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Interstate 55

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Template:Infobox Interstate Interstate 55 (abbreviated I-55) is an interstate highway in the central United States. Like other interstates, it is commonly referred to as I-55. Its odd number indicates that it is primarily a north-south highway. It goes from Laplace, Louisiana (some 25 miles (40 km) west of New Orleans) at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 (Lake Shore Drive), at McCormick Place.

The section of Interstate 55 between Chicago and St. Louis was built as a bypass for U.S. Highway 66.

Interstate 55 is the only Interstate highway that crosses the Mississippi River twice — once at Memphis, Tennessee, and then again at St. Louis, Missouri.

Route description

Lengths
  mi 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 313.08 503.85
Total 964.25 1,551.81
Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs*

Louisiana

Main article: Interstate 55 in Louisiana

In Louisiana, Interstate 55 runs nearly 66 miles from south to north, from Interstate 10 near Laplace - roughly 20 miles west of New Orleans - to the Mississippi state line near Kentwood.

Mississippi

Main article: Interstate 55 in Mississippi

In Mississippi, I-55 runs 290.5 miles from the Louisiana border near Osyka to Southaven on the Tennessee border, just south of Memphis. The highway parallels U.S. 51 during its trek roughly through the center of Magnolia State.

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

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

I-55 is often called the Mississippi Delta Highway because of its proximity to the Mississippi River.[citation needed]

Tennessee

Main article: Interstate 55 in Tennessee

I-55 lies entirely within the city of Memphis, passing through the southern and western parts of the city and providing a bypass of downtown for motorists who do not want to take Interstates I-240 and I-40 through downtown to cross the Mississippi River.

I-255 was the former numbering of I-240 between I-55 and I-40 through Midtown Memphis, Tennessee.

Arkansas

Main article: Interstate 55 in Arkansas

I-55 enters Arkansas from Tennessee as it crosses the Mississippi river. It overlaps I-40 for approximately 2.8 miles (4.5 km) in West Memphis. After separating from I-40, I-55 turns northward and runs to the Missouri border, via the intersection with the stretch of U.S. 63 that holds the future alignment of Interstate 555.

Missouri

Main article: Interstate 55 in Missouri

In Missouri, I-55 runs from the southeastern part of the state, at the Arkansas border, to St. Louis. It joins Interstate 64 and Interstate 70 on the Poplar Street Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River into Illinois.

A section of the I-55 in southern St. Louis County, Missouri has been named the "Rosa Parks Freeway" although the general public still refers to it as I-55.

On July 26th 2007 a small section of I-55 at the St. Louis city/county line was named "Thomas G. Smith Jr. Memorial Freeway".

Illinois

Main articles: Interstate 55 in Illinois and Stevenson Expressway
Northern terminus at Lake Shore Drive/U.S. Route 41.

Crossing over into Illinois, I-55, near the I-270/I-70 split, is referred to as the Paul Simon Freeway. This is in reference to the local politician Paul Martin Simon. Further north, between the St. Louis area and Springfield, IL, I-55 is named The Vince Demuzio Expressway in reference to Illinois state politician Vince Demuzio. I-55 parallels the historical Route 66 from East St. Louis to Chicago, passing near Springfield and Bloomington/Normal.

When the freeway was being planned during the 1960s, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner made an effort to have the road redirected near the larger city of Peoria instead of the more straightforward route through the Bloomington-Normal area. This ultimately failed plan was ridiculed in the press as the "Kerner Curve".[citation needed] The function of an Interstate highway connection between Springfield and Peoria was later filled by Interstate 155, which connects nearby Lincoln and Morton and forms a triangle between the three population centers in Central Illinois (I-74, I-155 and I-55 connect Peoria, Springfield and Bloomington-Normal)

In the Chicago area, the expressway is referred to as the Adlai E. Stevenson Expressway in honor of one of Illinois' favorite sons. The general public typically refers to this freeway as either "I-55" or "The Stevenson"; the terms are used interchangeably, but "The Stevenson" tends to be more popular in Chicago proper while "I-55" is more commonly used in the suburbs.

Major intersections

Auxiliary routes

References

Browse numbered routes
← MS 53MS→ MS 57
← Error: Invalid type: U.S.IL→ IL 56
← US 54MO→ US 56
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