Interstate 57

Interstate 57
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap I-57 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT and IDOT
Length	386.12 mi[1] (621.40 km)
Existed	1959–present
Major junctions
South end	I-55 / US 60 in Sikeston, MO
	I-24 in Pulleys Mill, IL I-64 in Mt. Vernon, IL US 50 in Salem, IL I-70 in Effingham, IL I-72 in Champaign, IL I-74 in Champaign, IL US 30 in Matteson, IL I-80 in Country Club Hills, IL US 6 in Markham, IL I-294 in Blue Island, IL
North end	I-94 in Chicago, IL
Location
States	Missouri, Illinois
Counties	MO: Scott, Mississippi County, Missouri IL: Alexander, Pulaski, Union, Johnson, Williamson, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Clay, Effingham, Shelby, Cumberland, Coles, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Will, Cook
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Missouri State Highway System Interstate US State Supplemental Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways ← US 56 MO → Route 58 ← IL 56 IL → IL 57

Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route. It runs from Sikeston, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between the south (Memphis, New Orleans, etc.) and Chicago, bypassing St. Louis, Missouri. Between the junction of I-55 and I-57 in Sikeston and the junction of I-55 and I-90/94 in Chicago, I-55 travels for 436 miles (702 km), while the combination of I-57 and I-94 is only 396 miles (637 km) long between the same two points. In fact, both the control cities on the overhead signs and the destination mileage signs reference Memphis along southbound I-57, even as far north as its northern origin at I-94 in Chicago.^[2] Likewise, at its southern end, Chicago is the control city listed for I-57 on signs on northbound I-55 south of Sikeston, even though I-55 also goes to Chicago.^[3]

As of 2021, I-57 has no spur routes,^[4] nor are any planned for the near future. At a length of just over 386 miles (621 km), it is the second longest two-digit Interstate Highway without an auxiliary route, behind I-49. I-57 has one business loop in Charleston, Missouri.

Route description[]

Missouri[]

Cairo I-57 bridge between Missouri and Illinois

In the state of Missouri, Interstate 57 runs northbound from Sikeston to the Cairo I-57 Bridge over the Mississippi River north of Cairo, Illinois.

After ending southbound at Interstate 55, the highway continues as U.S. Route 60, which meets U.S. Route 67 at Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and from there U.S. Route 67 goes south to Little Rock, Arkansas.

From the start of I-57 northbound, the US 60 concurrency goes about 12 miles (19 km).

Illinois[]

The Dan Ryan Expressway West Leg (now more commonly referred to as I-57) at 99th St in 1970.

In the state of Illinois, Interstate 57 runs from the bridge over the Mississippi River north to Chicago. I-57 is the longest Interstate Highway in Illinois. Its route follows essentially the earlier route of US 51 in southernmost Illinois (US 51 has been diverted to I-57 where I-57 has always been close to old US 51 between Future City and Dongola) before taking a northeastward diagonal to Illinois 37, which remains intact as a town-to-town through route, past its interchange with Interstate 24 (the northwestern terminus of Interstate 24) near Pulleys Mill and a short duplex with Interstate 64 near Mount Vernon north to Effingham, where it has a short concurrence with Interstate 70. It then follows US 45 bypassing Champaign (where it meets Interstates 72 and 74), and heads north to Onarga whereafter it follows the formerly duplex path of US 45 and (now decommissioned in most of Illinois) old US 54 to Kankakee. At Kankakee it heads northward largely parallel to the now decommissioned route of old US 54 (since renumbered largely as Illinois 50) into the Chicago area, meeting Interstate 80 in Hazel Crest, Interstate 294 in Blue Island, and feeding Interstate 94 on Chicago's South Side.

Although I-57 serves as a long-distance bypass of St. Louis, the section between Mount Vernon and Pulleys Mill contains the most direct Interstate route between St. Louis and cities largely to the southeast of St. Louis (including Nashville and Atlanta). It serves as the northwestern terminus of Interstate 24 that leads southeastward to those cities and as the eastern terminus of Interstate 72 near Champaign.

The route is an easy way for Chicagoans to reach Shawnee National Forest in the southern tip of the state. It also serves as a major artery for college students in the state, running near Shawnee Community College in Ullin, the main campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, John A. Logan College in Carterville, Morthland College in West Frankfort, Rend Lake College in Ina, Lake Land College in Mattoon, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Parkland College in Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in Urbana–Champaign, Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, and Governors State University in University Park.

I-57 remains the only Chicago expressway that does not have a commonly used name. Its Chicago-area portion was formerly known as the Dan Ryan Expressway–West Leg. I-57 was named the Ken Gray Expressway in southern Illinois after former U.S. Congressman Ken Gray (West Frankfort) for his work on getting the route planned through southern Illinois. A 20-mile (32 km) segment from Wentworth to Sauk Trail has been designated the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Trail^[5] but this is not intended as a navigational name.

History[]

The oldest segment of I-57 is a 6.2-mile (10.0 km) strip running east of Bradley to Kankakee labeled on the 1959 Illinois state highway map.^[6] Two years later, a 30-mile (48 km) stretch of I-57 from Dongola north to Marion, Illinois opened on September 26, 1961.^{[7][self-published source]} Another portion between the IL 121/US 45 exit and the Watson–Mason exit was completed and opened prior to July 1965, linking I-57 to I-70, and running in tandem with I-70 for several miles, with access to Indianapolis to the east, and St. Louis to the west.^{[citation needed]} A 21.5-mile (34.6 km) section of I-57 in Jefferson County from Bonnie (using a temporary road that is still partially visible from the northbound lanes) to IL 161 later opened on December 9, 1969.^[8] The portion of I-57 in Chicago (known as the Dan Ryan West Leg Extension) was constructed and opened in segments between 1963 and 1970. It remains the most recent Interstate Highway to be established within the city.^[7] The final section of I-57 in Illinois opened in December 1971 at Paxton.^[9]

The portion of I-43 from Milwaukee to Green Bay was originally numbered as Interstate 57.^[10] The number was changed due to the existence of I-57 in Illinois.^[11]

I-57 was widened to six lanes in Effingham from 2011 until 2016.^[12]

For many years, an interchange at the junction of I-57 with I-294 did not exist. It was one of the few places in the US where Interstates cross, but have no interchange. IDOT and ISTHA opened Phase 1 of a new interchange in 2014, providing access from I-57 north to I-294 north and from I-294 south to I-57 south.^[13] Phase Two will complete the remaining movements in 2022.^[14]

Future[]

Future Interstate 57 in North Little Rock.

I-57 is slated to eventually be extended west along US 60 to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and then south along the US 67 corridor to North Little Rock, ending at I-40. In April 2016, a provision designating US 67 from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, as "Future I-57" was added into the federal fiscal year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill, and officially became law in 2017.^[15]

Missouri has already upgraded 62 miles (100 km) of the US 60/67 corridor between Sikeston and Route 158 near Harviell to a mixture of freeway and expressway segments. All at-grade crossings along the corridor would have to be eliminated before the Interstate designation could be applied.^[16] A new freeway segment from Route 158 to just south of Neelyville near County Road 274 (about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Arkansas border) has been announced as part of a cost share program and is in the planning stages.^[17][18]

In Arkansas, 118 miles (190 km) of Interstate-grade US 67 runs from I-40 to US 412 in Walnut Ridge, leaving a segment of approximately 40 miles (64 km) of new Interstate-grade highway along US 67 that still needs to be built in northeastern Arkansas.^[19] On February 23, 2018, Arkansas state officials unveiled a "Future I-57" sign to be posted along the corridor of US 67.^[20]

Exit list[]

State	County	Location	mi[21][22]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Missouri	Scott	Sikeston	0.000	0.000		US 60 west – Dexter, Poplar Bluff	Continuation beyond I-55; southern end of US 60 concurrency; future I-57 south
			0.000– 0.538	0.000– 0.866	1	I-55 – Memphis, St. Louis	Current southern terminus; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); I-55 exit 66
	Mississippi	Long Prairie Township	4.916	7.912	4	Route B – Bertrand
		Charleston	10.745	17.292	10	I-57 BL north / Route 105 – Charleston, East Prairie
			13.027	20.965	12	I-57 BL south / US 60 east / US 62 / Route 77 – Charleston, Wyatt	Northern end of US 60 concurrency
Mississippi River			22.328 0.00	35.933 0.00	Interstate 57 Bridge Missouri–Illinois state line
Illinois	Alexander	Cairo	1.4	2.3	1	US 51 south / IL 3 – Cairo, Olive Branch	Southern end of US 51 concurrency
	Pulaski	​	7.6	12.2	8	Mounds Road
		​	17.7	28.5	18	Ullin Road
	Union	​	24.4	39.3	24	Dongola Road
		​	25.0	40.2	25	US 51 north – Carbondale	Northern end of US 51 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		​	30.0	48.3	30	IL 146 – Anna, Vienna
		​	36.3	58.4	36	Lick Creek Road
	Johnson	​	39.7	63.9	40	Goreville Road
	Williamson	Goreville	43.9	70.7	44	I-24 east – Nashville	Western terminus of I-24
		​	45.2	72.7	45	IL 148
		Marion	52.9	85.1	53	Main Street – Marion	Former IL 13
			53.6	86.3	54	IL 13 – Carbondale, Harrisburg The Hill Avenue	Split into exits 54A (IL 13) and 54B (The Hill Ave.) northbound
		Johnston City	58.9	94.8	59	Herrin Road / Broadway Blvd - Johnston City, Herrin
	Franklin	West Frankfort	64.6	104.0	65	IL 149 – West Frankfort, Zeigler, Thompsonville, De Soto
		Benton	71.6	115.2	71	IL 14 – Christopher, Benton	To IL 34
		​	77.5	124.7	77	IL 154 – Sesser, Whittington
	Jefferson	Ina	82.6	132.9	83	Ina
		​	91.5	147.3	92	I-64 east – Louisville	Southern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 78 westbound
		Mt. Vernon	93.7	150.8	94	Veterans Memorial Drive
			94.7	152.4	95	IL 15 – Ashley, Mt. Vernon
			96.2	154.8	96	I-64 west – St. Louis	Northern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 73 eastbound
		Dix	103.5	166.6	103	Dix
	Marion	​	109.2	175.7	109	IL 161 – Centralia
		Salem	116.4	187.3	116	US 50 – Salem, Sandoval
		​	127.2	204.7	127	Kinmundy, Patoka
	Fayette	Farina	135.4	217.9	135	IL 185 – Vandalia, Farina
	Clay	No major junctions
	Effingham	​	144.7	232.9	145	Edgewood
		​	150.7	242.5	151	Mason, Watson
		​	157.3	253.1	157	I-70 west – St. Louis	Southern end of I-70 concurrency; exit 92 eastbound
		Effingham	159.4	256.5	159	Fayette Avenue
			160.5	258.3	160	IL 32 / IL 33	Access to Lake Shelbyville and Convention Center
			162.2	261.0	162	US 45 – Sigel, Effingham	Access to Lake Land College and Kuthe Center
		​	163.4	263.0	163	I-70 east – Indianapolis	Northern end of I-70 concurrency; exit 98 westbound
	Shelby	No major junctions
	Cumberland	​	177.0	284.9	177	US 45 – Neoga
	Coles	Mattoon	184.4	296.8	184	US 45 / IL 121 – Toledo, Mattoon
			189.6	305.1	190	IL 16 – Charleston, Mattoon	Signed as exits 190A (east) and 190B (west)
			192.4	309.6	192	CR 18 (Mattoon-Charleston Enterprise Parkway)
	Douglas	Arcola	203.6	327.7	203	IL 133 – Arcola, Paris
		Tuscola	211.7	340.7	212	US 36 – Newman, Tuscola
	Champaign	Pesotum	219.9	353.9	220	US 45 – Tolono, Pesotum, Tuscola
