Interstate 20

Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Route information
Length	1,539.38 mi(2,477.39 km)
Existed	1957–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-10inReeves County, TX
	I-30inAledo, TX; I-35WinFort Worth, TX; I-35EinDallas, TX; I-45in Dallas, TX; I-49inShreveport, LA; I-55inJackson, MS; I-59fromMeridian, MStoBirmingham, AL; I-65in Birmingham, AL; I-75/I-85inAtlanta, GA; I-77inColumbia, SC;
East end	I-95/I-20 BSinFlorence, SC
Location
Country	United States
States	Texas,Louisiana,Mississippi,Alabama,Georgia,South Carolina
Highway system
	Interstate Highway System; Main; Auxiliary; Suffixed; Business; Future;

Interstate 20(I‑20) is a major east–westInterstate Highwayin theSouthern United States.I-20 runs 1,539 miles (2,477 km) beginning at an interchange withI-10inReeves County, Texas,and ending at an interchange withI-95inFlorence, South Carolina.Between Texas and South Carolina, I-20 runs through northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The major cities that I-20 connects to includeDallas-Fort Worth, Texas;Shreveport, Louisiana;Jackson, Mississippi;Birmingham, Alabama;Atlanta, Georgia;andColumbia, South Carolina.

From its terminus at I-95, the highway continues about two miles (3.2 km) eastward into the city of Florence asI-20 Business(I-20 Bus.).

Route description

Lengths
	mi^[1]	km
TX	636.08	1,023.67
LA	189.87	305.57
MS	154.61	248.82
AL	214.70	345.53
GA	202.61	326.07
SC	141.51	227.74
Total	1,539.38	2,477.39

I-20 in southern Fort Worth, Texas

The Mississippi welcome sign along westbound I-20

I-20 (cosigned with I-59) approaching I-65 in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, at the interchange that is sometimes referred to as Malfunction Junction

I-20 eastbound at the I-520 interchange in Augusta, Georgia

Approaching the eastern terminus of I-20 on I-95, Florence, South Carolina

I-20 runs from Texas to South Carolina serving major southern economic hubs such asDallas–Fort WorthandAtlanta.^[2]

Texas

I-20 begins in westernReeves Countyat a fork with I-10. From there, the highway travels east-northeastward throughOdessa,Midland,andAbilenebefore turning eastward toward theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex.TheLa Entrada al Pacíficocorridor runs along I-20 betweenUS Route 385(US 385) andFarm to Market Road 1788(FM 1788). BetweenMonahansand I-10, I-20 has an 80-mile-per-hour (130 km/h) speed limit.

From the highway's opening in the 1960s through 1977, I-20 originally went through the heart of the metroplex via theDallas–Fort Worth Turnpike.This old route is now signedI-30(Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike and from US 80/I-30 intersection at Mesquite toDowntown Dallas),US 80(former stretch between I-635 andTerrell), andSpur 557(bypass around Terrell). In 1977, I-20 was rerouted to go through the southern sections of Fort Worth,Arlington,Grand Prairie,Dallas,andMesquite.It split off from the old route initially at I-820 in west Fort Worth the later on at its current junction nearAledoinParker County.It rejoins the old route near Terrell. Part of I-20 in Dallas used to be signed as I-635 and shares the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway name with the remainder of I-635. Parts on the south side of Fort Worth were originally signed as I-820.^[3]

I-20 continues eastward from Terrell, bypassingTyler,Longview,andMarshallbefore crossing the Louisiana border near Waskom.

Louisiana

InLouisiana,I-20 roughly parallelsUS 80through the northern part of the state.

Entering the state from nearWaskom, Texas,the highway immediately enters theShreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area,intersectingI-49near downtown Shreveport and passing close toBarksdale Air Force Basein Bossier City.

I-20 traverses mainly rural, hilly terrain, bypassingMinden,Grambling,andRustonbefore reachingMonroe.

From Monroe, I-20 enters flatter terrain as it approaches theMississippi River.Before crossing the Mississippi, the highway passesTallulah.At the Mississippi River, I-20 leaves Louisiana and entersVicksburg.

