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Interstate 44 marker
Interstate 44
Route information
Length633.79 mi[1] (1,019.99 km)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end US 277 / US 281 / US 287 in Wichita Falls, TX
Major intersections I-40 in Oklahoma City, OK
I-35 in Oklahoma City, OK
US 71 near Joplin, MO
East end I-55 in St. Louis, MO
Location
CountryUnited States
Highway system

Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is in St. Louis at Interstate 55 (the Federal Highway Administration considers its end to be at the Missouri–Illinois state line [1] ). Interstate 44 is one of five interstates built to bypass U.S. Route 66; this highway covers the section between St. Louis and Oklahoma City. Virtually the entire length of the Interstate east of Springfield, Missouri was once US 66 which was upgraded from two to four lanes between 1949 and 1955. The section of I-44 west of Springfield was built further south than US 66 in order to connect Missouri's section with the already completed Will Rogers Turnpike, which Oklahoma wished to carry their part of I-44.

Interstate 44 is referenced in the song "Convoy" by C.W. McCall.

Route description

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Lengths
  mi km
TX 15 24
OK 329 530
MO 290 467
Total 634 1021
Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs

Texas

[edit]

I-44 begins near exit 1 in Wichita Falls concurrent with US 277, US 281 and US 287. US 281 and US 287 continue to the south while US 277 leaves the concurrency at exit 1, which also provides access to US 82. I-44 heads north through Wichita Falls to an interchange with US 287 and Spur 325. US 287 leaves the concurrency as a freeway to the west while Spur 325 leaves the interchange towards the northeast providing access to Sheppard Air Force Base and Wichita Falls Municipal Airport. I-44 continues to the north as it leaves the Wichita Falls city limits at Bacon Switch Road. The freeway enters the Burkburnett city limits south of an interchange at FM 3429. Heading north through the city, I-44 has interchanges with SH 240 and Spur 383. After passing Spur 383, I-44 begins to head towards the northeast before its final interchange in Texas at Loop 267. I-44 leaves the state of Texas at its crossing of the Red River and enters Oklahoma.[2]

Oklahoma

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I-44 in Oklahoma City

I-44 crosses the Red River near Burkburnett, Texas. It is a freeway until Exit 5, which is the last free exit before the start of the southern section of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. At Exit 30, the tolls end and I-44 becomes a freeway again through Lawton and Fort Sill until Exit 46. The northern section of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike carries I-44 north, serving Chickasha, before ending at U.S. Highway 62 (Exit 107) in Newcastle.

From Newcastle, I-44 heads north through rural parts of Oklahoma City before serving as the western terminus of Interstate 240. It then indirectly serves Will Rogers World Airport by connecting to S.W. 59th St. (which becomes S.W. 54th St before reaching the airport) and SH-152, the Airport Road freeway. I-44 meets Interstate 40 west of downtown, at an interchange sometimes referred to as the Amarillo Junction. I-44 then passes west of the state fairgrounds and continues north to provide access to Bethany and Warr Acres. It then turns more eastbound to meet Interstate 35, which it overlaps to the Turner Turnpike interchange.

I-44 then follows the Turner Turnpike to Sapulpa, where it becomes a freeway after meeting the Creek Turnpike. I-44 bypasses downtown Tulsa; Interstate 244 serves the downtown areas. After meeting the Creek Turnpike again on the east side of the city, I-44 becomes a turnpike once again, gaining the Will Rogers Turnpike designation.

The Will Rogers Turnpike section serves many northeast Oklahoma towns, including Claremore, Vinita (where it passes under the world's largest McDonald's), and Miami. After passing Miami, I-44 crosses the state line into Missouri.

Missouri

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I-44/55/64/70 on one freeway sign in downtown St. Louis

Interstate 44 enters Missouri in Newton County, at the eastern terminus of the Will Rogers Turnpike, at a point near the corner of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. A marker is erected at the point, which can be visited on State Line Road after exiting at US-166. I-44 misses the state of Kansas by less than 200 yards (180 m). The first interchange in Missouri is the eastern terminus of both U.S. Route 166 and U.S. Route 400. The road then runs through southern Joplin and begins a concurrency with US 71 at Exit 11 just after entering Jasper County. The freeway turns to a more eastern heading (the old US 166 alignment), and then US 71 splits off to the north at Exit 18.

