Interstate 220

Interstate 220 is the designation applied to several auxiliary highways in the United States that serve as bypasses and connectors around urban centers associated with Interstate 20 (United States). These routes function within metropolitan regions to link federal routes, state routes, and municipal streets, relieving through traffic on mainline corridors such as Interstate 20 (United States), U.S. Route 65, U.S. Route 167, and U.S. Route 80. Each corridor interacts with regional infrastructure agencies like the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Route description

The segments designated with this number vary by state but share common roles: short circumferential links, urban expressways, and grade-separated connectors. In the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area of Louisiana, the route forms a partial loop connecting Interstate 20 (United States), U.S. Route 71, and the Barksdale Air Force Base access network, intersecting arterial corridors such as LA 3132 and LA 3. In Jackson, Mississippi, the corridor provides a relief route between Interstate 20 (United States), Interstate 55, and suburban collectors, with interchanges at U.S. Route 51, Mississippi Highway 25, and industrial access points near the Jackson–Evers International Airport. The Arkansas alignment around Little Rock, Arkansas links Interstate 30, U.S. Route 67, U.S. Route 167, and river crossings adjacent to the Arkansas River, while the Tennessee variant acts as a connector near Memphis metropolitan area infrastructures, tying into I-40 and urban freight routes serving the Port of Memphis and Memphis International Airport.

History

Planning for auxiliary interstates bearing this designation began during the expansion of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 era when metropolitan bypasses were prioritized for interstate numbering schemes. Early right-of-way acquisitions involved coordination with municipal planning bodies such as the Little Rock Regional Chamber, the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Jackson Metropolitan Planning Organization. Construction phases mirrored national programs like the Interstate Highway System build-out and later initiatives such as the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 for federal connectivity. Major milestones included the completion of key interchanges at junctions with Interstate 30 (United States), the opening of segments adjacent to Barksdale Air Force Base, and staged extensions tied to economic development projects promoted by entities such as local Chambers of Commerce and state economic development agencies.

Exit list

Exit numbering and interchange types vary across jurisdictions. Typical exits include connections to principal arterials and collectors: ramps to U.S. Route 79, U.S. Route 65, U.S. Route 80, U.S. Route 167, state routes like Arkansas Highway 10, Mississippi Highway 18, and urban streets such as Kings Highway and Broadway Street. Interchanges often feature standard cloverleafs, partial cloverleafs, and single-point urban interchanges similar to those found on other auxiliary corridors like Interstate 440 (Tennessee), Interstate 440 (North Carolina), and Interstate 240 (Tennessee). Service access points link to logistics nodes serving facilities owned by corporations and institutions including FedEx, Union Pacific Railroad, regional hospitals such as Baptist Health Medical Center, and academic centers like University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Traffic and safety

Traffic volumes fluctuate with commuter patterns, freight movements, and special events at venues such as Red River District festivals, CenturyLink Center conventions, and Little Rock Air Force Base operations. Safety analyses by state departments highlight crash clusters at high-traffic interchanges and during peak hours, prompting engineering responses modeled after countermeasures used on corridors like Interstate 10 (Louisiana) and Interstate 55 (Mississippi). Enforcement and incident response involve agencies such as state police units and municipal traffic divisions, while improvement programs reference standards from organizations like the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and guidelines promulgated by the Federal Highway Administration.

Future plans and improvements

Planned projects encompass capacity upgrades, interchange reconstructions, and multimodal enhancements coordinated with metropolitan planning organizations and regional transit authorities such as CATA (Central Arkansas Transit Authority) and CARTA (Central Arkansas Water-related agencies). Funding mechanisms include federal surface transportation programs, state appropriations, and bonds issued by local governments; projects may be influenced by initiatives like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Proposed improvements often aim to add lanes, install intelligent transportation systems comparable to deployments on Interstate 40 (Tennessee), upgrade bridge structures crossing the Arkansas River and Red River, and incorporate bicycle and pedestrian accommodations linked to greenway projects by organizations such as local parks departments and The Trust for Public Land.

Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways