Interstate55 (I-55) is a north–south Interstate Highway that has a section in the US state of Arkansas connecting sections in Tennessee and Missouri. The route enters Arkansas on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge over the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee. It travels northward through northeast Arkansas, connecting the cities of West Memphis and Blytheville. I-55 continues into Missouri heading to St. Louis, Missouri. The highway overlaps I-40 in West Memphis and has a junction with I-555, a spur route to Jonesboro, in Turrell. For the majority of its routing through Arkansas, I-55 generally follows U.S. Highway 61 (US61) and has a long concurrency with US 78 from the Tennessee state line in Memphis to Blytheville for most of its length.

Route description

Mississippi River to Turrell

I-55 enters Arkansas from Memphis, Tennessee, on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge over the Mississippi River, sharing the bridge with US 61/US 64/US 70/US 78/US 79. Shortly after entering the state, the highway enters West Memphis, where US70 exits the route and becomes Broadway Avenue. I-55/US61/US64/US78/US79 form a concurrency with I-40 at exit5, an overlap that lasts . The highways split at I-40 exit277, with I-40/US79 continuing west to Little Rock and I-55/US61/US64/US78 running north into Marion. US64 exits I-55/US61/US78 in Marion, continuing west as Old Military Road toward Wynne. I-55 continues to run through farmlands of the Arkansas Delta, paralleling Highway 77 (AR77) until Turrell.

Turrell to Missouri state line

In Turrell, I-55/US61/US78 meets the southern terminus of I-555, a spur route of I-55 connecting Jonesboro to the Interstate Highway System. I-555 run north to Jonesboro, while AR77 and US61 become frontage roads for I-55/US78. Slightly east of this junction, these frontage roads depart I-55/US 78, with AR77 running near Birdsong and US61 serving Wilson. I-55/US 78 runs northeast to enter Mississippi County, having junctions with AR 118 to Joiner, AR 181 to Bassett, AR 14 near Marie, and AR181 near Keiser. In Osceola, the route has a junction with AR 140 near Osceola Municipal Airport. I-55/US 78 continues northeast, intersecting minor state highways in rural Mississippi County before a junction with US61 in south Blytheville. US78 departs from I-55 where it intersects AR 18 in Blytheville before exiting town headed due north. The route has a junction with AR 150 just before crossing the Missouri state line.

Exit list

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