 Interstate 44 | |
|---|---|
 I-44 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 636.69 mi[1] (1,024.65 km) |
| NHS | Entire route |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |     US 82 /US 277 /US 281 /US 287 inWichita Falls, TX |
| Major intersections | |
| East end |  I-70 in St. Louis, MO |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Texas,Oklahoma,Missouri |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 44 (I-44) is anInterstate Highway in the centralUnited States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is inWichita Falls, Texas, at aconcurrency withU.S. Route 277 (US 277),US 281, andUS 287; its eastern terminus is atI-70 inSt. Louis, Missouri. I-44 is one of five Interstates built to bypassUS 66; this highway covers the section betweenOklahoma City and St. Louis. Virtually the entire length of I-44 east ofSpringfield, Missouri, was once US 66, which was upgraded from two to four lanes from 1949 to 1955. The section of I-44 west of Springfield was built farther south than US 66 in order to connect Missouri's section with the already completedWill Rogers Turnpike, which Oklahoma wished to carry their part of I-44.
| mi | km | |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 15 | 24 |
| OK | 329 | 529 |
| MO | 293 | 472 |
| Total | 637 | 1,025 |
In the US state of Texas, I-44 has a short, but regionally important, 14.77-mile (23.77 km) stretch, connectingWichita Falls with Oklahoma. The route runs almost due north to the Texas–Oklahoma state line at theRed River. In Wichita Falls, I-44runs concurrently withUS 277,US 281, andUS 287 and is known locally as the "Central Freeway". I-44 provides access to downtown Wichita Falls andSheppard Air Force Base.
I-44 in Oklahoma is mostly three separatetoll roads; it isparalleled by formerUS 66 from Oklahoma City to the Missouri state line. In southwestern Oklahoma, I-44 is theH. E. Bailey Turnpike and it runs northeast–southwest (and vice-versa). In the Oklahoma City area, I-44 is either six or eight lanes; it runs concurrent withI-35 for about four miles (6.4 km) in Oklahoma City. From Oklahoma City, I-44 runs northeast–southwest as theTurner Turnpike towardsTulsa. After I-44 leaves Tulsa, it becomes theWill Rogers Turnpike to the Missouri state line.
I-44 enters Missouri in the city limits of Joplin near thetripoint of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. It misses the Kansas border by less than 200 yards (180 m). The first exit in Missouri is forUS 166. I-44 continues through the southern part of Joplin, where it runs concurrently with the new Missouri segment ofI-49. East of Joplin, I-49 splits off on its own alignment toKansas City.
I-44 then continues east on the former US 166 toMount Vernon. At the northeast part of Mount Vernon, I-44 heads northeast, while old US 166 continued east onRoute 174. The section of road toHalltown is a completely new road, not bypassing any previous highways. At Halltown, the road follows the general pathway of US 66 all the way to downtown St. Louis.
I-44 passes throughSpringfield on the north side of the city and continues northeast. At Waynesville, I-44 enters a very hilly and curvy area until it passesRolla. Although the road still passes through some hilly areas, none are as steep as that particular stretch.
AtPacific, I-44 widens to six lanes, later to eight lanes. The Interstate passes through the suburbs of St. Louis and then into downtown St. Louis, passing theGateway Arch before finally terminating near theMississippi River, continuing from there as I-70 from the west end of theStan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge. Until a future second span of the new bridge is completed, there will be no way for I-44 traffic to utilize the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial span without first exiting to surface streets. I-44 traffic wishing to continue northeast and east must use thePoplar Street Bridge and I-55/I-64 to cross theMississippi River.
At some places, an "Alternate I-44" is posted. One such ran between Rolla and Springfield viaUS 60 andUS 63, and another ran via US 63 andUS 50 between Rolla andUnion. These were completed to provide traffic relief during road work. The latter of these alternate routes detoured traffic around three-hour delays due to road work nearCuba.
I-44 was originally signed in 1958 as an Interstate designation of theTurner Turnpike linking Oklahoma City and Tulsa and theWill Rogers Turnpike linking Tulsa and the Missouri state line southwest ofJoplin, along with the US 66 bypass in Tulsa that linked that city with the two turnpikes and the continued four-lane highway from the Missouri border to an interchange with US 71 south of Joplin previously designated as US 166.
