Interstate 22

**Interstate 22** (**I-22**), also known as the **Memphis–Birmingham Expressway**, is a 202.5-mile-long (325.9 km) Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, connecting I-240 in downtown Memphis, Tennessee to I-65 near Birmingham, Alabama. I-22 is also **Corridor X** of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Designated in 2012, I-22 follows the route of the older U.S. Route 78. The freeway mainly spans rural areas and passes numerous small towns along its route, including Jasper, Winfield, and Hamilton, Alabama; and Fulton, Tupelo, New Albany, and Holly Springs, Mississippi.

I-22 was designated to close a gap in the Interstate network, 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 northwest via US 78 and I-269 with I-65 and I-20/I-59 in the southeast.

The western terminus is in downtown Memphis, Tennessee at Interstate 240, U.S. Route 51, and U.S. Route 78. The eastern terminus is in Birmingham, Alabama at Interstate 65, U.S. Route 31, U.S. Route 78, and State Route 4.

## Route description

I-22 serves as a connection between Birmingham and Memphis, filling in a gap in the Interstate Highway System. It begins at an interchange with I-240 east of downtown Memphis, Tennessee and travels southeast across northern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama, before ending at an interchange with I-65 approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham, Alabama. While I-22 itself currently does not really continue past I-269 to Memphis, some believe that an I-22 spur route may be named along the existing US 78 from I-269 northwest to the Tennessee state line.

### **Tennessee**

I-22 begins at a T interchange with I-240 in the neighborhood of Annesdale, just east-southeast of Downtown Memphis, where the existing US 78 continues west-northwest towards the Beale Street and Cotton Row historical districts. I-22 runs southeastward toward the interchange with State Route 277 (TN 277, Airways Boulevard). I-22 then has another interchange with I-240 before having interchanges with TN 176 (Getwell Road) and TN 175 (East Shelby Drive) before heading south-southeast toward Mississippi, leaving the suburban communities of Memphis.

### **Mississippi**

I-22 begins at an interchange with I-269 at Byhalia in northwestern Mississippi and continues across rural areas, connecting towns such as Holly Springs, New Albany, Tupelo, and Fulton. For its entire route in Mississippi, I-22 runs parallel with Mississippi Highway 178 (MS 178) and it has four interchanges with it: in Potts Camp, in Hickory Flat, in Tupelo, and near Fulton. MS 178 is also designated as Old U.S. Highway 78.

I-22 enters Mississippi from the Tennessee state line leaving suburban Memphis. It heads southeastward toward Olive Branch to an interchange with Mississippi Highway 302 (MS 302) and MS 305. Then it intersects at an interchange with I-269 in the city of Byhalia followed by MS 309. I-22 continues southeastward toward Holly Springs, at an interchange with a concurrency of MS 4 and MS 7. Next, I-22 heads toward Potts Camp to MS 178 and MS 349. After Potts Camp, I-22 turns left, curving gently to the east and then turns right, sharp-curving to the south-southeast before heading to an interchange with MS 178 in Hickory Flat. I-22 continues southeast toward Myrtle, then New Albany, intersecting with MS 30 and MS 15. I-22, then intersects at a half diamond/half cloverleaf interchange with MS 9, which leads northeast to Blue Springs. I-22, still with US 78, runs concurrent with MS 9 until the next interchange in Sherman. I-22, with US 78, continues toward to MS 178. I-22 goes to the city of Tupelo, at a cloverleaf interchange with US 45, which is a freeway in the city. The I-22 leaves Tupelo an intersects MS 371, MS 178, before crossing the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to the town of Fulton, where it intersects MS 25 as that state highway runs concurrent with I-22 until the next interchange southeast of Fulton. The last city in Mississippi is Tremont, where I-22 has its last Mississippi Highway interchange with MS 23 before heading east-southeast to the Alabama state line.

### **Alabama**

I-22 continues across rural areas in northwestern Alabama, and connects the towns of Hamilton, Winfield, and Jasper, before ending at an interchange with I-65 approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Birmingham.

I-22 enters the state of Alabama as it heads east-southeast towards Hamilton. It curves right to the south-southeast and south to interchanges with Alabama State Route 74 (AL 74) and AL 19 before curving left back to its southeast position and interchanging with AL 17. I-22, then leaves Hamilton before heading towards the interchange with AL 253, which leads south to Winfield, and AL 44. Next, I-22 Interchange AL 129, which leads north to Brilliant. AL 44 also goes there. Then I-22 interchange AL 233, then with AL 13, which leads south to Eldridge. After curving right to the south-southeast, I-22 interchanges with AL 118 and turns left to the east as I-22 closely parallels AL 118 until I-22 turns right to the southeast position at a trumpet interchange east to AL 118. I-22 heads toward pass Jasper, after interchanges with AL 69 and AL 269. The highway leaves Jasper as it curves sharp to the south, south-southeast, east-southeast, southeast, and east before interchange with State Route 5. Interstate 22 and U.S. Route 78 continues heading southeast as I-22 terminates at Interstate 65 (I-65) in northeastern Birmingham, while US 78 continues east as a surface road paralleling I-20.