		​	228.6	367.9	229	Monticello, Savoy, Tolono	Access to Willard Airport
		​	231.7	372.9	232	Curtis Road
		Champaign	235.2	378.5	235	I-72 west / University Avenue – Springfield, Decatur	Signed as 235A (University Ave.) and 235B (I-72); I-72 exit 182
			237.4	382.1	237	I-74 – Indianapolis, Peoria	Signed as exits 237A (east) and 237B (west); I-74 exit 179
			238.4	383.7	238	Olympian Drive
		​	240.5	387.0	240	Market Street
		Rantoul	250.2	402.7	250	US 136 – Fisher, Rantoul
	Ford	Paxton	260.9	419.9	261	IL 9 – Paxton, Gibson City
	Iroquois	​	271.9	437.6	272	Buckley, Roberts	Roberts signed northbound only
		​	279.9	450.5	280	IL 54 to US 54 – Onarga, Roberts	Roberts signed southbound only
		Gilman	282.9	455.3	283	US 24 – Gilman, Chatsworth
		​	292.7	471.1	293	IL 116 – Ashkum, Pontiac
		Clifton	296.5	477.2	297	Clifton
		​	301.6	485.4	302	Chebanse
	Kankakee	Kankakee	307.5	494.9	308	US 45 / US 52 – Kankakee
			311.6	501.5	312	IL 17 – Kankakee, Momence
			315.3	507.4	315	IL 50 – Bradley, Bourbonnais
		Bourbonnais	318.4	512.4	318	Bourbonnais Parkway	Opened Nov. 2, 2018[23]
		Manteno	321.6	517.6	322	Manteno
	Will	​	327.1	526.4	327	Wilmington, Peotone
		Monee	335.1	539.3	335	Manhattan, Monee
		University Park	337.1	542.5	337	Stuenkel Road / University Parkway	Access to Governors State University; interchange opened on October 30, 2015
Cook	Richton Park	339.0	545.6	339	Sauk Trail
	Matteson	340.69	548.29	340	US 30 / Lincoln Highway	Signed as exits 340A (east) and 340B (west) southbound
		342.21	550.73	342	Vollmer Road	Signed as exits 342A (east) and 342B (west) southbound
	​	344.67– 344.86	554.69– 555.00	345	I-80 to I-294 south – Indiana, Iowa	Signed as exits 345A (east) and 345B (west); I-80 exit 151
	​	346.62	557.83	346	167th Street to IL 50 (Cicero Avenue)	Signed as exits 346A (east) and 346B (west)
	Markham	347.90	559.89	348	US 6 (159th Street)	Signed as exits 348A (east) and 348B (west)
		349.62	562.66	349	I-294 north (Tri-State Tollway) – Wisconsin	I-Pass or pay online; northbound exit and southbound entrance; complete interchange opening 2022; I-294 exit 7 southbound
	Posen	350.15	563.51	350	IL 83 (147th Street / Sibley Boulevard)
	Calumet Park	353.25	568.50	353	127th Street / Burr Oak Avenue
	Calumet Park–Chicago line	354.25	570.11	354	119th Street
	Chicago	355.27	571.75	355	111th Street / Monterey Avenue
		357.32	575.05	357	IL 1 sorth (Halsted Street)	Northern terminus of IL 1
		358.47	576.90	—	I-94 east (Bishop Ford Freeway) – Indiana	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-94 exit 63
		358.57	577.06	358	Wentworth Avenue	Southbound exit only
		359.12	577.95		I-94 west (Dan Ryan Expressway) – Chicago Loop	Northern terminus; I-94 exit 63
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Electronic toll collection       Incomplete access

Charleston business loop[]

Business Loop I-57 in Charleston begins at I-57 exit 10. From this diamond interchange, it runs north in a concurrency with Route 105 along South Main Street into the city center. It then turns east onto Marshall Street, which also carries US 62 and Route 77. The business route ends at I-57 exit 12, with US 62 and Route 77 continuing to the east.

See also[]

•  U.S. Roads portal

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 57.

Route map:

• Illinois Highway Ends: Interstate 57