marker bears the abbreviation "MRT" in place of
70-486: A detailed section by section guide of the Wisconsin route complete with road maps, services, campgrounds and route descriptions. The trail enters Obion County from Kentucky along State Route 157 (SR 157) and then turns right onto SR 22 traveling southwesterly. The trail goes along the eastern boundary of Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge . Near Samburg , the trail turns right onto SR 21 and follows
105-500: A devastating tornado destroyed much of the town. Samburg is located at 36°22′48″N 89°21′8″W / 36.38000°N 89.35222°W / 36.38000; -89.35222 (36.379990, -89.352253). According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km ), of which 0.6 square miles (1.6 km ) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km ) (26.51%)
140-552: A new collection of innovations to champion every two years that merit accelerated deployment. Among the approaches promoted by the EDC effort are: adaptive traffic control to reduce fuel consumption and improve travel time reliability ; alternative intersection design; prefabricated bridge elements and systems; high-friction surface treatments; warm mix asphalt; ultra-high-performance concrete; virtual public involvement; and time-saving strategies such as rapid bridge replacement . Since
175-597: A numeric route designation. The portion of the Mississippi River Trail in Minnesota was designated as U.S. Bicycle Route 45 in 2013. Long-range plans call for the rest of the MRT to be designated as USBR 45, and for the southernmost segment near New Orleans to be concurrently designated as USBR 51 . By the time the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) successfully proposed designating
210-551: A question based on the LTPP data. In 2010, FHWA launched the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative to identify and deploy innovations to reduce project delivery time, enhance safety, and protect the environment. EDC is a state-based model that rapidly deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations. FHWA works with State transportation departments, local governments, tribes, private industry, and other stakeholders to identify
245-406: Is divided into three sections: Northern, Central, and Southern. In some locations trails are along both sides of the river. The MRT begins at Itasca State Park , near the headwaters of the river. Itasca State Park also contains more than 20 miles (32 km) of paved biking trails. After it leaves the park, the MRT winds north along the river, traversing county roads to the city of Bemidji . Here
280-462: Is water. Samburg is part of the Union City , TN– KY Micropolitan Statistical Area . As of the census of 2000, there were 260 people, 104 households, and 69 families residing in the town. The population density was 428.2 inhabitants per square mile (165.3/km ). There were 161 housing units at an average density of 265.2 units per square mile (102.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of
315-685: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is used by most highway agencies in the United States. The MUTCD provides such standards as the size, color and height of traffic signs , traffic signals and road surface markings . Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) is a program supported by the FHWA to collect and analyse road data. The LTPP program was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of
350-522: The Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge . The trail turns left onto Chisholm Lake Road, right onto Craig School Road (turning into Turkey Hill Road), and then left onto SR 19 . Then the trail turns right onto Lightfoot Luckett Road then right onto SR 87 , then left onto SR 371 . The trail turns right onto Cooper Creek Road and then right onto U.S. Route 51 (US 51), crossing into Tipton County over
385-476: The Hatchie River . Continuing south along US 51, the trail turns right onto Leigh's Chapel Road, left onto Flat Iron Road (turning into Simmons Street), right onto Murphy Avenue (turning into Bride Road), left onto Garland Drive, and right onto Garland Detroit Road (turning into Detroit Road, then Jamestown Road, then Randolph Road), following the top ridge of the 2nd Chickasaw Bluff . Passing through
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#1732782324222420-634: The National Research Council (NRC) in the early 1980s. The FHWA with the cooperation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sponsored the program. As a result of this program, the FHWA has collected a huge database of road performance. The FHWA and the ASCE hold an annual contest known as LTPP International Data Analysis Contest , which is based on challenging researchers to answer
455-545: The American Association for Highway Improvement was organized. Funding came from automobile registration, and taxes on motor fuels, as well as state aid. By 1914, there were 2.4 million miles of rural dirt rural roads; 100,000 miles had been improved with grading and gravel, and 3,000 miles were given high-quality surfacing. The rapidly increasing speed of automobiles, and especially trucks, made maintenance and repair high-priority items. In 1915, OPR's name
490-767: The Federal Lands Highway Program (sometimes called "direct fed"), the FHWA provides highway design and construction services for various federal land-management agencies, such as the Forest Service and the National Park Service . In addition to these programs, the FHWA performs and sponsors research in the areas of roadway safety, congestion, highway materials and construction methods, and provides funding to local technical assistance program centers to disseminate research results to local highway agencies. The FHWA also publishes
525-647: The Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by the Office of Road Inquiry , Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads . With the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners
560-693: The Harbortown neighborhood. Then the trail turns left onto A.W. Willis Avenue over Wolf River Harbor, right onto Front Street (passing next to the Pyramid Arena ), passes under I-40 and the Hernando De Soto Bridge , turns right onto Jefferson Avenue, and left onto Riverside Drive, entering Downtown Memphis . From here, the trail continues south on Riverside Drive, passing by Mud Island , the MATA Trolley riverfront loop, and
595-546: The MRT as USBR 45, planning for the trail was already well underway. Local trail partners did not want to spend additional funds and weaken the MRT brand by installing the USBR signs – a requirement for USBR designation – alongside the MRT signs. MnDOT secured approval from the Federal Highway Administration to display only the MRT shield for the time being. The trail
630-771: The MRT passes through several smaller cities before reaching Lake Pepin . The route passes through Wabasha and Winona on its way to the Wisconsin state line. The Wisconsin section of the MRT begins at Prescott and continues along the eastern side of the river all the way to Illinois. The section north of Prairie du Chien primarily follows the Great River Road , while the section south follows various state and county highways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has prepared an online publication, The Great River Road Mississippi River Trail Bicycle Map: A Guide for Cycling Along Wisconsin's Great River , which offers
