Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route. It runs from Sikeston, Missouri, at I-55 to Chicago, Illinois, at I-94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between the Southern U.S. (Memphis, New Orleans, etc.) and Chicago, bypassing St. Louis, Missouri, and Springfield, Illinois. Between the junction of I-55 and I-57 in Sikeston and the junction of I-55 and I-90/I-94 in Chicago, I-55 travels for 436 miles (702 km), while the combination of I-57 and I-94 is only 396 miles (637 km) long between the same two points. In fact, both the control cities on the overhead signs and the destination mileage signs reference Memphis along southbound I-57, even as far north as its northern origin at I-94 in Chicago.[2] Likewise, at its southern end, Chicago is the control city listed for I-57 on signs on northbound I-55 south of Sikeston, even though I-55 also goes to Chicago.[3] A southward extension of I-57 from its current southern terminus to Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently in various stages of development.

Interstate 57 marker
Interstate 57
Map
I-57 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT and IDOT
Length386.12 mi[1] (621.40 km)
Existed1959–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end I-55 / US 60 in Sikeston, MO
Major intersections
North end I-94 in Chicago, IL
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesMissouri, Illinois
CountiesMO: Scott, Mississippi
IL: Alexander, Pulaski, Union, Johnson, Williamson, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Clay, Effingham, Shelby, Cumberland, Coles, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Will, Cook
Highway system
US 56MO Route 58
IL 56IL IL 57

Route description

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Lengths
  mi[1] km
MO 21.96 35.34
IL 364.16 586.06
Total 386.12 621.40

Missouri

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The Cairo I-57 Bridge between Missouri and Illinois

In the state of Missouri, I-57 begins in Sikeston at a cloverleaf interchange with I-55 as a continuation of U.S. Route 60 (US 60) and heads east. Entering Charleston, the Interstate almost immediately interchanges with Route 105, with I-57 Business (I-57 Bus.) heading north with Route 105. Southeast of the city, it then turns to the northeast. To the east of Charleston, the US 60 concurrency ends after about 12 miles (19 km) when I-57 meets US 62/Route 77, with US 60 heading eastward and I-57 Bus. ending. I-57 eventually meets the Missouri–Illinois state line at the Mississippi River, crossing the Cairo I-57 Bridge into Cairo, Illinois.

Illinois

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The Dan Ryan Expressway West Leg (now more commonly referred to as I-57) at 99th Street in 1970

I-57 is the longest Interstate Highway in the state of Illinois, spanning 364.16 miles (586.06 km) long with Chicago being the main city along its northern route and Memphis being the southern main city along its southern route. I-57 then enters Illinois across the Mississippi River into Cairo. It passes through Mounds and Ullin, and then it makes an interchange with US 51, making US 51 depart from its temporary concurrency with the Interstate. I-57 then continues north and has an interchange with I-24 toward Nashville, Tennessee. It then continues to head toward Marion, West Frankfort, Benton, Whittington, and Ina and then heads into Mount Vernon. In Mount Vernon, I-57 has a short concurrency with I-64 while making two diamond interchanges with the city's streets. I-64 then leaves I-57 and continues its western route toward St. Louis, Missouri, while I-57 continues toward Effingham. In Effingham, I-70 joins I-57 and makes interchanges with the city's streets once again. I-70 then departs from I-57 and continues east toward Terre Haute and Indianapolis, Indiana. As for I-57, it continues and heads toward Mattoon where it has a cloverleaf interchange with US 45 and then heads toward Champaign where it meets the terminus of I-72 in a cloverleaf interchange. It then travels for another two miles (3.2 km) and then meets up with a soon to be changed from a cloverleaf interchange to a semi-directional interchange with I-74 going east toward Indianapolis (again) and west toward Bloomington. The Interstate then heads toward Kankakee and then into Cook County where it meets its own terminus with I-94 ending in Chicago.

