Interstate 44 (I-44) in the US state of Missouri runs northeast from the Oklahoma state line near Joplin to I-70 in Downtown St. Louis. It runs for about 293 miles (472 km) in the state, and is the longest Interstate Highway in the state.
I-44 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by MoDOT | ||||
Length | 293.183 mi[1] (471.832 km) | |||
Existed | 1956–present | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ||||
East end | ||||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Missouri | |||
Counties | Newton, Jasper, Lawrence, Greene, Webster, Laclede, Pulaski, Phelps, Crawford, Franklin, St. Louis, City of St. Louis | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
I-44 enters Missouri in Newton County at the eastern terminus of the Will Rogers Turnpike, 200 yards (180 m) south of the Kansas state line. The first interchange in Missouri is the eastern terminus of both U.S. Route 166 (US 166) and US 400. This highway next goes through southern Joplin and then begins to run concurrently with I-49/US 71 at exit 11 just after entering Jasper County. The freeway turns to a more eastern heading (the old route of US 166), and then I-49/US 71 splits off to the north at exit 18.
I-44 next enters Lawrence County. Near Mount Vernon, the highway curves to the northeast. The section of highway to Halltown is a completely new highway, not supplanting any previous highways. At Halltown, the road curves back to due east, beginning to follow the general pathway of old US 66, which it does all the way to downtown St. Louis. I-44 then goes around the western and northern sides of Springfield, serving as the western terminus of the James River Freeway, as well as crossing both Route 13 and US 65. The Interstate Highway continues northeast, bypassing Lebanon.
In Pulaski County, I-44 enters the Mark Twain National Forest and then leaves it to provide access to Waynesville, St. Robert, and Fort Leonard Wood before reentering the national forest. The freeway leaves the forest in Phelps County west of Rolla. I-44 then goes through Rolla, where it meets US 63. It continues its northeastern course, passing near St. James, Cuba, Bourbon, Sullivan, and Saint Clair. At this point, it roughly parallels the Meramec River.
I-44 next goes north of Pacific before moving into St. Louis County. I-44 then bisects Eureka before serving as the southern boundary of Route 66 State Park (the former site of Times Beach, known for its dioxin contamination and its eventual demolition and Superfund cleanup[citation needed]). I-44 then runs across unincorporated land before entering Fenton and meeting an interchange with I-270 in Sunset Hills. I-44 then goes through Crestwood, Kirkwood, Oakland, Webster Groves, and Shrewsbury before entering the city of St. Louis. I-44 runs on a due east course through St. Louis until it meets I-55 south of downtown. The two highways run concurrently for about two miles (3.2 km) until I-55 turns east at an interchange with I-64 to cross the Mississippi River on the Poplar Street Bridge. I-44 then continues north through Downtown St. Louis on the former route of I-70 to its junction with that highway at the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge; drivers wishing to access eastbound I-70 must cross the Poplar Street Bridge via I-55 and I-64.
History
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I-44 follows the general route of, and completely replaced, historic US 66 from Halltown (exit 58, the junction with a cutoff section of US 66 since renumbered as Route 96) to downtown St. Louis. From rural Joplin at exit 15 to Mount Vernon at exit 49, it largely follows a decommissioned section of US 166.
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. This was changed when the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opened on February 9, 2014, rerouting I-70 over the river along a more northern alignment. I-44 now takes the old I-70 alignment through the below-grade section of roadway in St. Louis, extending the Interstate for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to its new eastern terminus at a directional interchange with I-70 near Cass Avenue;[2] the eastbound lanes of I-44 join the westbound lanes of I-70, and the westbound lanes of I-44 branch off the eastbound lanes of I-70.[2]
Exit list
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Newton | Joplin | 0.000 | 0.000 | Continuation into Oklahoma | ||
0.348 | 0.560 | 1 | Eastern terminus of US 166/US 400 | |||
3.987 | 6.416 | 4 | Western terminus of Route 43 concurrency | |||
6.618 | 10.651 | 6 | Eastern terminus of Route 43 concurrency; access to Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center, Freeman Hospital, and Mercy Hospital | |||
8.817 | 14.190 | 8 | Diverging diamond interchange;[3] access to Missouri Southern State University | |||
Jasper | 11.677– 11.880 | 18.792– 19.119 | 11 | Signed as exits 11A (south) and 11B (north) eastbound; western terminus of I-49/US 71 concurrency | ||
