Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Interstate 22
Interstate 22 (I-22) is a 202.22-mile-long (325.44 km) Interstate Highway in the US states of Mississippi and Alabama, connecting I-269 near Byhalia, Mississippi, to I-65 near Birmingham, Alabama. I-22 is also Corridor X of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). Designated in 2012, I-22 follows the route of older U.S. Route 78 (US 78) and is concurrent with the route for all but its easternmost 11 miles (18 km). The freeway mainly spans rural areas and passes numerous small towns along its route, including Fulton, Tupelo, New Albany, and Holly Springs in Mississippi and Jasper, Winfield, and Hamilton in Alabama.
I-22 was upgraded to Interstate Highway standards to close a gap in the Interstate Highway System, allowing for more direct connections between cities in the southeast with cities in the central part of the country. I-22 indirectly connects I-240, I-40, I-55, and I-69 in the Memphis metropolitan area via US 78 and I-269, and indirectly connects with I-459, I-20, and I-59 in the Birmingham metropolitan area via I-65.
I-22 serves as a connection between Birmingham and suburban Memphis, filling in a gap in the Interstate Highway System. It also fills a gap that provides freeway passage between Atlanta and Oklahoma City. It begins at an interchange with I-269 at Byhalia, Mississippi, approximately 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Memphis and travels southeast across northern Mississippi and Alabama, before ending at an interchange with I-65 approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham, Alabama.[citation needed]
I-22 begins at a cloverleaf interchange with I-269 just west of Byhalia in DeSoto County in northwestern Mississippi in the far southeastern suburbs of Memphis. It is concurrent with US 78, which is a four-lane freeway through its entire length in Mississippi and the exit numbers for its overlap with I-22 remain based on its mileage. I-22/US 78 then continues southeastward into Marshall County parallel to Mississippi Highway 178 (MS 178; the former alignment of US 78) with latter route providing local access to small towns along the route. The first major community the freeway passes is Holly Springs, the county seat of Marshall County. I-22/US 78 bypasses the city to the southwest; exits 26 (Landfill Road) and 30 (MS 4/MS 7) provide access to the city. Continuing southeastward, the freeway than passes through the Holly Springs National Forest and into Benton County passing near several small towns that are accessible through interchanges with or connecting to MS 178. Upon exiting the forest into Union County, I-22/US 78 approaches the county seat of New Albany before passing just southwest of it with four exits (60, 61, 63, and 64) providing direct access to the city. MS 30 shares a brief concurrency with I-22/US 78 between exits 61 and 64 with the latter exit being at MS 15. To the southeast of the city near the town of Sherman in Pontotoc County, I-22/US 78 has a second brief concurrency with MS 9 starting between the exits 73 and 76. Exit 73 is a six-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange, the first non-diamond interchange on the freeway since its starting point at I-269, a distance of about 61.2 miles (98.5 km). I-22/US 78 then enters Lee County and passes north of Tupelo, its county seat, with five exits (81, 82, 85, 86, and 87) connecting to the city, including an interchange with MS 178 (exit 81) northwest of Tupelo along with interchanges with the Natchez Trace Parkway (exit 85) and US 45/Corridor V (exit 86) north of the city with Corridor V becoming concurrent with I-22/US 78. The freeway then turns eastward and has an interchange with MS 371 north of Mooreville before crossing into Itawamba County. I-22/US 78/Corridor V then has an interchange with MS 178 (to MS 363) in Peppertown before crossing the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to its next interchange with South Adams Street (exit 104), which provides access to the community of Fulton, the county seat. MS 25 becomes concurrent with I-22/US 78/Corridor V and heads eastward along the route at the exit as well. A weigh station is also just beyond the exit. One exit later (108), MS 25 and Corridor V branch off and head northward. I-22/US 78 then turns east-southeastward with one final interchange (exit 113) with MS 23 south of Tremont before crossing into Alabama.[citation needed]