665-660: The Memphis-Arkansas bridge from E.H. Crump park has been documented. Construction has been completed on a multi-use trail for pedestrians and cyclists along the north side of the Harahan bridge. Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration ( FHWA ) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs,
700-763: The Northaven area and crossing over the Loosahatchie River into the Frayser community of Memphis . Once in Memphis, the route turns right onto Millington Road, right onto Carrolton Road, left onto Benjestown Road, and right onto Whitney Avenue, passing by General DeWitt Spain Airport and over the Wolf River . The trail turns south onto North Mud Island Road (turning into Island Drive) and passes through
735-911: The South Bluffs neighborhood. The trail goes along the paths in Tom Lee Park and the Riverwalk Trail system in Downtown Memphis. After this, the official trail is unclear. According to the MRT website, the trail travels under the Harahan Bridge and the Frisco Bridge , up the side of the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, and onto a sidewalk on the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge . A route following the South side of
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#1732782324222770-530: The direction of the Secretary of Transportation and Deputy Secretary of Transportation . The internal organization of the FHWA is as follows: Samburg, Tennessee Samburg is a town in Obion County , Tennessee , United States. The population was 210 at the 2020 census . Samburg is located on the eastern shores of Reelfoot Lake . On the night of December 10 and morning of December 11, 2021
805-527: The inception of EDC, each state has used 26 or more of the 57 innovations and some states have deployed more than 45. Many of these practices have become mainstream practices across the country. The Federal Highway Administration is overseen by an administrator appointed by the President of the United States by and with the consent of the United States Senate . The administrator works under
840-502: The main trail connects to a number of city and regional trails. From Bemidji, the MRT heads southeast along the Paul Bunyan Trail , a state-developed rail-trail conversion. This 100-mile-long (160 km) paved trail extends from Bemidji to Brainerd . From Brainerd, the MRT follows county roads, some with marked bike lanes and some with paved shoulders, through the cities of Little Falls and St. Cloud . South of St. Cloud,
875-763: The new U.S. Department of Transportation . The FHWA took over the functions of the Bureau of Public Roads the following year. The FHWA's role in the Federal-aid Highway Program is to oversee federal funds to build and maintain the National Highway System (primarily Interstate highways , U.S. highways and most state highways). This funding mostly comes from the federal gasoline tax and mostly goes to state departments of transportation . The FHWA oversees projects using these funds to ensure that federal requirements for project eligibility, contract administration and construction standards are adhered to. Under
910-646: The organization was once again named the Bureau of Public Roads; it was placed under the Department of Commerce . From 1917 through 1941, 261,000 miles of highways were built with $ 3.17 billion in federal aid and $ 2.14 billion in state and local funds. The Federal Highway Administration was created on October 15, 1966, along with the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety and the National Highway Safety Bureau (now known as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ), as part of
945-455: The ridge of the 3rd Chickasaw Bluff and passes through Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park . In the community of Shelby Forest, Tennessee , the trail turns right onto Benjestown Road, right onto Island Forty Road (turning into Ramsey Road), and right back onto Benjestown Road. Then the trail turns left onto South Circle Road (turning into East Circle Road), right onto Northaven Drive, and right onto SR 388 (North Watkins Street), passing through
980-515: The south shore of Reelfoot Lake . It also passes near Reelfoot Lake State Park . The trail enters into Lake County and turns left onto Bluebank Road, right onto Wynnburg–Keefe Road, left onto Madie Church to Keefe Road, right onto Madie Thompson Road, left onto Madie Road, and right onto Gratio Road, entering the town of Ridgely, Tennessee . Through Ridgely, the trail travels along Poplar Street, Main Street, and Depot Street (Levee Road). From here,
1015-620: The surroundings become more urban as the rider approaches the Twin Cities , Minneapolis and St. Paul . The route through the two cities passes the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area that includes St. Anthony Falls , Minnehaha Falls Regional Park , and Fort Snelling State Park , among other protected areas and parks. In Minneapolis, MRT segments appropriate the established Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway trails and Minnehaha Trail . South of St. Paul,
1050-649: The town of Randolph, Tennessee , the trail turns right onto Needham Road and right onto SR 59 . The trail then turns south onto Richardson Landing road, turns right onto Pryor Road (turning into Bluff Road), and makes a left in order to stay on Bluff Road. The trail turns right onto Quito–Drummonds Road and right onto Ray Bluff Road, entering Shelby County . The trail continues south along Ray Bluff Road (turning into New Bethel Road), right onto Bass Road, right again onto New Bethel Road, right onto West Union Road, right onto Herring Hill Road, and straight onto Riverbluff Road (turning into Bluff Road). The trail travels along
1085-449: The town was 99.62% White , and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population. There were 104 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who
Mississippi River Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-542: The trail travels along SR 181 , also known as Great River Road. The trail enters Dyer County and crosses over Interstate 155 (I-155). It continues south on SR 181 for several miles until it crosses over the Forked Deer River and into Lauderdale County, Tennessee . From here, the trail continues east on SR 88 and turns right onto Porter's Gap Road. Then the trail turns right onto Edith–Nankipoo Road and right onto Hobe Webb Road, traveling near
1155-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males. The median income for
1190-665: Was changed to the Bureau of Public Roads . The following year, federal aid was first made available to improve post roads and promote general commerce: $ 75 million over five years, issued through the BPR in cooperation with the state highway departments. In 1939, BPR was renamed to the Public Roads Administration (PRA) and shifted to the Federal Works Agency . After the FWA was abolished in 1949,
1225-430: Was increasingly inadequate. In 1893, the federal Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was founded; in 1905, it was renamed the Office of Public Roads (OPR) and made a division of the United States Department of Agriculture . Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and modernize dirt roads designed for horse-drawn wagon traffic. In 1910,
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