Continuing the drive north from Sikeston to the Quad Cities, clouds dominated the day, and from Springfield northward, snow flakes joined the fray. Generally traveled northward along Interstate 55, with a loop onto the new I-64, I-270, and I-255 around St. Louis. Took Interstate 155 to Interstates 74/474 to the Quad Cities in light snow. Saw a pair of cars dislodged from the road, one of which was wrapped in barbed wire, the other perpendicular to the westbound carriageway within the median…

Southbound Interstate 55 at the loop ramp onto Interstate 57′s northbound beginning. It appears that the I-57 shield may be covering up a square shield?

No Interstate 57 shields were posted between the beginning and Exit 4. We settled for this shot on County Road B.

An older spec Interstate 55 Missouri shield in place on U.S. 60 eastbound at the northbound loop ramp to Interstate 55 at Interstate 57′s northbound beginning.

Business Loop Interstate 55 crosses paths with Interstate 55 with U.S. 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The loop returns at Exit 105.

Some of the generous rock cuts along Interstate 55 near Exit 170 (junction U.S. 61).

Interstate 55 expands from four to eight overall lanes ahead of the Exit 186 diamond interchange with Imperial Main Street through the south St. Louis suburbs.

Interstate 55 north merges with Interstate 44 east at Exit 207C to Truman Parkway. Exit 207C constitutes a directional interchange with the unconstructed Route 755. Route 755 was a freeway planned to bypass downtown St. Louis between Interstate 55 and 70. The only portions built were the interchange here (Exit 207C) and the one with Interstate 64 (Exit 39A).

Interstate 55 northbound at its merge with Interstates 64 & 70 and U.S. 40 east across the Poplar Street Bridge. Interstate 70 turns northward at this junction toward the Gateway Arch. A new alignment and span is planned to relocate Interstate 70 to the north, but funding issues are delaying any work on the new Mississippi River Bridge. If completed, Interstate 70 will no longer travel the Poplar Street Bridge and either an extension of Interstate 44 north of a newly designated Interstate 264 will begin here and join Interstate 55 with the new bridge.

A surprisingly empty Poplar Street Bridge eastbound as Interstates 55-64-70 & U.S. 40 span the Mississippi River. Note the lack of shoulders on the eight-lane bridge.

Interstates 55-64-70 & U.S. 40 split into an express/local configuration east from the Poplar Street Bridge through to their merge with Illinois 3. The local lanes see an off-ramp to 4th Street and the East St. Louis business district before merging with the express lanes.

The split of Interstates 55 & 70 east/north with Interstate 64 at Exit 2. Interstate 64 continues to Evansville and Louisville.

Like eastbound, westbound Interstates 55-64-70 also split into a local/express type configuration. The local lanes provide access to Illinois 3 southbound’s split from the freeway. Interstate 70 departs Interstates 55 & 64 and U.S. 40 at the west end of the Poplar Street Bridge from the right. Therefore drivers bound for I-70 are directed onto the local lanes.

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 leave the Poplar Street Bridge and travel along side the newly built Busch Stadium. Will they ever rename it InBev or Anheuser-Busch InBev Stadium?

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 leave their viaduct and lower into the directional interchange with another section of the planned Route 755 freeway. Signed as "Market Street at 21st Street", Exit 39A links the freeway with parallel Market Street via a four-lane stub freeway.

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 reaches the Kingshighway Boulevard off-ramp (Exit 36A). The stretch of freeway between Exit 36A and Interstate 270 was reconstructed between 2008 and 2009 as part of the "New I-64" project. Completed on December 7, 2009, the work focused on a complete rebuilt of the aging freeway by closing entire sections of freeway for the construction. The sign pictured here indicates "completed as promised", at the gateway to the revised stretch of freeway.

Many of the interchanges along the "New I-64" were upgraded including that of the substandard south end of Interstate 170. The new interchange facilitates movements between the two freeways with high speed flyovers. Previously motorists encountered a traffic light between the two highways. Additional work focused on the rebuilding of all overpasses, giving them a cosmetic facelift with decorative lettering and fencing.

Emerging from the redesigned stretch of Interstate 64 ahead of Exits 25A/B (junction Interstate 270). Interstate 64 recently was extended through to Interstate 70, with the last traffic light along the previous divided highway removed by October 15, 2009.

Interstates 270 and 255 utilize variable speed limits that change depending upon traffic conditions. Digital speed limit signs are posted periodically along the route, with the speeds set at 60 mph otherwise. This is similar to Interstate 495 in Delaware, Interstate 4 in Orlando, and Interstate 10 across Mobile Bay.

Spanning the Mississippi River along the Jefferson Barracks Bridge between Missouri and Illinois. The steel arch bridges opened in 1983 and 1992 respectively.

Interstate 255 transitions into Illinois 255 at its junction with Interstate 270. The freeway spur resets the exit numbers. The state highway freeway opened in stages between 1998 and August 2008.