## History

The concept of the Memphis–Birmingham Expressway was discussed as early as the 1950s, but did not move beyond talk for more than 20 years.

When studies for I-22 began, the highway was proposed to continue west to downtown Memphis, Tennessee and end at Interstate 240 and Interstate 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 Interstate 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 Appalachian Development Highway System, 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. Over the many years of development, the project changed multiple times.

In 2004, Corridor X was designated as Future I-22 by Public Law Number 108-199, and the designation was made official on April 18, 2005. In Alabama and Mississippi, blue signs reading "FUTURE I-22 CORRIDOR" at left and an I-22 shield with "FUTURE" instead of "INTERSTATE" at the right were unveiled on April 18, 2005.

The first major completed section of the route between the Mississippi state line and Jasper was opened to traffic on November 22, 2005. Exits on the Jasper Bypass portion of I-22 were originally numbered using a kilometer-based sequence because at the time this stretch was opened it appeared that all highways in the U.S. were going to be measured using the metric system. The final decision was made to remain using miles, and they have been renumbered according to the highway's mileposts. A six-mile (9.7 km) segment between Graysville and Brookside was opened in June 2007, and another 20-mile (32 km) section of Future I-22 between Jasper and Graysville was opened in November 2007. A 1.8-mile (2.9 km) segment between Cherry Avenue in Forestdale to a point about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) short of I-65 near Fultondale, including an interchange with Coalburg Road, was opened in December 2009. Next came the connection of I-22 with I-65 and US 31. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) widened Coalburg Road from its interchange with I-22 southward to Daniel Payne Drive (which leads to I-65) to allow heavy trucks to use it; this project was nearly complete as of May 2015. Signs are now in place on Daniel Payne Drive (westbound) informing truckers that access to I-22 is not allowed from Daniel Payne Drive.

ALDOT was to award contracts in August 2009 for the construction of the final segment of I-22, including its large interchange with I-65 and US 31, with the construction to begin shortly afterwards. Funding delays postponed these into 2010, however. On March 19, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act into law, which included an extension of federal highway funding through the end of 2010. This extension gave the ALDOT the opportunity to proceed with its plans for the construction of final segment of I-22 in Alabama. The opening of the bids for this project began on May 21, 2010. ALDOT announced on June 16, 2010, that the project has been awarded to the company Archer Western Contractors for $168.6 million. The project is the most expensive highway project ever undertaken in Jefferson County, Alabama, and it is the highest-priced contract awarded by the ALDOT as of 2010.

On November 12, 2012, ALDOT's application for establishing I-22 was conditionally approved by AASHTO at a special committee, pending for Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to submit their own application for I-22 and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approval. This therefore officially established the existence of I-22.

In April 2013, the first actual Interstate 22 shields were deployed in Marion County, Alabama, immediately east of the Mississippi state line. Such signs will extend east at least through Walker County into the outskirts of Birmingham. On August 21, 2014, ALDOT reported that I-22's interchange with I-65 would not be completed until October 2015. The interchange's connections via exit 95 to I-65 and the continuation over I-65 as exit 95C at US 31 remained under construction. In March 2016, the intersection with I-65 and continuation to US 31 was still under construction. New lanes north and southbound were opened on I-65 passing through the interchange and construction and painting operations were carried out on the I-22 entrance and exit ramps. The interchange to I-65 opened to traffic on June 20, 2016, while the connector to US 31 remained under construction.

Mississippi officials announced May 5, 2015 that the state officially began the process to designate its portion as I-22. The two requirements to be able to apply for this designation were to upgrade the route to interstate standards and to connect to an existing interstate within 25 years; this was completed when I-269 was opened in December 2017. The I-65 interchange was opened in October 2015. The route was officially signed in Mississippi in a ceremony on October 23, 2015.

## Auxiliary routes

### **Interstate 222**

   **Interstate 222** (**I-222**) is a future Auxiliary Interstate Highway to be a connector between I-22/US 78 and the proposed I-422 near Birmingham, Alabama. There will be no exits other than its termini. The highway has been proposed because an interchange directly between I-22 and I-422 cannot be built because of environmental issues. AASHTO approved the designation on May 18, 2012. Construction on this new route has not been scheduled at this time.

### **Interstate 422**

   **Interstate 422** (**I-422**) is a future northwestern bypass of Birmingham, connecting between I-20/I-59, from the southwest, and I-59, in the northeast. It will also be connected with I-22 via I-222, in Brookside, located northwest of Birmingham. It was first proposed in May 2009 by U.S. Congressman Spencer Bachus; on May 18, 2012, it was approved by AASHTO.

## See also

* U.S. Route 78
* Interstate 2
* Interstate 11
* Interstate 14
* Interstate 20
* Interstate 24
* Interstate 41
* Interstate 55
* Interstate 59
* Interstate 65
* Interstate 69
* Interstate 240 (Tennessee)
* Interstate 269