Interstate 555 (I-555) is an Interstate Highway connecting I-55 in Turrell with Highway 91 in Jonesboro. It provides a complete freeway corridor between Jonesboro, Arkansas's fifth-largest city, and Memphis, Tennessee. Formerly known as U.S. Route 63 (US 63), the highway was converted in the early 2000s to Interstate Highway standards. I-555 was dedicated in March 2016.
 Interstate 555 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-555 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route of I-55 | ||||
| Maintained by ArDOT | ||||
| Length | 49.57 mi[1] (79.78 km) | |||
| Existed | March 11, 2016[2][3]–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |     I-55 / US 61 / US 78 / AR 77 in Turrell | |||
 US 49 / US 78 in Jonesboro | ||||
| North end |    US 63 / AR 18 / AR 91 in Jonesboro | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Arkansas | |||
| Counties | Crittenden, Poinsett, Craighead | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editI-555 begins at an interchange of I-55, US 61, and AR 77 in Turrell. I-55 goes south to Memphis, Tennessee. The road parallel to the Interstate, AR 463, is a former alignment of US 63. I-555 passes through farmland and Gilmore. Then, it passes through Tyronza and Marked Tree. The section between Marked Tree and Payneway is also used for farm equipment vehicles to drive on. Next, it passes through Trumann before entering Jonesboro. It briefly has an overlap with US 49. I-555 ends in Jonesboro at an interchange with AR 91; from there, the road continues as US 63.
History
editThe I-555 route was approved on January 10, 2001, consisting of a widened section of US 63 between Turrell to Jonesboro to Interstate Highway standards. A few mainline bridges between Marked Tree and Turrell are from original two-lane US 63 and are narrower than current standards, but I-530 was approved in 1999 despite having a similar issue.
The last requirement to formally designate this route as I-555 was the construction of a parallel access road across a floodway between Payneway and Marked Tree, so that farm equipment would no longer have to use US 63 to cross the floodway. No crossing has ever been built, but an exemption for agricultural vehicles was added to I-555 between Marked Tree and Payneway. The exemption was introduced by U.S. Representative Rick Crawford and passed as part of the House Transportation Bill on December 4, 2015. It was announced in December 2015 that I-555 would be officially designated in early 2016.[4] In early 2016, signs along the section of the highway cautioned travelers that there may be farm equipment driving on the roadway. The road was officially dedicated on March 11, 2016, in Jonesboro.[5] In 2021, US 63 was rerouted off the entire route of I-555, but a short extension on November 23 of that same year redesignated US 63 along a section of I-555 again.[6]
Future
editARDOT is currently running studies that will determine whether improvements to interchanges and cross-streets are needed for I-555 in Craighead County. Public meetings about the study were held in December 2021 and October 2023.[7] Comments about the study were also requested between October and December 2023.[8][9]
Exit list
edit| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crittenden | Turrell | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | Southern end of AR 77 concurrency; I-55 exit 23; signed as exits 1A (I-55/US 61 south) and 1B (I-55 north); US 61 north and AR 77 south continue past interchange | |
| Gilmore | 1.9 | 3.1 | 2 | Northern end of AR 77 concurrency | ||
| Poinsett | | 7.1 | 11.4 | 7 | ||
| Tyronza | 8.7 | 14.0 | 8 | |||
| Marked Tree | 13.2 | 21.2 | 13 | |||
| 14.2 | 22.9 | 14 | ||||
| | 18.2 | 29.3 | 18 | |||
| | 24.0 | 38.6 | 24 | |||
| Trumann | 28.7 | 46.2 | 29 | |||
| Craighead | Bay | 34.6 | 55.7 | 35 | ||
| Jonesboro | 36.2 | 58.3 | 36 | Nestlé Road | ||
| 39.1 | 62.9 | 39 | Southern end of US 78 concurrency | |||
| 40.3 | 64.9 | 40 | ||||
| 41.7 | 67.1 | 42 | Southern end of US 49 concurrency; former AR 173 | |||
| 43.4 | 69.8 | 44 | ||||
| 44.8 | 72.1 | 45 | Northern end of US 49/78 concurrency; southern end of US 63/AR 18 concurrency | |||
| 45.8 | 73.7 | 46 | ||||
| 47.1 | 75.8 | 47 | Washington Avenue | |||
| 49.4 | 79.5 | 49 | Northern end of AR 18 concurrency; northern end of freeway; northern terminus of I-555 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
edit- ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 2: Auxiliary 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 27, 2023.
- ^ Reaves, Johnathan (March 9, 2016). "I-555 to Be Dedicated Friday in Jonesboro". Jonesboro, Arkansas: KASU-FM. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ "40 Years in the Making, I-555 in Arkansas Becoming Reality". Little Rock, Arkansas: KATV-TV. Associated Press. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Highway Commission Approves I-555 Designation for Section of US 63". Times Record. Arkansas News Bureau. December 3, 2015. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "After delays, leg of U.S. 63 named I-555 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. March 12, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "Highway 63 in Jonesboro redesignated as I-555". Talk Business & Politics. November 23, 2021. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ "Interstate 555 Corridor Study". Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "ARDOT to hold public meeting for Interstate 555". KAIT 8. Jonesboroo, Arkansas: KAIT-TV. October 21, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Public Meeting 101113 I-555 Jonesboro Planning Study EN". Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 17, 2024.