History

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The oldest segment of I-57 is a 6.2-mile (10.0 km) strip running east of Bradley to Kankakee labeled on the 1959 Illinois state highway map.[4] Two years later, a 30-mile (48 km) stretch of I-57 from Dongola north to Marion opened on September 26, 1961.[5][self-published source] Another portion between the Illinois Route 121 (IL 121)/US 45 exit and the Watson–Mason exit was completed and opened prior to July 1965, linking I-57 to I-70 and running in tandem with I-70 for several miles, with access to Indianapolis, Indiana, to the east and St. Louis, Missouri, to the west.[citation needed] A 21.5-mile (34.6 km) section of I-57 in Jefferson County from Bonnie (using a temporary road that is still partially visible from the northbound lanes) to IL 161 later opened on December 9, 1969.[6] The portion of I-57 in Chicago (known as the Dan Ryan West Leg Extension) was constructed and opened in segments between 1963 and 1970. It remains the most recent Interstate Highway to be established within the city.[5] The final section of I-57 in Illinois opened in December 1971 at Paxton.[7]

The portion of I-43 from Milwaukee to Green Bay was originally numbered as I-57.[8] The number was changed due to the existence of I-57 in Illinois.[9]

I-57 was widened to six lanes in Effingham from 2011 until 2016.[10]

For many years, an interchange at the junction of I-57 with I-294 did not exist. It was one of the few places in the U.S. where Interstates cross but have no interchange. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) opened Phase 1 of a new interchange in 2014, providing access from I-57 north to I-294 north and from I-294 south to I-57 south.[11] Phase 2, which completed the remaining movements except for northbound I-57 to southbound I-294 and northbound I-294 to southbound I-57, was opened to traffic on September 11, 2022.[12]

Future

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Future I-57 in North Little Rock, Arkansas

I-57 is slated to eventually be extended west along US 60 to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and then south along the US 67 corridor to North Little Rock, Arkansas, ending at I-40.[13] The extension is listed under High Priority Corridor 89, the I-57 Corridor Extension.[14] In April 2016, a provision designating US 67 from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, as "Future I-57" was added into the federal fiscal year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill and officially became law in 2017.[15]

Missouri has already converted 62 miles (100 km) of the US 60/US 67 corridor between Sikeston and US 160/Route 158 near Harviell to a mixture of freeway and expressway segments. All at-grade crossings along the corridor would have to be eliminated before the Interstate designation could be applied.[16] This leaves about twelve miles (19 km) of new freeway between US 160/Route 158 to the Arkansas state line to be constructed, with a start date TBD.

In Arkansas, 118 miles (190 km) of Interstate-grade US 67 runs from I-40 to US 412 in Walnut Ridge, leaving a segment of approximately 40 miles (64 km) of new Interstate-grade highway along US 67 that still would need to be built in northeastern Arkansas.[17] The Arkansas Department of Transportation announced in September 2023 that work to extend Future I-57 in Clay County would begin in late 2024 or early 2025 depending on when contracts are let along with completion of the final design process.[18] The first section will be between the US 67 interchanges at Walnut Ridge and Corning while the second section (which will begin construction starting in 2026) will extend the first section northward to the Missouri state line.

Exit list

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StateCountyLocationmi[19][20]kmExitDestinationsNotes
MissouriScottSikeston0.0000.000 
 
US 60 west – Dexter, Poplar Bluff
Southern end of US 60 concurrency; continuation beyond I-55; future I-57 south
0.000–
0.538
0.000–
0.866
1  I-55 – Memphis, St. LouisCurrent southern terminus; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north)
I-55 exit 66
MississippiLong Prairie Township4.9167.9124  Route B – Bertrand
Charleston10.74517.29210 
 
  I-57 BL north / Route 105 – Charleston, East Prairie
13.02720.96512 
 
 
 
   I-57 BL south / US 60 east / US 62 / Route 77 – Charleston, Wyatt
Northern end of US 60 concurrency
Mississippi River22.328
0.00
35.933
0.00
Interstate 57 Bridge
Missouri–Illinois state line
IllinoisAlexanderCairo1.42.31 
 
  US 51 south / IL 3 – Cairo, Olive Branch
Southern end of US 51 concurrency
PulaskiMounds7.612.28Mounds Road
Ullin17.728.518Ullin
UnionDongola24.439.324Dongola Road
25.040.225 
 
US 51 north – Carbondale
Northern end of US 51 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Anna30.048.330  IL 146 – Anna, Vienna
Buncombe36.358.436Lick Creek Road
JohnsonGoreville39.763.940Goreville Road
WilliamsonSouthern Precinct43.970.744 
 