As US 66 was being bypassed by I-44, theRoute 66 Association requested the designationInterstate 66 for I-44 fromSt. Louis to Oklahoma City; TheAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) rejected the request.[2]
At the time the I-44 designation was assigned in Oklahoma in the 1950s, Oklahoma signed the milemarkers west to east starting at Turner Turnpike's Oklahoma City terminus at the I-44/I-35 interchange (nearEdmond). I-44 was extended in 1982 southwest of Oklahoma City along the existingH. E. Bailey Turnpike, thus raising the milemarkers by about 100. The addition of the new section was unusual in that it is a more north–south segment and did not directly connect to the previous western end at I-35. It now extends south of I-40, an exception to the Interstate numbering rules and its end point does not connect to another Interstate Highway.
What was onceI-244 around St. Louis is currently part of that city'sI-270/I-255 beltway.
During the historic1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, an F5tornado crossed I-44. This particular tornado had the fastest tornado wind speeds on record. The interstate was severely damaged where the tornado crossed it. In the end, this tornado was blamed for 36 deaths.
A section of I-44 was moved slightly north betweenPowellville andDoolittle, Missouri. The old road is highly visible for eastbound traffic near Powellville. As of April 2006[update], the rocks carved away for the new roadbed have virtually nolichen, reflecting that this construction occurred rather recently.[3]
Originally, the eastern terminus of I-44 was at the intersection with I-55, I-64, I-70, and US 40, by the Poplar Street Bridge. However, when I-70 was rerouted to cross the Mississippi River at the newly constructedStan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge, I-44 was extended about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north to end at I-70 at the bridge.
US 277 /US 281 /US 287 inWichita Falls. I-44/US 287 travels concurrently through Wichita Falls. I-44/US 277/US 281 travels concurrently to west-southwest ofRandlett, Oklahoma.
US 70 /US 277 /US 281 west of RandlettUS 277 /US 281 inWaltersUS 277 /US 281 northwest ofGeronimo. The highways travel concurrently to east ofMedicine Park.
US 62 inLawton. The highways travel concurrently to east ofMedicine Park.US 277 inElgin
US 81 /US 277 inChickashaUS 62 /US 277 in ChickashaUS 62 inNewcastle. I-44/US 62 travels concurrently toOklahoma City.
I-240 /US 62 in Oklahoma City
I-40 /US 270 in Oklahoma City
I-235 /US 77 in Oklahoma City
I-35 in Oklahoma City. The highways travel concurrently through northeast Oklahoma City.
US 377 inStroud
I-244 on theSapulpa–Oakhurst line
US 75 inTulsa
US 64 in Tulsa
US 169 in Tulsa
I-244 /US 412 in Tulsa. I-44/US 412 travels concurrently to the Tulsa–Fair Oaks line
US 69 inBig Cabin
US 60 /US 69 inVinita
US 59 /US 60 /US 69 northeast ofAfton
US 166 /US 400 inJoplin
I-49 /US 71 in Joplin. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 160 inSpringfield
US 65 in Springfield
US 63 inRolla
US 50 south-southwest ofVilla Ridge. The highways travel concurrently to theSunset Hills–Kirkwood city line.
I-270 in Sunset Hills
US 50 /US 61 /US 67 on the Sunset Hills–Kirkwood city line
I-55 inSt. Louis. The highways travel concurrently through St. Louis
I-55 /I-64 /US 40 in St. LouisI-70 in St. LouisI-44 has three auxiliary routes, and all are located in Oklahoma.I-244 and the unsignedI-444 are located inTulsa, whileI-344—also known as the Kilpatrick Turnpike—is located inOklahoma City. A formerauxiliary route numbered I-244 was located inSt. Louis, Missouri, but that number was decommissioned in 1974 and replaced withI-270.
All business loops of I-44 are located in Missouri. They serveJoplin,Sarcoxie,Mount Vernon,Springfield,Lebanon,Waynesville–St. Robert,Rolla, andPacific. A business spur links I-44 withFort Leonard Wood.
Media related toInterstate 44 at Wikimedia Commons PrimaryInterstate Highways | |
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Routes initalics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted. | |
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| Geographic | |