Mississippi

Upon entering Mississippi by crossing theMississippi River,I-20 immediately entersVicksburg.Between Edwards andClinton,the highway mostly follows the original two-lane routing ofUS 80.In Jackson, I-20 sees a short concurrency with bothI-55andUS 49.Also in Jackson is an unusually expansivestack interchange,at thejunctionof I-20, I-55 north, and US 49 south. The interchange replaces a former directional interchange at I-55 north and acloverleaf interchangeat US 49. From the stack, I-20 continues eastward toMeridian,where it begins the nearly 160-mile (260 km) overlap withI-59.

The route of the Mississippi section of I-20 is defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.

Alabama

I-20 (along with I-59) crosses the Alabama state line nearYork,and it stays conjoined as it passes through western Alabama andTuscaloosa.AtBirmingham,the two highways pass through downtown together before splitting at exit 130 just east ofBirmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport.I-20 continues eastward throughOxford–Annistonand theTalladega National Forest,passing byTalladega Superspeedwayin the process, which is visible from the highway.

Also in Birmingham, the intersection of I-20/I-59 andI-65was known as aMalfunction Junctionbecause of the interchange's somewhat-confusing design, and the number of traffic accidents that occurred there. This section of the Interstate and its interchanges have since been reconfigured.^[4]^[5]

Georgia

I-20 enters Georgia nearTallapoosaand after passing through western Georgia, it enters theAtlanta metropolitan area.On clear days, eastbound motorists get their first view ofDowntown Atlantaas they come over the top of Six Flags Hill. TheSix Flags Over Georgiaamusement park is easily visible off exit 46 eastbound. The highway then passes through the center ofAtlanta,meeting withI-75andI-85,which share a common expressway (theDowntown Connector). It continues through the Atlanta metropolitan area eastward and through the eastern half of Georgia until it exits the state, crossing theSavannah RiveratAugusta.

Throughout the state, I-20 is conjoined with unsignedState Route 402(SR 402). Also, I-20 from the Alabama state line toI-285in Atlanta is named the "Tom Murphy Freeway", but it is called the "Ralph David Abernathy Freeway" within I-285. The Interstate Highway is also named the Purple Heart Highway from I-285 inDeKalb CountytoUS 129/US 441/SR 24inMadison, Georgia,and it is called the Carl Sanders Highway from US 129/US 441/SR 24 to the South Carolina state line.

South Carolina

Upon leaving Augusta, I-20 crosses theSavannah Riverand enters the Palmetto State and heads northeastward, bypassingAikenandLe xing tonbefore reaching the state capital ofColumbia,which can be reached most directly by takingI-26east at exit 64 ( "Malfunction Junction" ), then, almost immediately,I-126/US 76.

At Columbia, I-20 bypasses the city to the north and again turns northeastward, bypassingFort JacksonandCamden.After crossing theWateree River,it turns due east and passes by tinyBishopville,before reaching theFlorencearea. It is near Florence where I-20 sees its eastern terminus atI-95.However, for about two miles (3.2 km), the highway continues into Florence asI-20 Bus.

I-20 in the Palmetto State is known as either the J. Strom Thurmond Freeway or John C. West Freeway. The first section to be completed was thebridgeover the Savannah River in 1965; the last, the section betweenUS 401and I-95 (including the business spur), opened in August 1975.

History

I-20 was built in 1957 connecting Texas to the east coast running through Shreveport, Ruston, and Monroe making it their first Interstate.^{[citation needed]}

I-20's exit numbers in Georgia were changed in 2000.^[6]

In 2003, theNorth Carolina Department of Transportationproposed extending I-20 eastward from Florence toWilmingtonat the behest of North Carolina GovernorMike Easleyand his 'Strategic Transportation Plan' for the southeast portion of the state.^[7]^[8]The proposed route would follow US 76 east from Florence toWhiteville, North Carolina,then parallelUS 74/US 76 into Wilmington.^[9]Part of this route is already designated the future eastern extension ofI-74.As part of the 2005Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Userstransportation legislation, North Carolina received $5 million (equivalent to $7.5 million in 2023^[10]) for a feasibility study for this extension.^[7]While this extension has considerable support among towns in southeastern North Carolina, theSouth Carolina Department of Transportationhas stated that they have no interest in upgrading their portion of US 76 to an Interstate. Instead, South Carolina is concentrating their efforts on plans to buildI-73that will terminate nearMyrtle Beach.This proposed extension is currently unfunded.^[11]

Junction list

Texas: I-10inReeves County; US 285inPecos; US 385inOdessa; US 87inBig Spring; US 84east ofRoscoe.The highways travel concurrently to theTye–Abilenecity line.; US 83/US 277in Abilene; US 283inBaird; US 183inCisco; US 281south-southeast ofBrazos; US 180inHudson Oaks; I-30northeast ofAledo; I-820inFort Worth; Chisholm Trail Parkwayin Fort Worth; US 377inBenbrook; I-35Win Fort Worth; I-820/US 287in Fort Worth. I-20/US 287 travels concurrently toArlington.; Pres. George Bush TurnpikeinGrand Prairie; US 67inDallas; I-35Eon the Dallas–Lancastercity line; I-45on the Dallas–Hutchinscity line; US 175on the Dallas–Balch Springscity line; I-635in Balch Springs; US 69inLindale; US 271south-southeast ofWinona; US 259northeast ofKilgore.The highways travel concurrently toLongview.; Future I-369/US 59inMarshall; US 80west-southwest ofJonesville.The highways travel concurrently to west ofWaskom.
Louisiana: US 79/US 80inGreenwood; US 80inShreveport; I-220in Shreveport; US 171in Shreveport; US 79/US 80in Shreveport; I-49in Shreveport; US 71in Shreveport. The highways travel concurrently toBossier City.; I-220in Bossier City; Future I-69nearHaughton; US 371inDixie Inn.The highways travel concurrently toMinden.; US 80southeast of Minden; US 63/US 167inRuston; US 80east-northeast ofCalhoun; US 165inMonroe; US 425inRayville; US 65inTallulah; US 80inDelta.The highways travel concurrently toClinton, Mississippi.
Mississippi: US 61inVicksburg.The highways travel concurrently through Vicksburg.; I-220/US 49inJackson.I-20/US 49 travels concurrently toPearl.; I-55/US 51in Jackson. I-20/I-55 travels concurrently toRichland; US 80inBrandon; US 80in Brandon; US 80east-southeast ofLake; US 80west-southwest ofMeridian.The highways travel concurrently to Meridian.; I-59in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently toBirmingham, Alabama.; US 11in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently through Meridian.; US 45in Meridian; US 11/US 80west-northwest ofKewanee
Alabama: Future I-85nearCuba; US 11/US 43south ofKnoxville; I-359/US 11inTuscaloosa; US 82in Tuscaloosa; US 11in Tuscaloosa; US 11in Tuscaloosa; US 11south ofLake View.The highways travel concurrently toBessemer.; I-459southwest ofMcCalla; US 78in Birmingham; I-65in Birmingham; US 31/US 280in Birmingham; US 11in Birmingham; I-459inIrondale; US 78inLeeds; US 411on the Leeds–Moodyline; US 78northwest ofCooks Springs.The highways travel concurrently toPell City.; US 231in Pell City; US 78inRiverside; US 431east ofOxford
Georgia: US 27inBremen; I-285inAtlanta; I-75/I-85in Atlanta; US 23in Atlanta; I-285on thePanthersville–Candler-McAfeeCDP line; US 278southeast ofLithonia.The highways travel concurrently toCovington.; US 278inSocial Circle; US 129/US 441inMadison; US 278inBarnett; US 221south ofAppling; I-520inAugusta
South Carolina: US 25inNorth Augusta; I-520in North Augusta; US 1north-northeast ofAiken; US 178southeast ofBatesburg-Leesville; US 1east ofLe xing ton; US 378north ofOak Grove; I-26/US 76on theSeven Oaks–St. AndrewsCDP line; US 176in St. Andrews; US 321north ofColumbia; US 21in Columbia; US 1inDentsville; I-77on the Dentsville–WoodfieldCDP line; US 601inLugoff; US 521inCamden; US 15southwest ofBishopville; US 401northeast ofLamar; I-95inFlorence