| 13.190 | 21.227 | 13 | Prigmor Road (CR 190) – Joplin | Opened November 2015 | |
| 15.483 | 24.917 | 15 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
Fidelity | 18.481 | 29.742 | 18 | Signed as exits 18A (south) and 18B (north); eastern terminus of I-49/US 71 concurrency; access to George Washington Carver National Monument and Neosho National Fish Hatchery | ||
| 22.497 | 36.205 | 22 | CR 100 | ||
| 26.507 | 42.659 | 26 | |||
| 29.929 | 48.166 | 29 | |||
Lawrence | | 33.517 | 53.940 | 33 | ||
| 38.498 | 61.957 | 38 | |||
| 44.298 | 71.291 | 44 | Access to the Missouri Veterans Home | ||
Mount Vernon | 46.930 | 75.527 | 46 | Access to Table Rock Lake | ||
| 49.725 | 80.025 | 49 | |||
| 58.133 | 93.556 | 57 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former US 66 west | ||
| 58.796 | 94.623 | 58 | |||
| 61.964 | 99.721 | 61 | |||
Greene | | 67.011 | 107.844 | 67 | ||
| 68.958 | 110.977 | 69 | |||
| 70.166 | 112.921 | 70 | |||
| 72.472 | 116.632 | 72 | Former US 66; access to Missouri State University, Drury University, Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield-Branson National Airport, Downtown Springfield, Battlefield Mall, and Bass Pro Shops | ||
Springfield | 75.480 | 121.473 | 75 | Access to Bois D'Arc Conservation Area and Andy Dalton Shooting Range | ||
77.713 | 125.067 | 77 | First diverging diamond interchange in North America, existing interchange converted in 2009;[4] access to Fantastic Caverns, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, and Dickerson Park Zoo | |||
80.372 | 129.346 | 80 | Access to Evangel University | |||
82.465 | 132.715 | 82 | Signed as exits 82A (south) and 82B (north); access to Table Rock Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri State University, Drury University, and Ozarks Technical Community College | |||
84.734 | 136.366 | 84 | ||||
Strafford | 88.917 | 143.098 | 88 | Future dogbone interchange[5] | ||
Webster | | 96.021 | 154.531 | 96 | ||
Marshfield | 100.938 | 162.444 | 100 | |||
| 103.000 | 165.762 | 103 | dumbbell interchange | ||
| 107.553 | 173.090 | 107 | Sampson Road / Sparkle Brook Road | ||
Laclede | Conway | 113.230 | 182.226 | 113 | ||
Phillipsburg | 118.027 | 189.946 | 118 | Former US 66 | ||
| 123.011 | 197.967 | 123 | County Road | ||
Lebanon | 127.207 | 204.720 | 127 | Former US 66 | ||
129.057 | 207.697 | 129 | Access to the Lake of the Ozarks, Bennett Spring State Park, and Pomme de Terre Lake | |||
130.160 | 209.472 | 130 | Access to Mercy Hospital | |||
| 135.239 | 217.646 | 135 | Former US 66 | ||
| 139.999 | 225.307 | 140 | |||
Pulaski | | 145.711 | 234.499 | 145 | ||
| 150.630 | 242.415 | 150 | |||
| 153.411 | 246.891 | 153 | |||
Waynesville | 156.396 | 251.695 | 156 | Access to the Missouri Veterans Cemetery | ||
St. Robert | 159.832 | 257.225 | 159 | Former US 66 | ||
161.160 | 259.362 | 161 | Access to Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport and U.S. Army Museums at Fort Leonard Wood | |||
| 163.836 | 263.668 | 163 | |||
| 169.086 | 272.118 | 169 | |||
Phelps | | 172.574 | 277.731 | 172 | No westbound entrance | |
| 176.531 | 284.099 | 176 | Sugar Tree Road | ||
Doolittle | 179.447 | 288.792 | 179 | |||
Rolla | 184.579 | 297.051 | 184 | Western terminus of Route 72; former US 66 east; access to Phelps Health Medical Group | ||
185.651 | 298.776 | 185 | Access to Missouri University of Science and Technology and Phelps Health Medical Group | |||
186.642 | 300.371 | 186 | Former US 66 | |||
189.744 | 305.363 | 189 | ||||
St. James | 195.613 | 314.809 | 195 | Former US 66; access to Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Meramac Spring Park | ||
Crawford | | 203.388 | 327.321 | 203 | ||
Cuba | 208.284 | 335.201 | 208 | |||
| 210.782 | 339.221 | 210 | |||
| 214.250 | 344.802 | 214 | Access to Onondaga Cave State Park | ||
Bourbon | 218.492 | 351.629 | 218 | |||
Franklin | Sullivan | 224.286 | 360.953 | 225 | Access to Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital | |
| 225.831 | 363.440 | 226 | Access to Meramec State Park | ||
| 230.240 | 370.535 | 230 | Access to Meramec Caverns | ||
St. Clair | 238.816 | 384.337 | 239 | |||
240.309 | 386.740 | 240 | ||||
| 242.189 | 389.765 | 242 | |||
| 247.088 | 397.650 | 247 | Western terminus of US 50 concurrency; access to Robertsville State Park and East Central College | ||
Villa Ridge | 251.485 | 404.726 | 251 | Former US 66; access to Mercy Hospital | ||
Gray Summit | 253.289 | 407.629 | 253 | Former US 66; access to Shaw Nature Reserve and Purina Farms | ||
Pacific | 256.555 | 412.885 | 256 | |||
St. Louis | Eureka | 261.505 | 420.852 | 261 | Access to Six Flags St. Louis | |
264.459 | 425.606 | 264 | Access to Babler State Park and Don Robinson State Park | |||
265.262 | 426.898 | 265 | Williams Road | Eastbound exit and entrance; access to Route 66 State Park | ||
