At Cape Girardeau, the road crosses the Mississippi River
Illinois state highways are wide, two-lane roads with moderate traffic and no shoulders.
Most of the remainder of the route is on narrow two-lane country roads with no hard shoulders and very little traffic.
In western Kentucky, the route follows lightly traveled county roads over short, steep hills
The “Trace Road” through the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area is a two-lane road with no shoulders and light to moderate traffic.
No commercial vehicles are allowed and a speed limit of 45 mph is strictly enforced.
In Tennessee, the route is a grueling roller coaster, mostly on well-maintained two-lane county and state roads.
Near Shady Grove, the route joins the Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace offers two-lane roads with no shoulders and light traffic
The width of the route is 400 to 1,000 feet, with wider right-of-way areas of historical, scientific and recreational value.
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