Missouri Route 84

Route 84
Route information
Length	30.215 mi[1] (48.626 km)
Existed	1922 – present
Major junctions
West end	AR 90 at Arkansas state line
East end	I-155 / US 412 / Route Y south of Caruthersville
Highway system
Missouri State Highway System Interstate US State Supplemental ← Route 83 Route 85 →

Route 84 is a highway in the Missouri bootheel. It starts at the Arkansas state line west of Kennett and ends at Interstate 155/U.S. Route 412 south of Caruthersville.

Route description

Arkansas Highway 90 crosses into Missouri at Kennett and proceeds eastward. It crosses through the center of the city, passing north of the Kennett Memorial Airfield. Roughly 5 miles into its course, Route 84 becomes concurrent with US 412. The two highways serve as the southern terminus of Route 25 and, in Bragg City, parallel the southern border of the Little River Conservation Area. The roads remain concurrent until Hayti, when US 412 splits off to the southeast. Route 84 intersects a concurrency between US 61 and I-55 as it also turns towards the southeast.

As the highway approaches the Mississippi River and enters Caruthersville, it turns southward. It ultimately ends at I-155/US 412. Route 84's 30.1-mile path is located entirely within the Bootheel region and spans two counties: Dunklin and Pemiscot.^[2]

History

The route was designated in 1921 as part of the Centennial Road Law, which created a highway system for the state of Missouri. It started at the Arkansas state line and traveled east to Caruthersville, providing a route to St. Louis via Kennett and Poplar Bluff from Pemiscot County.^[3] A section from the Dunklin–Pemiscot county line to Hayti was being paved partially in concrete later that year, and did not finish until the next year.^[4] The route in Pemiscot County was completed by 1925, excluding the bridges over Little River,^[5] which were completed in 1926.^[6] By 1927, the route was used the most heavily by southeast Missouri traffic.^[7] The road was flooded during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 in April, from the Arkansas state line to Kennett.^[8] The waters receded about three months later,^[9] and the cost to repair the damage was $10,000 (1928 USD).^[10] The last unpaved section from Hayti to Caruthersville began paving in 1930.^[11] Two bridges were being constructed in 1931,^[12] and opened the year after.^[13] The route was widened to two lanes from Kennett to Hayti in 1934.^[14]

In 1957, a bypass around Caruthersville was being built to relieve traffic going through downtown. Known as Fair Boulevard (due to its vicinity to the American Legion Fairground, later renamed Truman Boulevard in 1979 to honor the late President Harry S Truman), Route 84 was rerouted to the new bypass as it was state maintained.^[15] The boulevard opened in the same year, improving traffic in the area.^[16] Markings were installed two years later.^[17] The five bridges over the Little River were replaced starting in 1965, at a cost of $802,442 (1965 USD).^[18] In 1969, an interchange at I-55 was being constructed.^[19]

Major intersections

Dunklin County Courthouse on Route 84 in Kennett

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Dunklin	​	0.000	0.000	AR 90	Arkansas border at St. Francis River, western terminus
	Kennett	2.998	4.825	Route O to US 412	Northern terminus of Route O
		3.044	4.899	Route E (Homecrest Street) to Route 25	Western terminus of Route E
		5.010– 5.035	8.063– 8.103	US 412	Western terminus of US 412 concurrency
		5.246	8.443	Route 25 (Independence Avenue) – Holcomb	Southern terminus of Route 25
		5.958	9.588	Route Z	Northern terminus of Route Z
	​	7.778	12.517	Route U	Southern terminus of Route U
Dunklin–Pemiscot county line	​	9.280	14.935	Route NN	Northern terminus of Route NN
Pemiscot	​	10.278	16.541	Route A – Bragg City	Southern terminus of Route A
	​	12.901	20.762	Route C – Deering	Northern terminus of Route C
	​	16.832	27.088	Route B / Route Z – Pascola, Braggadocio	Southern terminus of Route B; Northern terminus of Route Z
	​	19.321– 19.340	31.094– 31.125	US 412	Eastern terminus of US 412 concurrency
	Hayti	21.191	34.104	Route P (Third Street)	Southern terminus of Route P
		21.662	34.862	Route J – Braggadocio
		22.180– 22.276	35.695– 35.850	I-55 / US 61 – Sikeston, Blytheville, AR	I-55/US 61 Exit 19
	​	24.261	39.044	Route D
	Caruthersville	26.623	42.846	Route 84 Spur (Third Street)	Western terminus of Route 84 Spur
		28.199	45.382	Route U – Stubtown	Eastern terminus of Route U
		30.098– 30.215	48.438– 48.626	I-155 / US 412 / Route Y – Dyersburg, TN, Hayti	I-155/US 412 Exit 6; Northern terminus of Route Y; Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Route 84 Spur

Third Street
Location	Caruthersville, Missouri
Length	0.291 mi[1] (0.468 km)

A short unsigned spur of Route 84 is located in Caurthersville. Known as Third Street in the city, the route starts at Route 84 and travels southeastward to Grand Avenue and Laurant Avenue. State maintenance ends beyond Laurant Avenue, and the road continues as Third Street.^[1] The Caruthersville Water Tower is located southeast of the route's eastern terminus.^[20][21]

References