Still a four-lane freeway, I-22/US 78 (internally designated as State Route 4, or SR 4) enters into northwestern Alabama northwest of Bexar in Marion County and heads east-southeastward. Its first interchange (exit 3) is located just east of town at County Route 33 (CR 33). I-22/US 78/SR 4's next four exits (7, 11, 14, and 16) serve the city of Hamilton, the county seat. The freeway curls around the southwest side of the city. Exit 7 gives I-22/US 78/SR 4 access to SR 19 and SR 74, exit 11 is an interchange with SR 17 and exit 16 is an interchange with US 43/US 278/SR 171. The final exit also provides access to the community of Guin. I-22/US 78 then passes south of Brilliant which is accessible by interchanges with SR 44 (exit 26, which also serves the town of Twin and the city of Guin) and SR 129 (exit 30, which also serves the community of Winfield). An interchange with SR 233 (exit 34) serves the community of Glen Allen before I-22/US 78/SR 4 crosses into Walker County. Its next interchange, SR 13 (exit 39), serves the communities of Eldridge and Natural Bridge. Carbon Hill is served by CR 11 (exit 46, which also serves Nauvoo) and SR 118 (exit 52; former US 78 Alternate). I-22/US 78/SR 4 then widens to six lanes and has an unsigned interchange (exit 53) with future SR 102. I-22/US 78/SR 4 then passes just south of Jasper, the county seat, which is served by four exits (57, 61, 63, and 65) with SR 118, SR 69, SR 269, and Industrial Parkway. The freeway narrows to four lanes at exit 57 but expands back to six lanes at exit 63. The next three exits (70, 72, and 78) serve Cordova, Parrish, Dora, Sumiton, Wyatt, and Quinton. I-22/US 78/SR 4 then enters Jefferson County and has an interchange with CR 45 (exit 81), which serves West Jefferson. Its next interchange is with SR 5 (exit 85); the exit marks the end of the concurrency with US 78/SR 4 which branches off and becomes concurrent with SR 5 south, which serves as a local road for Graysville and the northwestern suburbs of Birmingham. Between exits 85 and 87 (CR 112) is the future site of the interchange with I-222 (exit 86), which would connect I-22 to the proposed I-422 (Corridor X-1/Birmingham Northern Beltline). I-22 than passes through Coalburg before ending at an interchange with I-65 (unsigned exits 95A and 95B) approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham. Ramp stubs for an additional interchange (future exit 95C) just beyond I-65 to US 31 have been made, but construction on this won't begin until at least 2030.
The concept of a Memphis-to-Birmingham expressway was discussed as early as the 1950s but did not move beyond talk for more than 20 years. Political push for Corridor X began in the 1970s under the leadership of Congressman Tom Bevill. After Bevill's retirement, Congressman Robert Aderholt was involved with completing the project.
When studies for I-22 began, the highway was proposed to continue west to downtown Memphis, Tennessee, and end at I-240 and I-69. Several other proposals were also considered. One took I-22 along I-269 to I-55/I-69 and another took it along Crump Boulevard to end at I-55, but those plans never materialized.
The part of I-22 just east of Fulton, Mississippi, was approved by Congress as "Corridor X" in 1978, as a part of the ADHS, and parts of I-22 have been under construction ever since. Corridor X was also designated as "High Priority Corridor 10" in the federal National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 and as "High Priority Corridor 45" in later legislation.[citation needed] Over the many years of development, the project changed multiple times.
Hub AI
Interstate 22 AI simulator
(@Interstate 22_simulator)
Interstate 22
Interstate 22 (I-22) is a 202.22-mile-long (325.44 km) Interstate Highway in the US states of Mississippi and Alabama, connecting I-269 near Byhalia, Mississippi, to I-65 near Birmingham, Alabama. I-22 is also Corridor X of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). Designated in 2012, I-22 follows the route of older U.S. Route 78 (US 78) and is concurrent with the route for all but its easternmost 11 miles (18 km). The freeway mainly spans rural areas and passes numerous small towns along its route, including Fulton, Tupelo, New Albany, and Holly Springs in Mississippi and Jasper, Winfield, and Hamilton in Alabama.
I-22 was upgraded to Interstate Highway standards to close a gap in the Interstate Highway System, allowing for more direct connections between cities in the southeast with cities in the central part of the country. I-22 indirectly connects I-240, I-40, I-55, and I-69 in the Memphis metropolitan area via US 78 and I-269, and indirectly connects with I-459, I-20, and I-59 in the Birmingham metropolitan area via I-65.
