Interstate 55

Interstate 55
Interstate 55
	I-55 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	964.25 mi(1,551.81 km)
Existed	1957–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-10inLaPlace, LA
	I-12inHammond, LA; I-20/US 49inJackson, MS; I-69inHernando, MS; I-40/US 61/US 64/US 70/US 78/US 79inWest Memphis, AR; I-57/US 60inSikeston, MO; I-44/I-64/US 40inSt. Louis, MO; I-70/US 40fromEast St. LouistoTroy, IL; I-72/US 36inSpringfield, IL; I-74inBloomington, IL; I-39/US 51inNormal, IL; I-80inChannahon, IL; I-90/I-94inChicago, IL;
North end	US 41in Chicago, IL
Location
Country	United States
States	Louisiana,Mississippi,Tennessee,Arkansas,Missouri,Illinois
Highway system
	Interstate Highway System; Main; Auxiliary; Suffixed; Business; Future;

Interstate 55(I-55) is a majorInterstate Highwayin the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting theGulf of Mexicoto theGreat Lakes.The highway travels fromLaPlace, Louisiana,atI-10toChicago, Illinois,atU.S. Route 41(US 41,Lake Shore Drive), atMcCormick Place.The major cities that I-55 connects to are (from south to north)New Orleans, Louisiana;Jackson, Mississippi;Memphis, Tennessee;St. Louis, Missouri;and Chicago, Illinois.

The section of I-55 between Chicago and St. Louis was built as an alternate route forU.S. Route 66(US 66). The Interstate crosses theMississippi Rivertwice: once at Memphis and again at St. Louis.

History

When it was realized that a national highway system was needed, theFederal Aid Highway Act of 1956provided for a highway replacing the oldUS 66which I-55 filled. I-55 was originally constructed in the 1960s, to extend a section of US 66 betweenI-294andGardnerwhich had been converted into a freeway and had Interstate signage installed in 1960. During the rest of the 1960s, I-55 was built in portions throughout Illinois, eventually connectingSt. LouistoChicago,where it became the fourth direct route between them. As it goes southward, most of the Interstate was purpose-built during the 1960s and 1970s. The entire length was completed in 1979.

Route description

Lengths
	mi^[1]	km
LA	65.81	105.91
MS	290.41	467.37
TN	12.28	19.76
AR	72.22	116.22
MO	210.45	338.69
IL	293.80	472.72
Total	964.25	1,551.81

Louisiana

InLouisiana,I-55 runs nearly 66 miles (106 km) from south to north, fromI-10nearLaplace(25 miles (40 km) west ofNew Orleans) to theMississippistate line nearKentwood.Approximately a third of the distance consists of theManchac Swamp Bridge,a nearly 23-mile (37 km)causeway,often cited as the third-longest viaduct in the world.

Mississippi

InMississippi,I-55 runs 290.5 miles (467.5 km) from theLouisianaborder nearOsykatoSouthavenon theTennesseeborder, just south ofMemphis, Tennessee.Noteworthy cities and towns that I-55 passes through or close by to areBrookhaven,McComb,Jackson,andGrenada.This highway parallelsUS 51in its path roughly through the center of Mississippi. The eight miles (13 km) from Hernando to the Tennessee state line coincide with the newerI-69.

The Mississippi section of I-55 is defined in the Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.

Tennessee

I-55 in Tennessee lies entirely within the city ofMemphis,passing through the southern and western parts of the city and providing a bypass of downtown for motorists who do not want to takeI-240andI-40through downtown to cross the Mississippi River. The western portion of this highway, which passes through an industrialized section of the city, contains numerous low-clearance bridges and also a very tight 270-degree cloverleaf turn northbound at Crump Boulevard. TheTennessee Department of Transportation(TDOT) currently has an interchange improvement project for this portion. Heavy truck traffic heading to and from Arkansas in this area is hence directed to detour via I-240 and I-40.

For the Tennessee stretch of the Interstate, the usual national freewayspeed limitof 70 mph (110 km/h) is reduced to 65 mph (105 km/h).^[2]

Arkansas

I-55 splits from I-40 here inWest Memphisand heads north towardJonesboroand the Missouri border.

I-55 enters Arkansas from Tennessee as it crosses the Mississippi River on theMemphis & Arkansas Bridge.It overlaps I-40 for approximately 2.8 miles (4.5 km) inWest Memphis.After separating from I-40, I-55 turns northward and runs with US 61,US 63,and US 64 until US 64 exits in throughMarion.^[3]I-55/US 61/US 63 continues north throughCrittenden Countythrough rural farms of theArkansas delta,including an interchange withI-555/US 63 inTurrell.I-55 passes throughBlytheville,where it has a junction withHighway 18(AR 18) before entering Missouri.^[4]I-55 parallelsUS 61in its path through Arkansas, which it continues to do after crossing into Missouri.

Missouri

I-44/I-55/I-64/I-70 on one highway sign in downtown St. Louis

In Missouri, I-55 runs from the southeastern part of the state, at the Arkansas border, to St. Louis. In the southern part of the state, I-55 meetsI-57inSikeston.Then I-55 goes north to St. Louis, whereI-44merges in with I-55, and thenI-64(on thePoplar Street Bridge), when crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois.

