Interstate 55 in Arkansas

Interstate 55
I-55 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ARDOT ( previously/formerly known as ARHTD, Arkansas Highway Transportation Department)
Length	72.22 mi[1] (116.23 km)
Existed	1957–present
Major junctions
South end	I-55 / US 61 / US 64 / US 70 at Tennessee state line
Major intersections	I-40 in West Memphis I-555 / US 61 / US 63 / AR 77 in Turrell US 61 in Blytheville
North end	I-55 at Missouri state line
Location
Counties	Crittenden, Mississippi
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage ← AR 54 → AR 56

Interstate 55 (I-55) is a north–south Interstate Highway that has a 72.22-mile (116.23 km) section in the U.S. state of Arkansas connecting sections in Tennessee and Missouri. The route enters Arkansas on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge over the Mississippi River from Memphis. It travels northward through northeast Arkansas connecting the cities of West Memphis and Blytheville. I-55 continues into Missouri heading to St. Louis, Missouri. The highway overlaps Interstate 40 in West Memphis and has a junction with Interstate 555, a spur route to Jonesboro, in Turrell. For the majority of its routing through Arkansas, I-55 generally follows U.S. Route 61 (US 61).

Route description[]

Interstate 55 splits from Interstate 40 in West Memphis.

I-55 enters Arkansas from Memphis, Tennessee on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge over the Mississippi River, sharing the bridge with US 61/US 64/US 70/US 79. Shortly after entering the state the highway enters West Memphis, where US 70 exits the route and becomes Broadway Avenue. I-55/US 61/US 64/US 79 form a concurrency with Interstate 40 at exit 5, an overlap that lasts 3.1 miles (5.0 km).^[2] The highways split at I-40 exit 277, with I-40/US 63/US 79 continuing west to Little Rock and I-55/US 61/US 63/US 64 running north into Marion. US 64 exits I-55/US 61/US 63 in Marion, continuing west as Old Military Road toward Wynne. Interstate 55 continues to run through farmlands of the Arkansas delta, paralleling Highway 77 until Turrell.

Diagram of Lake David Interchange

In Turrell, I-55/US 61/US 63 meets the southern terminus of I-555, a spur route of I-55 connecting Jonesboro to the Interstate Highway system. I-555/US 63 run north to Jonesboro, while Highway 77 and US 61 become frontage roads for I-55. Slightly east of this junction these frontage roads depart I-55, with Highway 77 running near Birdsong and US 61 serving Wilson. I-55 runs northeast to enter Mississippi County, Arkansas, having junctions with Highway 118 to Joiner, Highway 181 to Bassett, Highway 14 near Marie, and Highway 181 near Keiser. In Osceola, the route has a junction with Highway 140 near Osceola Municipal Airport.^[3] I-55 continues northeast, intersecting minor state highways in rural Mississippi County before a junction with US 61 in south Blytheville. Interstate 55 intersects Highway 18 in Blytheville before exiting town headed due north. The route has a junction with Highway 150 just before crossing the Missouri state line.

Exit list[]

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Mississippi River		0.00	0.00		I-55 / US 61 south / US 64 / US 70 / US 79 east – Memphis, Jackson MS	Continuation into Tennessee
		0.72	1.16	Memphis & Arkansas Bridge; Tennessee–Arkansas state line
Crittenden	West Memphis	1.066	1.716	1	Bridgeport Road
		2.831	4.556	3A	AR 131 (Mound City Road)	Northbound exit only
		3.100	4.989	3B	US 70 west (Broadway Boulevard) – West Memphis	Northern end of US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		3.603	5.798	4	Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Southland Drive to I-40 east – Memphis
		4.766	7.670		I-40 east – Memphis, Nashville	Southern end of I-40 overlap, exit 279B eastbound; southbound exit and northbound entrance; Signed as exit 279B southbound
		4.779	7.691	5	Ingram Boulevard	Southbound signed as exit 279A
		5.246	8.443	278	AR 77 (Missouri Street) / AR 191 north (7th Street)	Exit number follows I-40; AR 77 (Missouri Street) signed northbound only
		7.088	11.407		I-40 / US 79 west – Little Rock, Forrest City	Northern end of I-40 and US 79 overlaps; northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-40 exit 277 westbound
		7.291	11.734	7	AR 77 (Missouri Street)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		7.513	12.091	8	I-40 west / US 63 south / US 79 west – Little Rock	Southern end of US 63 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-40 exit 277
	Marion	9.819	15.802	10	US 64 west – Marion, Sunset, Wynne	Northern end of US 64 overlap
	​	13.549	21.805	14	CR 4 – Jericho
	​	16.829	27.084	17	AR 50 – Clarkedale
	​	21.219	34.149	21	AR 42 – Turrell
	Turrell	23.189	37.319	23	I-555 north / US 61 north / US 63 north / AR 77 – Marked Tree, Jonesboro, Turrell	Northern end of US 61 and US 63 overlaps, exits 1A-B; signed as exits 23A (I-555/US 63/AR 77 north) and 23B (US 61/AR 77 south) southbound, no southbound entry from northbound AR 77.
Mississippi	​	33.249	53.509	34	AR 118 / AR 297 south – Joiner, Tyronza
	​	35.279	56.776	36	AR 181 – Bassett, Wilson
	​	41.099	66.142	41	AR 14 – Lepanto, Marie
	​	43.619	70.198	44	AR 181 – Keiser, Wilson
	​	48.039	77.311	48	AR 140 – Osceola, Etowah
	​	52.619	84.682	53	AR 158 – Victoria, Luxora
	​	57.179	92.021	57	AR 148 – Burdette,
	Blytheville	63.049	101.468	63	US 61 to AR 312 west – Blytheville, Dell
		67.079	107.953	67	AR 18 / AR 151 – Blytheville, Armorel
	​	71.059	114.358	71	AR 150 – , Gosnell	Leads to Arkansas International Airport
	​	71.969	115.823	72	State Line Road	Northbound exit and entrance
	​				I-55 north to I-57 – St. Louis, Chicago	Continuation into Missouri
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

Media related to Interstate 55 in Arkansas at Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 55
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