Writer Gets Right Of Way In His Memory

 JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has approved a portion of Mississippi Highway 30 to be named the William Faulkner Scenic Byway.

The William Faulkner Scenic Byway label will apply to a stretch of Highway 30 from its intersection with County Road 14 in Union County and County Road 229 in Lafayette County.

“This is a great way to pay tribute to an iconic Mississippian,” said Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert. “The Faulkner Scenic Byway will showcase the beauty of this part of our state which inspired so many of Faulkner’s stories.”

The Faulkner Scenic Byway is a 15 mile stretch of Mississippi Highway 30 located almost entirely in the Holly Springs National Forest. Several points of interest along the byway are the Tanglefoot Trail, the Puskus Lake Recreational Area and the Little Tallahatchie River. There are also a number of other locations more closely related to the writer near the byway such as Faulkner’s birthplace in New Albany and Faulkner’s grave in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

While MDOT has approved the designation of Mississippi 30 as the William Faulkner Scenic Byway, concurrence is required by the Mississippi Legislature in its 2015 session.

Through community-based consensus building and the development of partnerships, a balance is established between conservation and land use that not only heightens the experience of travelers, but also improves the quality of life and promotes economic development in the communities along the path of the designated byway.

The Mississippi Scenic Byways Program (MSBP) is a grassroots effort designed to increase the focus on Mississippi’s history and intrinsic resources. The intent of the program is to identify and designate highway, road and street corridors as scenic byways in an attempt to preserve, enhance and protect the state’s intrinsic resources for visitors and residents of the state.