Interstate 55

Interstate 55 enters the southwestern corner of Tennessee along a 12.28 mile course in the city of Memphis. The freeway heads north from Southaven, Mississippi alongside Interstate 69. I-55/69 overlap north through the Whitehaven area in Memphis to I-240, though Interstate 69 is not marked.

I-55 arcs northwest from I-240 and encircles the South Memphis community to the exchange with U.S. 51-64-70-79 (E.H. Crump Boulevard) and Riverside Drive. I-55 makes a TOTSO (turn off to stay on) movement in both directions at the cloverleaf interchange with Crump Boulevard. Plans addressing the substandard design outlined realigning the I-55 roadways onto a sweeping curve and adding separate wye interchanges tieing into a roundabout with Crump Boulevard and Riverside Drive. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Selected Alternative in January 2012. Work on the project is estimated for completion in the first quarter of 2025.

The Memphis-Arkansas Bridge takes Interstate 55 and U.S. 61-64-70-79 across the Mississippi River. Completed in 1949, the narrow cantilevered through truss bridge accommodates just four lanes of traffic with no shoulders.

Interstate 55 Tennessee Guides

North - 47 photos

South - 35 photos

scenes

SR 175 (Shelby Drive) passes south of Memphis International Airport (MEM) ahead of a six-ramp parclo interchange (Exit 2) with Interstate 55.
06/02/10

SR 175 (Shelby Drive) runs across the south side of Memphis along a 25.60 mile course from U.S. 72 at Collierville to I-55 at Whitehaven and U.S. 61 at Westwood.
06/02/10

Interstate 55 heads 1.80 miles south from SR 175 (Shelby Drive) to the Mississippi state line where I-69 appears.
06/02/10

Connect with:

Interstate 240

Page Updated Thursday September 03, 2020.