| 266.557 | 428.982 | 266 | Lewis Road | Access to Route 66 State Park Visitor Center | |
| 268.788 | 432.572 | 269 | Beaumont Antire Road | Access to Jay Henges Shooting Range | |
Valley Park | 272.385 | 438.361 | 272 | Access to SSM Health St. Clare Hospital | ||
Fenton | 273.844 | 440.709 | 274A | Bowles Avenue | Signed as exit 274 westbound | |
274.664 | 442.029 | 274B | Mraz Lane | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
275.630 | 443.583 | 275 | North Highway Drive / Soccer Park Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
Sunset Hills | 275.872– 276.932 | 443.973– 445.679 | 276 | Access to St. Louis Lambert International Airport | ||
276.132– 276.844 | 444.391– 445.537 | 277A | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former US 66 | |||
Sunset Hills–Kirkwood city line | 277.619 | 446.784 | 277B | Eastern terminus of US 50 concurrency; access to Historic Downtown Kirkwood, The Magic House, and Laumeier Sculpture Park | ||
Kirkwood–Crestwood city line | 278.634 | 448.418 | 278 | Big Bend Road | ||
Oakland–Webster Groves line | 279.736 | 450.191 | 279 | Berry Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
Webster Groves | 280.739 | 451.806 | 280 | Elm Avenue | Access to Historic Downtown Webster Groves and Webster University | |
Webster Groves–Shrewsbury line | 282.300 | 454.318 | 282 | Murdoch Avenue / Laclede Station Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
Shrewsbury | 282.485 | 454.616 | 283 | Shrewsbury Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
City of St. Louis | 284.175 | 457.335 | 284A | Jamieson Avenue | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
284.432 | 457.749 | 284B | Arsenal Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
284.800 | 458.341 | 285 | Southwest Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
285.602 | 459.632 | 286 | Hampton Avenue | Access to Forest Park, Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, and the Saint Louis Zoo | ||
286.779 | 461.526 | 287A | Kingshighway Boulevard | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to Tower Grove Park and Washington University Medical Center | ||
287.127 | 462.086 | 287B | Vandeventer Avenue | Also signed westbound for Kingshighway Boulevard; access to Missouri Botanical Garden | ||
288.254 | 463.900 | 288 | Access to Saint Louis University, Saint Louis University Hospital, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, John Cochran Veterans Hospital, and Missouri School for the Blind | |||
289.265 | 465.527 | 289 | Jefferson Avenue | Access to Enterprise Center and Union Station | ||
289.595– 290.274 | 466.058– 467.151 | 290B | Western terminus of concurrency with I-55; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former eastern terminus of I-44 | |||
290.123 | 466.908 | 290A | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
290.296 | 467.186 | 290B | Lafayette Avenue | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former Route 755 | ||
290.591 | 467.661 | 290C | Park Avenue / 7th Street | |||
291.167– 291.528 | 468.588– 469.169 | 291A | Eastern terminus of concurrency with I-55; westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
291.267 | 468.749 | 291B | Walnut Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
291.369 | 468.913 | 292 | Lumiere Place Boulevard / Washington Avenue / Eads Bridge | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to the Gateway Arch | ||
292.146 | 470.163 | 292A | Convention Plaza / Martin L. King Bridge – Illinois | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to IL 3, I-55, I-70, and I-64 | ||
I-70 Express Lanes | Westbound entrance only | |||||
292.605 | 470.902 | 292B | Broadway | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
292.919 | 471.407 | 293 | Madison Street / St. Louis Avenue | Eastbound exit only; access to Municipal River Terminal | ||
293.183 | 471.832 | Eastern terminus | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Business loops
All of I-44's business routes are in Missouri. Most of these business loops were the former US 66. Missouri also has the unusual occurrence of a business loop and business spur from the same Interstate intersecting (the Waynesville–St. Robert loop and the Ft. Leonard Wood spur).
References
- ^ a b Missouri Department of Transportation (January 5, 2015). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ a b "Traffic Control Sheets" (PDF). Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. June 8, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ "I-44 and Range Line interchange open". The Joplin Globe. July 20, 2013. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
- ^ Tang, Didi (January 28, 2010). "Missouri test drives 'diverging diamond' interchange". USA Today.
- ^ "Missouri Route 125 Intersection Improvements in Green County | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
External links
Media related to Interstate 44 in Missouri at Wikimedia Commons