I-24 east – Nashville
Western terminus of I-24
45.272.745  IL 148 (Refuge Road)
Marion52.985.153Main Street – MarionFormer IL 13
53.686.354  IL 13 – Carbondale, Harrisburg
The Hill Avenue
Split into exits 54A (IL 13) and 54B (The Hill Avenue) northbound
Johnston City58.994.859Johnston City, Herrin
FranklinWest Frankfort64.6104.065  IL 149 – West Frankfort, Zeigler
West City71.6115.271  IL 14 – Benton, ChristopherTo IL 34
Ewing Township77.5124.777  IL 154 – Sesser, Whittington
JeffersonIna82.6132.983Ina
Dodds Township91.5147.392 
 
I-64 east – Louisville
Southern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 78 westbound
Mt. Vernon93.7150.894Veterans Memorial Drive
94.7152.495  IL 15 – Mt. Vernon, Ashley
96.2154.896 
 
I-64 west – St. Louis
Northern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 73 eastbound
Dix103.5166.6103Dix
MarionRaccoon Township109.2175.7109  IL 161 – Centralia
Salem116.4187.3116  US 50 – Salem, Sandoval
Kinmundy Township127.2204.7127Patoka, Kinmundy
FayetteFarina135.4217.9135  IL 185 – Farina, Vandalia
Clay
No major junctions
EffinghamMason Township144.7232.9145Edgewood
150.7242.5151Watson, Mason
Summit Township157.3253.1157 
 
I-70 west – St. Louis
Southern end of I-70 concurrency; exit 92 eastbound
Effingham159.4256.5159Fayette Avenue
160.5258.3160   IL 32 / IL 33Access to Lake Shelbyville and Convention Center
162.2261.0162  US 45 – Sigel, EffinghamAccess to Lake Land College and Kuthe Center
Teutopolis Township163.4263.0163 
 
I-70 east – Indianapolis
Northern end of I-70 concurrency; exit 98 westbound
Shelby
No major junctions
CumberlandNeoga Township177.0284.9177  US 45 – Neoga
ColesMattoon184.4296.8184   US 45 / IL 121 – Mattoon, Toledo
189.6305.1190  IL 16 – Charleston, MattoonSigned as exits 190A (east) and 190B (west); access to Coles County Airport and Eastern Illinois University
192.4309.6192  CR 18 (Mattoon-Charleston Enterprise Parkway)
DouglasArcola203.6327.7203  IL 133 – Paris, Arcola
Tuscola211.7340.7212  US 36 – Newman, Tuscola
ChampaignPesotum219.9353.9220  US 45 – Tolono, Pesotum
Tolono Township228.6367.9229Monticello, Savoy, TolonoAccess to Willard Airport
Champaign Township231.7372.9232Curtis Road
Champaign235.2378.5235 
 
I-72 west / University Avenue – Springfield, Decatur
Signed as 235A (University Avenue) and 235B (I-72); I-72 exit 182
237.4382.1237  I-74 – Indianapolis, PeoriaSigned as exits 237A (east) and 237B (west); I-74 exit 179
238.4383.7238Olympian Drive
Hensley Township240.5387.0240Market Street
Rantoul250.2402.7250  US 136 – Rantoul, Fisher
FordPaxton260.9419.9261  IL 9 – Paxton, Gibson City
IroquoisArtesia Township271.9437.6272Buckley, RobertsRoberts signed northbound only
Onarga Township279.9450.5280  IL 54 – Onarga, RobertsRoberts signed southbound only
Gilman282.9455.3283  US 24 – Gilman, Chatsworth
Ashkum Township292.7471.1293  IL 116 – Ashkum, Pontiac
Clifton296.5477.2297Clifton
Chebanse Township301.6485.4302Chebanse
KankakeeKankakee307.5494.9308   US 45 / US 52 – Kankakee
311.6501.5312  IL 17 – Kankakee, Momence
315.3507.4315  IL 50 – Bradley, Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais318.4512.4318Bourbonnais ParkwayOpened November 2, 2018[21]
Manteno321.6517.6322Manteno
WillPeotone Township327.1526.4327Wilmington, Peotone
Monee335.1539.3335Manhattan, Monee
University Park337.1542.5337Stuenkel Road / University ParkwayAccess to Governors State University; interchange opened on October 30, 2015[citation needed]
CookRichton Park339.0545.6339Sauk Trail
Matteson340.69548.29340   US 30 / Lincoln Highway – MattesonSigned as exits 340A (east) and 340B (west) southbound
342.21550.73342Vollmer RoadSigned as exits 342A (east) and 342B (west) southbound
Bremen Township344.67–
344.86
554.69–
555.00
345  
 
 
I-80 to I-294 Toll – Indiana, Iowa
Signed as exits 345A (east) and 345B (west); I-80 exit 151
346.62557.83346 
 
167th Street to IL 50 (Cicero Avenue)
Signed as exits 346A (east) and 346B (west to IL 50)
Markham347.90559.89348  US 6 (159th Street) – Markham, Oak ForestSigned as exits 348A (east) and 348B (west)
349.62562.66349 
 
I-294 Toll (Tri-State Tollway) – Wisconsin, Indiana
Signed as exits 349A (north) and 349 (south) southbound<; no northbound exit to I-294 south; no southbound entrance from I-294 north; I-294 exit 7
Posen350.15563.51350  IL 83 (147th Street / Sibley Boulevard)
Calumet Park353.25568.50353127th Street / Burr Oak Avenue
Calumet ParkChicago line354.25570.11354119th Street
Chicago355.27571.75355111th Street / Monterey Avenue
357.32575.05357  IL 1 (Halsted Street)Northern terminus of IL 1
358.47576.90 
 
I-94 east (Bishop Ford Freeway) – Indiana
Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-94 exit 63
358.57577.06358Wentworth AvenueSouthbound exit only; Only accessible from the I-94 east ramp
359.12577.95 
 
I-94 west (Dan Ryan Expressway) – Chicago Loop
Northern terminus; I-94 exit 63
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Charleston business loop

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Interstate 57 Business
LocationCharleston, Missouri
Length2.94 mi (4.73 km)

Interstate 57 Business (I-57 Bus.) in Charleston, Missouri, begins at I-57 exit 10. From this diamond interchange, it runs north in a concurrency with Route 105 along South Main Street into the city center. It then turns east onto Marshall Street, which also carries US 62 and Route 77. The business route ends at I-57 exit 12, with US 62 and Route 77 continuing to the east with US 60.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  2. ^ American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "Interstate Control Cities". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Missouri Department of Transportation (n.d.). Exit 64A sign (Highway guide sign). Sikeston: Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Illinois Division of Highways; H.M. Gousha (1959). Illinois Official Highway Map (Map). [1:790,00]. Springfield: Illinois Division of Highways – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  5. ^ a b "Interstate 57". Interstate Guide. September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.[self-published source]
  6. ^ Mt. Vernon Register-News. December 9, 1969. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[full citation needed]
  7. ^ Southern Illinoisan. December 29, 1971. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[full citation needed]
  8. ^ Fond du Lac Reporter. March 9, 1972. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[full citation needed]
  9. ^ The Journal Times. Racine, WI. December 10, 1974. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[full citation needed]
  10. ^ "I-57/I-70 Rehabilitation". Lochmueller Group. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  11. ^ "Interchange connecting I-57, I-294 opens". ABC7 Chicago. October 25, 2014. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  12. ^ "I-294/I-57 Interchange Project - Phase 2". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  13. ^ Miller, Bob (February 27, 2023). "Extension of I-57 to impact national traffic, Poplar Bluff and Arkansas economies". Southeast Missourian. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "Statutory Listing of Corridor Descriptions - High Priority Corridors - National Highway System - Planning - FHWA". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  15. ^ "Arkansas Highway to Receive 'Future I-57' Designation". Times Record. Arkansas News Bureau. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  16. ^ Heuring, Leonna (August 1, 2010). "MoDOT Celebrates Completion of US 60 Four-Lane Project with Caravan". The Southeast Missourian. Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  17. ^ Reaves, Jonathan (June 2017). "Arkansas 'has a lot of work to do' to bring 'Future I-57' to Missouri line". KASU-TV. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  18. ^ "I-57 route identified". Jonesboro Sun. October 25, 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  19. ^ Missouri Department of Transportation (November 14, 2012). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  20. ^ "Map of Interstate 57 in Illinois" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  21. ^ Dykstra, John (November 3, 2018). "I-57 interchange at Bourbonnais Parkway finally opens". The Daily Journal. Kankakee, Illinois. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
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