I-44 then enters Lawrence County. Near Mount Vernon, the highway curves to the northeast. The section of road to Halltown is a completely new road, not bypassing any previous highways. At Halltown, the road curves back to due east, beginning to follow the general pathway of old U.S. Route 66 (which it will do all the way to downtown St. Louis). The highway then runs 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 continues northeast, bypassing Lebanon.

In Pulaski County, I-44 enters the Mark Twain National Forest, leaving it to provide access to Waynesville, St. Robert, and Fort Leonard Wood before entering the forest again. The freeway leaves the forest in Phelps County west of Rolla. I-44 then runs through Rolla, where it meets US 63. It continues its northeast course, passing near St. James, Cuba, Bourbon, Sullivan, and Saint Clair.

I-44 then runs 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 the dioxin contamination and subsequent demolition and Superfund cleanup). I-44 then runs through unincorporated territory before entering Fenton and having an interchange with Interstate 270 in Sunset Hills. I-44 then runs 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 before ending at Interstate 55.

History

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As U.S. 66 was being bypassed by I-44, the Route 66 Association requested the designation Interstate 66 for what is now I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City. AASHTO rejected the request.[3]

I-44 was originally signed in 1958 as an Interstate designation of the Turner Turnpike, linking Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and the Will Rogers Turnpike linking Tulsa and the Missouri state line southwest of Joplin. Also signed as I-44 was the US 66 bypass in Tulsa that linked that city with the two turnpikes, and the continued four-lane highway from the Missouri border to an interchange with US 71 south of Joplin, which was previously designated as US 166. From 1958 to 1982, the eastern terminus of I-44 was at I-35 in Oklahoma City, the current eastern terminus of the Turner Turnpike.

I-44 was assigned to the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in 1982, when I-44 was assigned to the west and north legs of I-240 (then a semi-beltway around Oklahoma City) and the H.E. Bailey Turnpike as part of Oklahoma's "Diamond Jubilee" celebrations.[4] Before I-44 was assigned to it, the freeway connector to the north end of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike was named the Will Rogers Expressway.[5] The freeway section through Lawton was the Pioneer Expressway.[5] The new section was also a violation of the Interstate numbering grid, as it extended south of I-40. (The "44" number indicated that it should lie north of I-40 for its entire length.)

During the historic 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, an F5 tornado hit Interstate 44. This particular tornado had the fastest tornado wind speeds on record. The interstate was severely damaged where the tornado crossed it. In the end, this tornado was blamed for 36 deaths.

A section of I-44 was moved slightly north between Powellville, Missouri and Doolittle. The old road is highly visible for eastbound traffic near Powellville. As of April 2006, the rocks carved away for the new roadbed have virtually no lichen, reflecting that this construction occurred rather recently. [6]

Auxiliary routes

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Business routes

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Main article: Business routes of Interstate 44.

All business loops of Interstate 44 are located in Missouri. They serve Joplin, Sarcoxie, Mount Vernon, Springfield, Lebanon, Waynesville-St. Robert, Rolla, and Pacific. A business spur links I-44 with Fort Leonard Wood.

Alternate I-44

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At some places, an "Alternate I-44" is posted. One such ran between Rolla and Springfield via US-60 and US-63 and another ran via US-63 and US-50 between Rolla and Union. These were done to provide traffic relief during road work. The latter of these alternate routes detoured traffic around three hour delays due to road work near Cuba.

Exit list

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Texas

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County Location # Destinations Notes
Wichita Wichita Falls

US 281 south / US 287 south – Jacksboro, Fort Worth
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
1

US 82 west / US 277 south – Lubbock, Abilene
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance [7]
1A

Bus. US 277 south
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
1B Scotland Park Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
1C Texas Travel Info Center
1D
Bus. US 287
2 Maurine Street
3A
US 287 north – Vernon, Amarillo
East end of US 287 concurrency
3B Spur 325 – Sheppard AFB
3C FM 890 – Wichita Falls Municipal Airport
4 City Loop Street Eastbound exit and entrance
4 Frontage Road Westbound exit only
5 Access Road Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
5A FM 3492 (Missile Road) – Sheppard AFB
6 Bacon Switch Road
7 East Road
Burkburnett 11 FM 3429 (Daniels Road)
12 SH 240 – Burkburnett
13 Spur 383 (Glendale Street)
14

Loop 267 (East Third Street) to SH 240 west – Burkburnett

Oklahoma

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County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Cotton 1 SH-36 – Grandfield
5 US 70 (US-277 north/US-281 north) – Randlett East end of US-277/US-281 overlap
Walters 20 SH-5 (US-277/US-281) – Frederick, Walters Toll plaza is located at this interchange
Comanche 30
SH-36 west (US-277 south/US-281 south) – Geronimo, Faxon, Frederick
West end of US-277/US-281 overlap
Lawton 33

US 281 Bus. north (11th Street)
36A
SH-7 east (Lee Boulevard) – Duncan
Signed as exits 36A (east) and 36B (west) westbound
37 Gore Boulevard
39B

US 281 Bus. south – Lawton
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
39A Cache RoadLawton Business District Former US-62 west
40A
US 62 west (Rogers Lane) – Cache, Altus
Signed as exits 40A (east) and 40B (west) westbound
Fort Sill
40C Gate 2 closed
41 Fort Sill Key Gate
45 SH-49 – Carnegie, Medicine Park
46


US 62 east / US 277 north / US 281 north – Elgin, Apache, Anadarko
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of US-62/US-277/US-281 overlap
53 US 277 – Fletcher, Elgin, Sterling
62 Fletcher, Cyril, Sterling
Grady Toll plaza
Chickasha 80 US 81 (US-277) – Duncan, Chickasha
83 US 62 (US-277) – Chickasha, Anadarko
Toll plaza
H. E. Bailey SpurBlanchard, Norman
SH-4 – Yukon, Mustang, Tuttle
McClain Newcastle 107

US 62 west / US 277 south – Newcastle, Blanchard
West end of US-62 overlap
108
SH-37 west – Minco, Tuttle
West end of SH-37 overlap
108A Frontage Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Cleveland Oklahoma City 109 Southwest 149th Street
110
SH-37 east (Southwest 134th Street) – Moore
East end of SH-37 overlap
111 Southwest 119th Street
112 Southwest 104th Street
Oklahoma 113 Southwest 89th Street
114 Southwest 74th Street
115


I-240 east / US 62 east / SH-3 east – Dallas, Fort Smith
East end of US-62 overlap; west end of SH-3 overlap; no exit number westbound
116A Southwest 59th Street
116B
SH-152 west (Airport Road)
117A Southwest 44th Street Signed as exit 117B westbound
118 Southwest 29th Street Former SH-152
119 Southwest 15th Street
120 I-40Amarillo, Fort Smith Signed as exits 120A (west) and 120B (east)
121 Northwest 10th Street – Fair Park Signed as exits 121A (east) and 121B (west)
122 Northwest 23rd Street
123A Northwest 36th Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance


SH-3 west / SH-74 north (Grand Boulevard)
East end of SH-3 overlap
123B
SH-66 west – Warr Acres, Bethany
West end of SH-66 overlap
124 North May Avenue
125A North Penn Avenue
125B Classen Boulevard
125C SH-3A (Northwest Expressway) Eastbound exit is via exit 125A
126 Western Avenue
127 I-235 / US 77 (Broadway Extension) – Edmond
128A Lincoln BoulevardState Capitol
128B Kelley Avenue
129 M.L. King Avenue
130

I-35 west to I-40 – Oklahoma City, Dallas
West end of I-35 overlap; no exit number westbound
134 Wilshire Boulevard
135 Britton Road
136 Hefner Road
137 Northeast 122nd Street


I-35 north / SH-66 east – Tulsa, Wichita
East end of I-35/SH-66 overlap
138B Kilpatrick Turnpike No exit number westbound
Sooner Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Lincoln Wellston 158 SH-66 – Wellston
Chandler 166 SH-18 – Chandler, Cushing
Stroud 179 SH-99 (US-377) – Stroud, Drumright
Creek Toll plaza
Bristow 196 SH-48 (SH-66) – Bristow, Lake Keystone
211 SH-33 – Drumright, Kellyville
Sapulpa 215 SH-97 – Sapulpa, Sand Springs
218 Creek Turnpike east Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Tulsa 221A 57th West Avenue Westbound exit only
221B
SH-66 west – Bristow, Sapulpa
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of SH-66 overlap
222A 49th West Avenue
222C 56th Street Westbound exit only
222B 55th Place Eastbound exit only
223A
I-244 east – Downtown Tulsa
223B 51st Street (via Gilcrease Expressway) Signed as exit 1B eastbound
Tulsa 223C 33rd West Avenue
224 Union Avenue
224 US 75 – Okmulgee, Bartlesville
225 Elwood Avenue Eastbound exit is part of exit 224
226A Riverside Drive
226B Peoria Avenue
227 Lewis Avenue
228 Harvard Avenue
229 Yale Avenue – Saint Francis Hospital
230 41st Street, Sheridan Road
231 US 64 / SH-51 – Muskogee, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs
232 East 31st Street, Memorial Drive Eastbound exit is part of exit 231
233 East 21st Street Signed as exit 233B westbound
234A US 169 – Owasso, Broken Arrow No eastbound exit to US-169 south
234B Garnett Road Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
235 East 11th Street
236 129th East Avenue
236B

I-244 west / US 412 west – Sand Springs, Enid
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of US-412 overlap
Rogers 238 161st East Avenue
240
SH-167 north (193rd East Avenue)
241
SH-66 east – Claremore, Catoosa
No eastbound entrance; east end of SH-66 overlap; no exit number westbound
33A
US 412 east – Chouteau, Siloam Springs
East end of US-412 overlap; no exit number eastbound
Creek Turnpike west – Oklahoma City
35 East Pine Street Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
248
SH-266 west – Port of Catoosa, Claremore
255 SH-20 – Pryor, Claremore
Mayes 269 SH-28 – Chelsea, South Grand Lake, Adair Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Craig Big Cabin 283 US 69 – Big Cabin
Toll plaza
Vinita 289
US 60 (US-69) to SH-66 – Vinita
Ottawa 302 US 59 / US 60 (US-69) – Fairland, Grove, Afton
Miami 313 SH-10 – Miami

Missouri

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{mileposts}}

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Newton 1

US 166 west / US 400 west – Galena, Baxter Springs
4
Route 43 south – Seneca, Joplin
West end of Route 43 overlap
Joplin 6

I-44 BL east / Route 43 north / Route 86 – Racine, Joplin
East end of Route 43 overlap
8
US 71 Bus. (Range Line Road)
Signed as exits 8A (south) and 8B (north)
Jasper 11A
US 71 south – Neosho, Fort Smith
West end of US 71 overlap
11B
Route 249 north – Joplin
15

I-44 BL west / Route 66 west – Duenweg
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Fidelity 18A
Route 59 south – Diamond
18B
US 71 north – Carthage, Kansas City
East end of US 71 overlap
22 County Road No. 100
26
I-44 BL east / Route 37 – Sarcoxie, Reeds
29
I-44 BL west / Route U – Sarcoxie, La Russell
Lawrence 33 County Road No. 1010
38 Route 97 – Pierce City, Stotts City Eastbound exit to Route 97 south is via exit 33
44
I-44 BL east / Route H – Mount Vernon, Monett
Mount Vernon 46
I-44 BL west / Route 39 / Route 265 – Mount Vernon, Aurora
49
Route 174 east – Chesapeake, Mount Vernon
57 Route 96 – Avilla Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
58 Route O / Route Z – Halltown
61 Route K / Route PP
Greene 67 Route N / Route T – Republic, Bois D'Arc
69

Route 360 east (James River Freeway) to US 60
70 Route B / Route MM
72
I-44 BL east / Route 266 (Chestnut Expressway)
Springfield 75 US 160 (West Bypass) – Willard
77 Route 13 (Kansas Expressway) – Bolivar
80A
I-44 BL west (Glenstone Avenue)
80B Route H – Pleasant Hope
82 US 65 – Branson, Sedalia Signed as exits 82A (south) and 82B (north)
84 Route 744
Strafford 88 Route 125 – Strafford, Fair Grove
Webster 96 Route B – Northview
Marshfield 100 Route 38 / Route W – Marshfield
107 Sampson Road, Sparkle Brook Road
Laclede Conway 113 Route J / Route Y – Conway
Phillipsburg 118 Route A / Route C – Phillipsburg
123 County Road
Lebanon 127
I-44 BL east (Elm Street) / Morgan Road
129
Route 5 / Route 32 (Jefferson Avenue) to Route 64 – Hartville
130
I-44 BL west (Elm Street) / Route MM – Lebanon
135 Route F – Sleeper
140 Route N / Route T – Stoutland
Pulaski 145 Route 133 / Route AB – Richland
150 Route 7 / Route P – Richland, Laquey
153 Route 17 – Buckhorn
Waynesville 156
I-44 BL east / Route H – Waynesville, Fort Leonard Wood
St. Robert 159 I-44 BL – St. Robert, Waynesville
161
I-44 BL west / Route Y – St. Robert, Fort Leonard Wood
163 Route 28 – Dixon
169 Route J
Phelps 172 Route D – Jerome, Dixon No westbound access
176 Sugar Tree Road
Doolittle 179 Route C / Route T – Newburg, Doolittle
Rolla 184


I-44 BL east to US 63 south – Rolla
185 Route E – Rolla
186
I-44 BL west / US 63 / Route 72 – Rolla, Jefferson City
189 Route V (Hy Point Industrial Park Drive)
St. James 195 Route 8 / Route 68 – St. James
Crawford 203 Route F / Route ZZ
Cuba 208 Route 19 – Cuba, Owensville
210 Route UU
214 Route H – Leasburg
Bourbon 218 Route C / Route J / Route N – Bourbon
Franklin Sullivan 225
Route 185 north / Route D – Sullivan-Potosi
226
Route 185 south – Sullivan
230 Route W / Route JJ – Stanton
St. Clair 239 Route 30 / Route AB / Route WW – St. Clair
240 Route 47 – St. Clair, Union
242 Route AH
247
US 50 west / Route O / Route AT – Union, Jefferson City
West end of US 50 overlap
251
Route 100 west – Washington
253

I-44 BL east / Route 100 east – Gray Summit
Pacific 257 I-44 BL – Pacific
St. Louis Eureka 261
I-44 BL west / Six Flags Road – Allenton
264 Route 109 – Eureka
265 Williams Road Eastbound exit and entrance
266 Lewis Road
269 Beaumont Antire Road
272 Route 141 – Fenton, Valley Park
Fenton 274A Bowles Avenue Signed as exit 274 westbound
274B Mraz Lane Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
275 North Highway Drive, Soccer Park Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Sunset Hills 276 I-270Memphis, Chicago
277A
Route 366 east (Watson Road)
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
277B
US 50 east / US 61 / US 67 (Lindbergh Boulevard)
East end of US 50 overlap
Kirkwood
278 Big Bend Road
Crestwood
Webster Groves 279 Berry Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
280 Elm Avenue
282 Murdoch Avenue, Laclede Station Road Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Shrewsbury 283 Shrewsbury Avenue Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
City of St. Louis 284A Jamieson Avenue Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
284B Arsenal Street Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
286 Southwest Avenue Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
286 Hampton Avenue
287A Kingshighway
287B Vandeventer Avenue
288 Grand Boulevard, Louisiana Avenue
289 Jefferson Avenue
290A
I-55 south – Memphis
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
290B 18th Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former Route 755
290C 12th Street, Gravois Avenue (Route 30) Westbound exit and eastbound entrance

I-55 north – Downtown St. Louis, Illinois
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

References

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  1. ^ Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1
  2. ^ Overview map of I-44 (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  3. ^ McNichol, Dan. The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc, 2006.
  4. ^ "I-240 Section Changing to I-44". The Daily Oklahoman. 1982-10-09.
  5. ^ a b Highway Map of Oklahoma (Map) (1966 ed.). Cartography by Diversified Map Co. Skelly Oil Company. § 11C.
  6. ^ Aerial photo
  7. ^ (This will change with the completion of a new flyover ramp to

    US 82 west / US 277 south – Lubbock, Abilene after the southern terminus of the Interstate.)