Among the cities and towns served by I-55 in Missouri are Sikeston,Cape Girardeau,and St. Louis.

As noted above, I-55 parallels US 61 for most of its course through Missouri, from the Arkansas border to the southern portion ofSt. Louis County.

Illinois

Northern terminus at US 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago

Through Illinois, I-55 largely follows the 1940 alignment of the formerUS 66,now Historic US 66 (Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway). It runs from the Poplar Street Bridge inEast St. LouistoUS 41in Chicago, passing around the state capital ofSpringfieldand the metro area ofBloomington–Normal.

Within Illinois, I-55 goes by several names. Near theI-270/I-70split, it is referred to as the Paul Simon Freeway after former US SenatorPaul Simon,who began his political career in this region. Further north, between the St. Louis area and Springfield, I-55 is named the Vince Demuzio Expressway for former Illinois State SenatorVince Demuzio.Finally, in the Chicago area between theI-80interchange near Joliet and I-55's eastern terminus at US 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago, the expressway is referred to as theAdlai E. Stevenson Expressway(previously called theSouthwest Expressway) in honor of former Illinois governorAdlai E. Stevenson II,who was a two-time Democratic nominee for President of the United States and also the US Ambassador to theUnited Nationsunder PresidentsJohn F. KennedyandLyndon B. Johnson.In July 2018 the stretch of I-55 fromI-294to milemarker 202 near Pontiac was renamed asBarack Obama Presidential Expressway.^[5]

When the stretch of I-55 through Illinois was being planned during the 1960s, the state's governor,Otto Kerner Jr.,made an effort to have it routed close to the larger city ofPeoriainstead of the straighter route through the Bloomington–Normal area. This ultimately failed plan was ridiculed in the press as the so-called "Kerner Curve". The need for a freeway connection between Springfield and Peoria was later filled by the spur routeI-155.This also connects with nearbyLincolnandMortonand forms a triangle between the three population centers inCentral Illinois.^[6]

Junction list

Louisiana: I-10inLaPlace; US 51northeast of LaPlace. The highways travel concurrently toHammond.; I-12in Hammond; US 190in Hammond
Mississippi: US 98inMcComb.The highways travel concurrently toSummit.; US 84south-southwest ofBrookhaven; US 51inCrystal Springs.The highways travel concurrently toJackson.; I-20/US 49/US 51in Jackson. I-20/I-55/US 49 travel concurrently toRichland.; I-220inRidgeland; US 82inWinona; US 278inBatesville; I-69inHernando.The highways travel concurrently toMemphis, Tennessee.
Tennessee: US 51in Memphis; I-69/I-240in Memphis; US 61in Memphis; US 61/US 64/US 70/US 79in Memphis. I-55/US 61 travels concurrently toTurrell, Arkansas.I-55/US 64 travels concurrently toMarion, Arkansas.I-55/US 70/US 79 travels concurrently toWest Memphis, Arkansas.
Arkansas: I-40in West Memphis. The highways travel concurrently through West Memphis.; I-40/US 63/US 79in West Memphis. I-55/US 63 travels concurrently to Turrell.; I-555/US 61/US 63inTurrell, Arkansas.; US 61inBlytheville
Missouri: US 61east ofSteele.The highways travel concurrently toPortageville.; I-155/US 412inHayti; US 61/US 62inNew Madrid; US 61/US 62north of New Madrid; I-57/US 60on theSikeston–Minercity line; US 62in Miner; US 61inScott City.The highways travel concurrently toCape Cirardeau.; US 61in Cape Girardeau; US 61north-northeast ofJackson; US 61south-southeast ofFestus; US 67in Festus; I-255/I-270on theConcord–MehlvilleCDP line; US 50/US 61/US 67on the Concord–Green Park–Mehlville line; I-44on theMcKinley Heights–Soulard,St. Louisneighborhood line. The highways travel concurrently toDowntown St. Louis.; I-44/I-64/US 40in Downtown, St. Louis. I-55/I-64 travels concurrently toEast St. Louis, Illinois.I-55/US 40 travels concurrently toTroy, Illinois.
Illinois: I-64/I-70in East St. Louis. I-55/I-70 travels concurrently to northwest of Troy.; I-255inCollinsville; I-70/I-270northwest of Troy; I-72/US 36inSpringfield.The highways travel concurrently through Springfield.; I-155northwest ofLincoln; US 136southeast ofMcLean; I-74/US 51inBloomington.I-55/I-74 travels concurrently to northwest ofNormal.I-55/US 51 travels concurrently to Normal.; US 150in Bloomington; I-39/US 51in Normal; US 24inChenoa; US 6inChannahon; I-80in Channahon; US 52inShorewood; US 30inJoliet; I-355on theBolingbrook–Woodridgevillage line; I-294on theBurr Ridge–Indian Head Park–Countrysidevillage line; US 12/US 20/US 45on the Countryside–Hodgkinsvillage line; I-90/I-94inArmour Square,Chicago; US 41inNear South Side,Chicago