^[12]

Auxiliary routes

Two I-420s were planned but never completed or built.Onewas to be abypassaroundMonroe, Louisiana,but was never built.The other I-420was planned as a bypass to the south ofDowntown Atlanta.Due toanti-freeway sentiments,this I-420 was never completed, and the already-built portion has been signed asState Route 154(SR 154)/SR 166,named theLangford Parkway(formerly the Lakewood Freeway).

References

^^a ^bStarks, Edward (January 27, 2022)."Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways".FHWA Route Log and Finder List.Federal Highway Administration.RetrievedFebruary 17,2023.
^"Overview map of I‑20"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedFebruary 15,2008.
^Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex(Map).Exxon.
^"Malfunction Junction: What are those massive columns?".November 3, 2017.
^"What went wrong on Malfunction Junction? What's next?".April 10, 2018.
^"Interstate exit signs to get new numbers in Georgia".Jacksonville.Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 17,2015.
^^a ^bRobert Malme."Interstate 20 in North Carolina?".I-73/I-74 in North Carolina.Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2012.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.
^"Strategic Highway Corridors".NCDOT. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2012.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.
^"Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan"(PDF).Strategic Highway Corridors.NCDOT. July 10, 2008.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.
^Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023)."What Was the U.S. GDP Then?".MeasuringWorth.RetrievedNovember 30,2023.United StatesGross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow theMeasuringWorthseries.
^"Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan, Southeastern NC"(PDF).Strategic Highway Corridors.NCDOT. September 2, 2004.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.
^Rand McNally (2014).The Road Atlas(Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 4, 28, 44, 56, 92, 98–100.ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2.

Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Transportation Data (2003),Interstate Mileage Report (438 Report)(PDF),archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 18, 2006

External links

KML file(edit•help)

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 20

KML is from Wikidata

Geographic data related toInterstate 20atOpenStreetMap
I-20 on Interstate-Guide
Proposed I-20 extension in North Carolina

[fhwa-1] Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022)."Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways".FHWA Route Log and Finder List.Federal Highway Administration.RetrievedFebruary 17,2023.

[Google-2] "Overview map of I‑20"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedFebruary 15,2008.

[3] Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex(Map).Exxon.

[4] "Malfunction Junction: What are those massive columns?".November 3, 2017.

[5] "What went wrong on Malfunction Junction? What's next?".April 10, 2018.

[6] "Interstate exit signs to get new numbers in Georgia".Jacksonville.Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 17,2015.

[malme-7] Robert Malme."Interstate 20 in North Carolina?".I-73/I-74 in North Carolina.Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2012.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.

[8] "Strategic Highway Corridors".NCDOT. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2012.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.

[9] "Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan"(PDF).Strategic Highway Corridors.NCDOT. July 10, 2008.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.

[inflation-USGDP-10] Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023)."What Was the U.S. GDP Then?".MeasuringWorth.RetrievedNovember 30,2023.United StatesGross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow theMeasuringWorthseries.

[11] "Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan, Southeastern NC"(PDF).Strategic Highway Corridors.NCDOT. September 2, 2004.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedJuly 7,2009.

[randmcnally-12] Rand McNally (2014).The Road Atlas(Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 4, 28, 44, 56, 92, 98–100.ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2.

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v t e PrimaryInterstate Highways
Signed	2 4 5 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 35 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 49 55 57 59 64 65 66 KS–KY VA–DC 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 CO–NE OH–NJ 77 78 79 80 81 82 WA–OR PA–NY CT–RI 83 84 OR–UT PA–MA 85 86 ID PA–NY CT–MA 87 NC NY 88 IL NY 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 99 H-1 H-2 H-3
Unsigned	A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 PRI-1 PRI-2 PRI-3
Lists	Primary Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future
Other	Standards Gaps Tolled
Routes initalicsare no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted.