Interstate 22

[US71]

When doing the Oregon to Memphis trip, my friend and I went to Tupelo and had a hard time with finding a way to I-22 coming out of Memphis since Tennessee has not built their portion yet.  Once we crossed into Mississippi, it took a while for I-22 shields to show up.  What is the deal with this freeway?  It would seem to be one that by connecting Memphis and Birmingham would be rather important and finished instead of languishing uncompleted, especially on the Memphis end.

Rick

When I went to Cody's roadmeet, I came out US 78 knowing it would eventually become I-22, but getting there I felt like I was going through the  dregs of Memphis at times.

[sparker]

When doing the Oregon to Memphis trip, my friend and I went to Tupelo and had a hard time with finding a way to I-22 coming out of Memphis since Tennessee has not built their portion yet.  Once we crossed into Mississippi, it took a while for I-22 shields to show up.  What is the deal with this freeway?  It would seem to be one that by connecting Memphis and Birmingham would be rather important and finished instead of languishing uncompleted, especially on the Memphis end.

Rick

When I went to Cody's roadmeet, I came out US 78 knowing it would eventually become I-22, but getting there I felt like I was going through the  dregs of Memphis at times.

I can sympathize; while the area doesn't appear to me to be particularly hazardous or dangerous, it is somewhat depressing -- like driving through the middle of a very old factory (lots of corrugated steel buildings and corporate yards).  I'll probably need to make a trip to Atlanta later this year -- probably at Thanksgiving -- to visit GF's family (she'll fly out in advance -- she hates long road trips as much as I love them!), and 40 to Memphis and 22/20 east from there seems like the way to go -- particularly at that time of the year.  I just hope I-269's done to I-55/69 by that time -- otherwise I'll just stay on 40 all the way to 269 east of town -- or take the E-W part of 385.  Probably the former; I dislike the Crump Blvd. P.O.S. interchange almost as much as Lamar!   

[jasonh300]

I posted this in the videos section, but it seems relevant here.  This playlist is a series of videos of I-22 East from start to finish (as it is currently anyway), including several miles of US-78 through the "dregs of Memphis". 

The videos run at double speed, 60 frames per second, so if you want to sit and watch in realtime, set YouTube to play at 1/2 speed.  And if you're in more of a hurry, the last video in the playlist is the whole thing sped up to run the whole distance in 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL5An7Y7CkfCwG6aX2V6jBM0yKTBAFoVu

[nexus73]

I posted this in the videos section, but it seems relevant here.  This playlist is a series of videos of I-22 East from start to finish (as it is currently anyway), including several miles of US-78 through the "dregs of Memphis". 

The videos run at double speed, 60 frames per second, so if you want to sit and watch in realtime, set YouTube to play at 1/2 speed.  And if you're in more of a hurry, the last video in the playlist is the whole thing sped up to run the whole distance in 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL5An7Y7CkfCwG6aX2V6jBM0yKTBAFoVu

Having gone from Memphis to Tupelo on I-22 last fall, it was nice to be able to see the entire route unfold at warp speed.  Thank you for a wonderful video!

Rick

[sparker]

I posted this in the videos section, but it seems relevant here.  This playlist is a series of videos of I-22 East from start to finish (as it is currently anyway), including several miles of US-78 through the "dregs of Memphis". 

The videos run at double speed, 60 frames per second, so if you want to sit and watch in realtime, set YouTube to play at 1/2 speed.  And if you're in more of a hurry, the last video in the playlist is the whole thing sped up to run the whole distance in 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL5An7Y7CkfCwG6aX2V6jBM0yKTBAFoVu

Having gone from Memphis to Tupelo on I-22 last fall, it was nice to be able to see the entire route unfold at warp speed.  Thank you for a wonderful video!

Rick

Fun stuff -- haven't been on it since well before I-22 signage, so a lot of it (like the New Albany revisions) is new to me.  Did Memphis-Alabama line tonight; it's past 1 a.m. and I need to sack out -- so will save the rest for later.   Not much on TV because of the Olympics, so this occupies a lot of otherwise "down time".  Interesting enough that trying to multitask might not be in the cards.  For a dashcam, it's really fine videography -- kudos!!!!!

[jasonh300]

For a dashcam, it's really fine videography -- kudos!!!!!

Thank you, and a really cheap dashcam. For the video, all I really do is zoom in a bit to get rid of the hood of the car.
Which actually reduces the final resolution to around 720p.

I'm doing some experimenting with an externally mounted GoPro for city tours and special videos where higher detail would be desired, but it's not good for long runs like this because of battery life and memory space requirements.



iPhone

[jasonh300]

Having gone from Memphis to Tupelo on I-22 last fall, it was nice to be able to see the entire route unfold at warp speed.  Thank you for a wonderful video!

Rick

Yes, it's always nice to watch the high speed videos and wish that you could get a couple hundred miles in that short of a time span. It also illustrates the change of scenery between the relatively flat northwestern Mississippi and the slightly mountainous central Alabama.

Thank you for watching!



iPhone

[mvak36]

That was a cool video. I was pleasantly surprised to see it being three lanes from Jasper till I-65.

[jasonh300]

That was a cool video. I was pleasantly surprised to see it being three lanes from Jasper till I-65.

Yeah. I suspect that during commute times, there's a high volume of traffic between jasper and I-65, and they wanted people in the correct lane in advance for going north or south. This video was shot on the Saturday after thanksgiving so traffic was really light.

Thanks for watching!


iPhone

[SteveG1988]

Interstate 22 ends between the roadways for I-269, US78 continues into Memphis.

[US71]

Interstate 22 ends between the roadways for I-269, US78 continues into Memphis.

In theory, it could be extended west to MS 302 but I can't see any compelling reason

[Tomahawkin]

Out of curiosity? Does anyone think I 22 could be built through Bama to connect to I 16? I ask because Atlanta is starting to get the Midwest to Florida/Spring Break traffic. However, I believe that if I 16 went west it would go to Jackson MS, instead of Birmingham...

[sparker]

Interstate 22 ends between the roadways for I-269, US78 continues into Memphis.

In theory, it could be extended west to MS 302 but I can't see any compelling reason

As long as TN wants nothing to do with the route, any further western extension is pointless; I-269 is a more than reasonable distributor for any traffic to/from I-22 (although a flyover from WB 22 to WB/SB I-269 would have been nice!).  Anyone wanting direct freeway access to Memphis can just use 269 north to TN 385 then west or simply wait until I-269 is finished over to I-55/69. 

Out of curiosity? Does anyone think I 22 could be built through Bama to connect to I 16? I ask because Atlanta is starting to get the Midwest to Florida/Spring Break traffic. However, I believe that if I 16 went west it would go to Jackson MS, instead of Birmingham...

A general consensus, usually found in Fictional, is that a logical SE extension of I-22 shoots down US 280 to Columbus, GA, then along GRIP 520 SE from there through Albany to either I-75 at Tifton or on toward Brunswick or Jacksonville (or, fancifully, both).  However, such speculation really belongs in Fictional, as there aren't any proposals on any official table for any such development. 

[Henry]

Interstate 22 ends between the roadways for I-269, US78 continues into Memphis.

In theory, it could be extended west to MS 302 but I can't see any compelling reason

As long as TN wants nothing to do with the route, any further western extension is pointless; I-269 is a more than reasonable distributor for any traffic to/from I-22 (although a flyover from WB 22 to WB/SB I-269 would have been nice!).  Anyone wanting direct freeway access to Memphis can just use 269 north to TN 385 then west or simply wait until I-269 is finished over to I-55/69. 

Out of curiosity? Does anyone think I 22 could be built through Bama to connect to I 16? I ask because Atlanta is starting to get the Midwest to Florida/Spring Break traffic. However, I believe that if I 16 went west it would go to Jackson MS, instead of Birmingham...

A general consensus, usually found in Fictional, is that a logical SE extension of I-22 shoots down US 280 to Columbus, GA, then along GRIP 520 SE from there through Albany to either I-75 at Tifton or on toward Brunswick or Jacksonville (or, fancifully, both).  However, such speculation really belongs in Fictional, as there aren't any proposals on any official table for any such development. 

Looks like Lamar Avenue will be Memphis' version of Bruce Watkins Drive, just without any stupid court orders (anyone who's familiar with the I-49/US 71 situation would know). Sure, acquiring the needed ROW would be difficult and very expensive, but in the long run, it would all be worth it.

Ideally, Jacksonville would make a better eastern terminus than Brunswick because in addition to keeping the NW-SE trajectory of the resulting extension from Birmingham, I-22 would serve more people there than it would in Brunswick. But again, Fictional is the right place for it, because no such proposal will likely come to pass in the real world.

[The Ghostbuster]

Now that Interstate 22 connects with Interstate 269 on the western end, will the existing exit numbers along Interstate 22/US 78 from Interstate 269 to the Mississippi/Alabama border remain the same? Or will the Interstate 22 portion of the US 78 freeway have its exits renumbered to correspond with the mileage of Interstate 22 from Interstate 269? Personally, I would leave the existing exit numbers the way they are.

[sparker]

AFAIK, that is indeed the plan.  There is some sort of precedent for this right here in CA, with the exit numbers on I-15 reflecting not only the present Interstate portion of the route north of I-8, but the part signed as CA 15 from I-5 to I-8 in San Diego.  Although US 78 doesn't bear the same number as I-22, it is co-signed with it throughout MS; the numbering scheme gains some semblance of legitimacy that way, although technically the I-22 mileage figures should prevail here.  But requiring every business along the corridor to change their exit references (particularly roadside services) on their advertising and various listings would be somewhat onerous -- so it's probably best in a practical sense if the current mileage continues unchanged.

[roadman65]

Look at the way that I-17 is numbered.  That makes I-22's continuation of US 78's scheme look real practical.  What does I-17 continue? 

[SteveG1988]

Now that Interstate 22 connects with Interstate 269 on the western end, will the existing exit numbers along Interstate 22/US 78 from Interstate 269 to the Mississippi/Alabama border remain the same? Or will the Interstate 22 portion of the US 78 freeway have its exits renumbered to correspond with the mileage of Interstate 22 from Interstate 269? Personally, I would leave the existing exit numbers the way they are.

The exit numbers are untouched. That is a good thing to be honest.

I also am okay with 22 not entering Memphis, ending it at 269 is a simple way to end it. Just sign 78 as 22 Business, have 269 be branded "Thru Traffic" and call it a day.

[Bobby5280]

There are plans to upgrade Lamar Avenue/US-78 to Interstate quality as far NW as New Getwell Rd. The last 2 miles between that point and I-240 would be the last hurdle to overcome. I think it's possible to fill in that gap since a bunch of the properties along that stretch are either vacant or run down. If US-78 has plans to be upgraded to Interstate quality through the intersections at Holmes Rd, Tuggle Rd, Shelby Dr, Pleasant Hill Rd, Winchester Rd and finally Getwell the final 2 miles shouldn't be out of reach either. It's just going to take a long time for those upgrades to happen. The existence of I-22 will provide pressure to get it done.

Then there's the Fed-Ex hub along Democrat Rd and Memphis Intl Airport along Winchester. It's possible for both to get improvements over the years to tie into I-22.

The dinky I-55 bridge across the Mississippi River is perhaps one good reason not to tie I-22 into I-240 in Memphis.

I think I-22 should connect directly into I-40 somehow. One idea, although expensive, is building a new Mississippi River bridge by Tunica. Curve the road up close to Hughes and over to I-40 near Forrest City, AR. Customer traffic at Tunica would likely increase dramatically. The real bonus would be pulling a lot of I-40 traffic headed to points in the Deep South (Altanta, Birmingham, etc) off the old bridges in Memphis.

Regarding a SE extension of I-22, I think such a thing would be good. I don't think it's necessary to build I-22 all the way to Jacksonville to serve Jacksonville traffic. It would be enough to run it down thru Columbus, GA and Albany, GA but slant it SE toward Valdosta. It would be just as fast to then take I-75 down to I-10 and across to Jacksonville. The US-82/US-1 option thru Waycross is just as long. It's a parallelogram shape. Brunswick has some luxury homes along the coast and seems pretty nice. But it's not a major traffic destination like Jacksonville. Traffic coming up from Florida's Turnpike and the Tampa area would have more direct access to I-22 if was extended to Valdosta.

Regarding an I-16 extension, hasn't the same stretch between Montgomery and Meridian been pitched at an I-85 extension? I think I've even seen some I-14 concepts proposed for it.

[froggie]

There are plans to upgrade Lamar Avenue/US-78 to Interstate quality as far NW as New Getwell Rd.

Do you have a source for actual interstate-grade plans or are you just assuming that the proposed interchanges at Winchester, Shelby, and Holmes would include eliminating nearby at-grades?

[Bobby5280]

I was under the impression various driveways and what not would be removed as each interchange project was built. Otherwise why even bother? They're going to have to clear a bunch of property on the corners of traffic light controlled intersections just to make room for on/off ramps. Still, the corridor is kind of a tight squeeze. Elevating the highway in a couple or so spots would be feasible through there, if they wanted to spend the money to do it. It's mostly industrial property through there, nothing scenic. Can't see anyone wanting to protest that.

[lordsutch]

I was under the impression various driveways and what not would be removed as each interchange project was built. Otherwise why even bother? They're going to have to clear a bunch of property on the corners of traffic light controlled intersections just to make room for on/off ramps. Still, the corridor is kind of a tight squeeze. Elevating the highway in a couple or so spots would be feasible through there, if they wanted to spend the money to do it. It's mostly industrial property through there, nothing scenic. Can't see anyone wanting to protest that.

At least according to the plans for the Holmes Road interchange and associated widening project, the existing signalized intersections at both Old US 78 and Tuggle Road will remain in place. Typical TDOT decision-making: why do something if you can't half-ass it?

[edwaleni]

There were some long range transportation planning documents that showed fictional/proposed interstate builds across the southeast. But honestly they were speculative.

It was positioned as a way to get more freight in and out of the Ports of Brunswick and Savannah which makes me think a Georgia based consultant was pushing it.

I don't think I-22 will ever go east of Birmingham.

However, there is a desire to get better routes in and out of the southeast due to Atlanta congestion. 

ALDOT has been looking at a route that would align with US-231 and terminate at US-10 at Marietta on the Florida side and the new I-85 Bypass south of Montgomery on the north end.  This would provide a natural NW/SE feeder with I-22 at Birmingham and allow a complete route that bypasses Atlanta completely.  The only issue is the town of Enterprise, AL is insisting the route go by them, when ALDOT wants to stay east of Fort Rucker and closer to Dothan.

No funding for it as of yet. But at least they are looking at it. US-231 is already 4 lane on the route but the stop lights, especially around Dothan make it challenging.

I recommended the I-22 routing for people coming southeast to Florida from Iowa or Missouri and they said they like it much better than using I-24/I-75.

I use the I-22 route to get to I-555 in Arkansas to reach southwest Missouri.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Google Maps was driving down US-78/I-22.

Here is a nice shot of the Begin Interstate 22 sign:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8793222,-89.7253977,3a,75y,149.8h,92.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgpDKEegSwkYsgvuO7S2v_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[US71]

Google Maps was driving down US-78/I-22.

Here is a nice shot of the Begin Interstate 22 sign:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8793222,-89.7253977,3a,75y,149.8h,92.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgpDKEegSwkYsgvuO7S2v_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Well, that's new.