Nearing the merge with Interstate 72 east on Interstate 55 at the Illinois Capital city of Springfield. Business Loop Interstate 55 begins and follows 6th Street north from the Interstate merge to Sherman Boulevard (Exit 105) north of town. Interstate 72 saw extension west from its original end at I-55 officially in 1995.

Interstates 55 north & 72 east combine with U.S. 36 east around the city of Springfield. Some industry rises between the freeway and Lake Springfield near the northerly turn ahead of Stevenson Drive (Exit 94).

Snow kicked in in earnest at the split of Interstates 55 and 155 outside Lincoln. Interstate 155 replaced Illinois 121 as the designation for the freeway between Lincoln and Morton outside of Peoria in 1991.

Spanning the Mackinaw River along Interstate 155 north. A truss bridge remains in use along Old IL-121 to the west.

Clearview signage is now in place ahead of the split of Interstates 74 & 474 east of Peoria.

A snowy Shade Lohmann bridge carries Interstate 474 across the Illinois River south of Peoria.

Interstate 74 prepares to merge with Interstate 280 at the bump with Interstate 80.

U.S. 84 shifted from its Main Street alignment through Collins onto a new four-lane bypass north of town. The old alignment was redesignated Mississippi 184. A new partial-cloverleaf interchange joins U.S. 49 with the relocated U.S. 84.

U.S. 49′s approach to Interstates 20 and 55 at Richland was upgraded to an expressway recently. The controlled-access route bypasses some of the businesses, now served by frontage roads, from the split with Old Highway 49 north to U.S. 49′s merge onto Interstate 20 west & 55 south.

Interstates 20 & 55 westbound near their split in south Jackson. Road work is underway presently to replace the westbound bridge over U.S. 51 / State Street.

Mississippi 7 joins Interstate 55 north from Grenada between Exits 206 and 211.

Several Mississippi state highways double as scenic routes. Where these designations exist, blue on white shields are used. This assembly lies along the northbound Interstate 55 off-ramp at Exit 227.

Interstate 69 northbound at its merge onto Interstate 55 north at Hernando. Interstate 55 and 69 now cosign northward to the Tennessee state line. Additionally all Interstate shields installed from late 2008 onwards will include the state-name.

Interstate 55 & 69 northbound signage at the Exit 291 (State Line Road / Main Street), the final Mississippi interchange. Upon entering Tennessee, Interstate 69 disappears with the exception of Future I-69 Corridor signs.

Interstate 240 west/north at the redesigned interchange with Interstate 40 east of downtown Memphis. This interchange originally included provisions for unconstructed Interstate 40 leading east to Overton Park. When Interstate 40 was cancelled through the parkland, the I-40 designation shifted to the northern half of Interstate 240. It was not until recent years that work redesigned the previous cloverleaf interchange to remove unused ramps and upgrade the movements between Interstates 40 & 240 to include high speed ramps. Pictured here is the new flyover carrying drivers from Interstate 240 onto Interstate 40 west.

Upgrades also took place at the Interstates 40 and 240 eastern junction. A new flyover was added for movements between I-40 west to I-240 west. A ramp stub is in place for further upgrades for the I-40 westbound ramp onto the beltway. In this scene I-40 exits itself via a one-lane left-hand ramp (Exit 12C) as Interstate 240 begins.

Entering the Exit 9 six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with Mallory Avenue along Interstate 55 north in Memphis. The exit is currently closed as TNDOT is in the process of reconstructing the junction into a single point urban interchange (SPUI). Work commenced in 2008 and will be completed in 2010.

One of the most substandard connections along the Interstate system is that of the Interstate 55 cloverleaf interchange with Crump Boulevard in Memphis. The northbound mainline of I-55 utilizes a loop ramp from the freeway north onto Crump Boulevard west leading toward the Mississippi River Bridge. This scene looks at the I-55 northbound mainline at the Crump Boulevard southbound loop ramp. Fortunately TNDOT will be upgrading the interchange in the near future. Both Alternatives under study involve shifting the Interstate 55 mainline onto a new alignment skimming the southwestern quadrant of the current cloverleaf interchange.

Interstate 55 crosses the Mississippi between Memphis and West Memphis over the equally substandard Memphis & Arkansas Bridge. The cantilever span opened in 1949.

Westbound at the split of Interstate 40 to Little Rock and 55 north to Blytheville. Road work is currently underway at the merge of the two freeways ahead of Exit 279 to the east.

Northbound future Interstate 555 and U.S. 63 at the recently completed Exit 7 diamond interchange with Arkansas 135. There are no remaining at-grade intersections between Arkansas 135 and Interstate 55.

A sharp ramp carries drivers from Future Interstate 555 & U.S. 63 south onto Interstate 55 north. Arkansas 77 travels south from the directional cloverleaf interchange into Turrell.

The northbound beginning of Business Loop Interstate 55 near New Madrid, Missouri. This is the first business loop of I-55 in Missouri. Others exist further north at Cape Girardeau (Exit 93B), Jackson (Exit 99), Crystal City (Exit 174A) and Herculaneum (Exit 178).

Interstate 781 is the number proposed for a new freeway spur from Interstate 81 to Fort Drum in Upstate New York. This route would enhance access to growing Fort Drum and bypass a current at-grade connection. A page for I-781 resides on the Interstate Guide as well.

Interstate 264 was mentioned as the planned number for the old section of Interstate 70 leading south to the Poplar Street Bridge from the new alignment on its envisioned Mississippi River Bridge at St. Louis.

Lastly, a short section of new Interstate 69 freeway opened between Interstates 64/164 and Indiana 68 as both Indiana 57 and I-69. This is the third section of Interstate 69, tallying just 1.77 miles, now in existance. Construction is underway to extend the road northward to Indiana 64.

The interchange with I-70 was rebuilt from late 2003 to December 2004. This view looks northbound at the stack on the west side of Kansas City, Kansas.

The view above looks northbound at the southern beginning of 635 in Kansas City. South of here US 69 and US 169 have an expressway portion that contains a few crazy tight ramps and blind spots. Hitting 635 is a nice change as the road opens up with concrete and a faster design speed.

This view looks northbound towards I-70. There are some great views along I-635 as it dives into the valleys of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers.

The last exit in Kansas is for K-5 east. It is an exit only as 635 prepares to cross the Missouri River with two lanes in each direction. KDOT closed the Missouri River bridge along 635 for 60 days during construction in 2005. Missouri had closed the Paseo Bridge (I-29 and I-35) over the river at about the same time for urgent repairs, and asked KDOT in a letter to delay closing the 635 bridge for the sake of traffic flow. KDOT denied their request because of the cost of delaying the construction, and went ahead. The closure involved ripping out the freeway entirely and rebuilding it, from K-5 to the bridge. For a time, the only way to get to the other side of the river in Kansas City on an interstate was I-435.

The Interstate’s interchange with Parallel Parkway took place in 2005. The picture above is from 2003, while the one below is from 2008 in about the same spot. Originally opened in 1976, this section of freeway did not even last for 30 years. This phase of the project was 3 miles long and saw 6 new bridges built. This short section was the most expensive reconstruction phase, and cost over $43 million. It saw the freeway closed for lengthy stretches of time, irking many commuters and Kansas airport commuters. The new Parallel Parkway interchange is concrete and the diamond has been replaced with a SPUI.

This 1968 KDOT map shows another route for 635, one that took it across the river along the existing US 69 toll bridge. Eventually, additions in federal funds allowed for a new bridge to be constructed just to the west. This view of what might-have-been is echoed in the short freeway route of K-5 just north of Quindaro.

As for the Missouri section, its much older than the brand-new Kansas section, as is to be expected. It is primarily asphalt and mostly two lanes, except for this area near the road’s northern end. Like I-435, this interstate keeps its exit numbering as it crosses the state line.

Let’s take a look at the as-yet-incomplete SR 249 – aka the Range Line bypass – after the jump

The route is signed well in advance along US 71 coming north. The US 71 freeway was recently upgraded and a new alignment built south past Neosho.

MSSU is signed as a secondary control point for MO 249, and is mentioned again before the Newman Road exit. Joplin is home to MSSU and two bible colleges. The whole metro area has about 166,000 residents.

At Interstate 44, a mostly-cloverleaf interchange is encountered. US 71 follows I-44 briefly to the east and then continues northward to Carthage and Kansas City. Here, MO 249 is given Joplin as a control point.

With the state abbreviation dropped from the sign, Tulsa is the control point for I-44 westbound. This marks the southern beginning of SR 249.

Woops! The bane of DOTs everywhere, the dreaded US-highway-in-the-wrong-spot problem. In two places northbound, it is signed as a US highway. Perhaps the ulterior motives of the DOT, numbering this freeway as a loop of a possible future I-49, shone through here.

The first exit along SR 249 northbound is Business Loop I-44 and SR 66. SR 66 is the former routing of US 66, which was replaced mostly by I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City.

Finally, a MO 249 shield, just before the freeway’s end at Highway VV / Zora St. The freeway is entirely 2 lanes in each direction, and is mostly paved with concrete. Some asphalt sections exist, however.

A large stop sign greets northbound drivers along the route before Highway VV. There are no “Freeway Ends” signs or indicators, only this large stop warning and a VMS that says “Pavement Ends 1/4th mile”.

Zora Street marks the terminus of the freeway, which is being built north to Business US 71 in Carterville. The entire road is due to be opened in January, 2009. For now, all traffic must exit.

SR 249 temporarily runs east along VV and then north to Business US 71. The routing runs parallel to the route of the new freeway.

The northern terminus of MO 249 will be at this stack (click here for a rendering from MoDot) with Business US 71, also due to open in January 2009. The stack has 7 bridges, with the highest ramp at about 80 feet tall. It is going to be the first stack interchange in southwest Missouri, and the residents of Carterville (population 1,700) are understandably proud.