Interstate 44 in Missouri

Interstate 44 (I-44) in the U.S. 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.

Interstate 44
I-44 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length293.183 mi[1] (471.832 km)
Existed1956–present
Major junctions
West end I-44 / Will Rogers Turnpike near Joplin
 
East end I-70 in St. Louis
Location
CountiesNewton, Jasper, Lawrence, Greene, Webster, Laclede, Pulaski, Phelps, Crawford, Franklin, St. Louis, City of St. Louis
Highway system
Route 43 Route 45

Route description

I-44 approached by US 71 (now part of I-49) just south of Joplin

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. Highway 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 easterly 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 re-entering 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 northeast course, passing near St. James, Cuba, Bourbon, Sullivan, and Saint Clair. At this point, it roughly parallels the Meramec River.

I-44 west in Springfield

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). 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 (however, drivers wishing to access eastbound I-70 must cross the Poplar Street Bridge via I-55 and I-64).

History

I-44 follows the general route of, and completely replaced, historic US 66 from Halltown (exit 58, the junction with a cut-off 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.

The eastern terminus of I-44 was changed when the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opened in February 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, making the new eastern terminus a merging 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

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Newton0.0000.000 I-44 / Will Rogers Turnpike west TulsaContinuation into Oklahoma
0.3480.5601 US 166 west / US 400 west (Downstream Boulevard) Baxter SpringsEastern terminus of US 166/US 400
3.9876.4164 Route 43 south Seneca, JoplinWestern terminus of concurrency with Route 43
Joplin6.61810.6516 I-44 BL east / Route 43 north / Route 86 Racine, JoplinEastern terminus of concurrency with Route 43
8.81714.1908 I-49 BL (Range Line Road)Diverging diamond interchange[3]
Jasper11.67718.79211A I-49 south / US 71 south to Route FF Neosho, Fort Smith, FayettevilleWestern terminus of concurrency with I-49 / US 71
11.88019.11911B Route 249 north to Route 66 Joplin
13.19021.22713Prigmor Road (CR 190) JoplinOpened November 2015
15.48324.91715 I-44 BL west / Route 66 west DuenwegWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Fidelity18.48129.74218 I-49 north / US 71 north / Route 59 south Carthage, Kansas City, DiamondEastern terminus of concurrency with I-49 / US 71; split into exits 18A (south) and 18B (north)
22.49736.20522CR 100
26.50742.65926 I-44 BL east / Route 37 Sarcoxie, Reeds
29.92948.16629 I-44 BL west / Route U Sarcoxie, La Russell
Lawrence33.51753.94033 To Route 97 south (CR 1010)
38.49861.95738 Route 97 Pierce City, Stotts City
44.29871.29144 I-44 BL east / Route H Mount Vernon, Monett
Mount Vernon46.93075.52746 I-44 BL west / Route 39 / Route 265 Mount Vernon, Aurora
49.72580.02549 Route 174 Chesapeake, Mount Vernon
58.13393.55657 Route 96 AvillaWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; former US 66 west
58.79694.62358 Route O / Route Z Halltown
61.96499.72161 Route K / Route PP
Greene67.011107.84467 Route N / Route T Republic, Bois D'Arc
68.958110.97769 Route 360 east (James River Freeway) to US 60
70.166112.92170 Route B / Route MM
72.472116.63272 I-44 BL east / Route 266 (Chestnut Expressway)Former US 66
Springfield75.480121.47375 US 160 (West Bypass) Willard
77.713125.06777 Route 13 (Kansas Expressway) BolivarFirst diverging diamond interchange in North America, existing interchange converted in 2009[4]
80.372129.34680 I-44 BL west (Glenstone Avenue) / Route H Pleasant Hope
82.465132.71582 US 65 Branson, SedaliaSigned as exits 82A (south) and 82B (north)
84.734136.36684 Route 744 west
Strafford88.917143.09888 Route 125 Strafford, Fair Grove
Webster96.021154.53196 Route B Northview
Marshfield100.938162.444100 Route 38 / Route W Marshfield
103.000165.762103 Route CCFuture dumbbell interchange
107.553173.090107Sampson Road / Sparkle Brook Road
LacledeConway113.230182.226113 Route J / Route Y Conway
Phillipsburg118.027189.946118 Route A / Route C PhillipsburgFormer US 66
123.011197.967123County Road
Lebanon127.207204.720127 I-44 BL east (Elm Street, Evergreen Pkwy) / Route W / Morgan RoadFormer US 66
129.057207.697129 Route 5 / Route 32 (Jefferson Avenue) to Route 64 Hartville, Camdenton
130.160209.472130 I-44 BL west (Elm Street) / Route MM Lebanon
135.239217.646135 Route F SleeperFormer US 66
139.999225.307140 Route N / Route T Stoutland
Pulaski145.711234.499145 Route 133 / Route AB Richland
150.630242.415150 Route 7 / Route P Richland, Laquey
153.411246.891153 Route 17 Buckhorn
Waynesville156.396251.695156 I-44 BL east / Route H Waynesville, Fort Leonard Wood
St. Robert159.832257.225159 I-44 BL St. Robert, WaynesvilleFormer US 66
161.160259.362161 I-44 BL west / Route Y St. Robert, Fort Leonard Wood
163.836263.668163 Route 28 Dixon
169.086272.118169 Route J
Phelps172.574277.731172 Route D Jerome, DixonNo westbound entrance
176.531284.099176Sugar Tree Road
Doolittle179.447288.792179 Route C / Route T Newburg, Doolittle
Rolla184.579297.051184 I-44 BL east (Kingshighway) / Route 72 east to US 63 south Rolla, SalemWestern terminus of Route 72; former US 66 east
185.651298.776185 Route E Rolla
186.642300.371186 I-44 BL west / US 63 Rolla, Jefferson CityFormer US 66
189.744305.363189 Route V (Hy Point Industrial Park Drive)
St. James195.613314.809195 Route 8 / Route 68 St. JamesFormer US 66
Crawford203.388327.321203 Route F / Route ZZ
Cuba208.284335.201208 Route 19 Cuba, Owensville
210.782339.221210 Route UU
214.250344.802214 Route H Leasburg
Bourbon218.492351.629218 Route C / Route J / Route N Bourbon
FranklinSullivan224.286360.953225 Route 185 north / Route D Sullivan
225.831363.440226 Route 185 south / Route AF Sullivan, Potosi
230.240370.535230 Route W / Route JJ Stanton
St. Clair238.816384.337239 Route 30 / Route AB / Route WW St. Clair
240.309386.740240 Route 47 St. Clair, Union
242.189389.765242 Route AH
247.088397.650247 US 50 west / Route O / Route AT Union, Jefferson CityWestern terminus of concurrency with US 50
Villa Ridge251.485404.726251 Route 100 west WashingtonFormer US 66
Gray Summit253.289407.629253 I-44 BL east / Route 100 east Gray SummitFormer US 66
Pacific256.555412.885257 I-44 BL (Viaduct Street) Pacific
St. LouisEureka261.505420.852261 I-44 BL west / Six Flags Road Allenton
264.459425.606264 Route 109 Eureka
265.262426.898265Williams RoadEastbound exit and entrance
266.557428.982266Lewis Road
268.788432.572269Beaumont Antire Road
272.385438.361272 Route 141 Fenton, Valley Park
Fenton273.844440.709274ABowles AvenueSigned as exit 274 westbound
274.664442.029274BMraz LaneEastbound exit and westbound entrance
275.630443.583275North Highway Drive / Soccer Park RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Sunset Hills275.872–
276.932
443.973–
445.679
276 I-270 Memphis, Chicago
276.132–
276.844
444.391–
445.537
277A Route 366 east (Watson Road)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former US 66
Sunset HillsKirkwood
city line
277.619446.784277B US 50 east / US 61 / US 67 (Lindbergh Boulevard)Eastern terminus of concurrency with US 50
KirkwoodCrestwood
city line
278.634448.418278Big Bend Road
OaklandWebster Groves line279.736450.191279Berry RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Webster Groves280.739451.806280Elm Avenue
Webster GrovesShrewsbury line282.300454.318282Murdoch Avenue / Laclede Station RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
Shrewsbury282.485454.616283Shrewsbury AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
City of St. Louis284.175457.335284AJamieson AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
284.432457.749284BArsenal StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
284.800458.341285Southwest AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
285.602459.632286Hampton Avenue Forest Park, Saint Louis Zoo
286.779461.526287AKingshighway Boulevard Tower Grove ParkEastbound exit and westbound entrance
287.127462.086287BVandeventer Avenue Missouri Botanical GardenAlso signed westbound for Kingshighway Boulevard
288.254463.900288 Grand Boulevard Saint Louis University Hospital
289.265465.527289Jefferson Avenue
289.595–
290.274
466.058–
467.151
290B I-55 south MemphisWestern terminus of concurrency with I-55; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
290.123466.908290A12th Street / Gravois Avenue (Route 30)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
290.296467.186290BLafayette AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance; former Route 755
290.591467.661290CPark Avenue / 7th Street
291.167–
291.528
468.588–
469.169
291A I-55 north / I-64 / US 40 east to I-70 east IllinoisEastern terminus of concurrency with I-55; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former eastern terminus of I-44
291.267468.749291BWalnut Street Downtown, Gateway Arch, Busch StadiumEastbound exit and westbound entrance
291.369468.913292Lumiere Place Boulevard / Washington Avenue / Eads BridgeEastbound exit and westbound entrance
292.146470.163292AConvention Plaza / Martin L. King Bridge IllinoisWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to IL 3, I-55, I-70, and I-64
I-70 Express LanesWestbound entrance only
292.605470.902292BBroadwayWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
292.919471.407293Madison Street / St. Louis AvenueEastbound exit only
293.183471.832 I-70 west Kansas CityEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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

  1. Missouri Department of Transportation (January 5, 2015). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  2. "MoDOT Downtown St. Louis signing plans" (PDF).
  3. "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.
  4. Tang, Didi (January 28, 2010). "Missouri test drives 'diverging diamond' interchange". USA Today.

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Media related to Interstate 44 in Missouri at Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 44
Previous state:
Oklahoma
Missouri Next state:
Terminus
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