I-22 serves as a connection between Birmingham and suburban Memphis, filling in a gap in the Interstate Highway System. It also fills a gap that provides freeway passage between Atlanta and Oklahoma City. It begins at an interchange with I-269 at Byhalia, Mississippi, approximately 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Memphis and travels southeast across northern Mississippi and Alabama, before ending at an interchange with I-65 approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham, Alabama.[citation needed]
I-22 begins at a cloverleaf interchange with I-269 just west of Byhalia in DeSoto County in northwestern Mississippi in the far southeastern suburbs of Memphis. It is concurrent with US 78, which is a four-lane freeway through its entire length in Mississippi and the exit numbers for its overlap with I-22 remain based on its mileage. I-22/US 78 then continues southeastward into Marshall County parallel to Mississippi Highway 178 (MS 178; the former alignment of US 78) with latter route providing local access to small towns along the route. The first major community the freeway passes is Holly Springs, the county seat of Marshall County. I-22/US 78 bypasses the city to the southwest; exits 26 (Landfill Road) and 30 (MS 4/MS 7) provide access to the city. Continuing southeastward, the freeway than passes through the Holly Springs National Forest and into Benton County passing near several small towns that are accessible through interchanges with or connecting to MS 178. Upon exiting the forest into Union County, I-22/US 78 approaches the county seat of New Albany before passing just southwest of it with four exits (60, 61, 63, and 64) providing direct access to the city. MS 30 shares a brief concurrency with I-22/US 78 between exits 61 and 64 with the latter exit being at MS 15. To the southeast of the city near the town of Sherman in Pontotoc County, I-22/US 78 has a second brief concurrency with MS 9 starting between the exits 73 and 76. Exit 73 is a six-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange, the first non-diamond interchange on the freeway since its starting point at I-269, a distance of about 61.2 miles (98.5 km). I-22/US 78 then enters Lee County and passes north of Tupelo, its county seat, with five exits (81, 82, 85, 86, and 87) connecting to the city, including an interchange with MS 178 (exit 81) northwest of Tupelo along with interchanges with the Natchez Trace Parkway (exit 85) and US 45/Corridor V (exit 86) north of the city with Corridor V becoming concurrent with I-22/US 78. The freeway then turns eastward and has an interchange with MS 371 north of Mooreville before crossing into Itawamba County. I-22/US 78/Corridor V then has an interchange with MS 178 (to MS 363) in Peppertown before crossing the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to its next interchange with South Adams Street (exit 104), which provides access to the community of Fulton, the county seat. MS 25 becomes concurrent with I-22/US 78/Corridor V and heads eastward along the route at the exit as well. A weigh station is also just beyond the exit. One exit later (108), MS 25 and Corridor V branch off and head northward. I-22/US 78 then turns east-southeastward with one final interchange (exit 113) with MS 23 south of Tremont before crossing into Alabama.[citation needed]
Still a four-lane freeway, I-22/US 78 (internally designated as State Route 4, or SR 4) enters into northwestern Alabama northwest of Bexar in Marion County and heads east-southeastward. Its first interchange (exit 3) is located just east of town at County Route 33 (CR 33). I-22/US 78/SR 4's next four exits (7, 11, 14, and 16) serve the city of Hamilton, the county seat. The freeway curls around the southwest side of the city. Exit 7 gives I-22/US 78/SR 4 access to SR 19 and SR 74, exit 11 is an interchange with SR 17 and exit 16 is an interchange with US 43/US 278/SR 171. The final exit also provides access to the community of Guin. I-22/US 78 then passes south of Brilliant which is accessible by interchanges with SR 44 (exit 26, which also serves the town of Twin and the city of Guin) and SR 129 (exit 30, which also serves the community of Winfield). An interchange with SR 233 (exit 34) serves the community of Glen Allen before I-22/US 78/SR 4 crosses into Walker County. Its next interchange, SR 13 (exit 39), serves the communities of Eldridge and Natural Bridge. Carbon Hill is served by CR 11 (exit 46, which also serves Nauvoo) and SR 118 (exit 52; former US 78 Alternate). I-22/US 78/SR 4 then widens to six lanes and has an unsigned interchange (exit 53) with future SR 102. I-22/US 78/SR 4 then passes just south of Jasper, the county seat, which is served by four exits (57, 61, 63, and 65) with SR 118, SR 69, SR 269, and Industrial Parkway. The freeway narrows to four lanes at exit 57 but expands back to six lanes at exit 63. The next three exits (70, 72, and 78) serve Cordova, Parrish, Dora, Sumiton, Wyatt, and Quinton. I-22/US 78/SR 4 then enters Jefferson County and has an interchange with CR 45 (exit 81), which serves West Jefferson. Its next interchange is with SR 5 (exit 85); the exit marks the end of the concurrency with US 78/SR 4 which branches off and becomes concurrent with SR 5 south, which serves as a local road for Graysville and the northwestern suburbs of Birmingham. Between exits 85 and 87 (CR 112) is the future site of the interchange with I-222 (exit 86), which would connect I-22 to the proposed I-422 (Corridor X-1/Birmingham Northern Beltline). I-22 than passes through Coalburg before ending at an interchange with I-65 (unsigned exits 95A and 95B) approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham. Ramp stubs for an additional interchange (future exit 95C) just beyond I-65 to US 31 have been made, but construction on this won't begin until at least 2030.
The concept of a Memphis-to-Birmingham expressway was discussed as early as the 1950s but did not move beyond talk for more than 20 years. Political push for Corridor X began in the 1970s under the leadership of Congressman Tom Bevill. After Bevill's retirement, Congressman Robert Aderholt was involved with completing the project.
When studies for I-22 began, the highway was proposed to continue west to downtown Memphis, Tennessee, and end at I-240 and I-69. Several other proposals were also considered. One took I-22 along I-269 to I-55/I-69 and another took it along Crump Boulevard to end at I-55, but those plans never materialized.
The part of I-22 just east of Fulton, Mississippi, was approved by Congress as "Corridor X" in 1978, as a part of the ADHS, and parts of I-22 have been under construction ever since. Corridor X was also designated as "High Priority Corridor 10" in the federal National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 and as "High Priority Corridor 45" in later legislation.[citation needed] Over the many years of development, the project changed multiple times.