Interstate 255
Encyclopedia
Interstate 255 is a bypass route of Interstate 55
near St. Louis
, Missouri
and with Interstate 270
, it forms a loop
around the city. Even though St. Louis is in Missouri, a majority of the route runs through Illinois
. It shares its southern terminus with 270 at the junction with Interstate 55, 270 goes to the west and 255 goes to the east. US 50 joins I-255 at Lemay Ferry Road. It crosses the Mississippi River
on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge
, enters Illinois, and then turns north. There is a junction with Interstate 64
, where US-50 breaks off and goes east, and then further north there is a junction with Interstate 55 again, Interstate 70
, and U.S. Route 40
, all of which are all co-signed together. The next junction is another one with Interstate 270, and it is the northern terminus of Interstate 255. After that, it becomes Illinois Route 255
.
Interstate 255 is 30.82 miles (49.6 km) in length.
to I-55/70 west of Cahokia Mounds near the intersection with IL 111
when plans surfaced in the 1950s Yellow Book. It was originally supposed to be a 4 lane highway but was changed to six lanes.
Since that routing was to go through the American Bottoms, archaeological investigations had to be conducted prior to any constructions, which would later become known as the FAI 270 Series. When Cahokia Mounds was designated in the federal register, a new alignment for I-255 from I-64 to I-55/70 had to be picked.
As a result, this was the last interstate highway in the St. Louis area to be built as construction did not start until the late 1970s. During this time, the entire interstate loop would become I-270. However, the state of Illinois would start making their supplemental freeway plans during this time period and this included a routing from I-55/70 to I-270 in Madison County that would become "Corridor 413".
In 1978, the southern most 6 mile section of Corridor 413 would be added to the Interstate Highway System. This change caused a potential place of confusion where two intersecting highways would have the same number, and IDOT started floating with the I-270/870 routing for the east-west leg in Madison County. The locals did not care for that numbering alternative, as both the Alton Telegraph and Edwardsville Intelligencer was still referring that new highway as I-255 in various articles. In addition, the portion of the Corridor 413
from I-270 to US 67 (then IL 267) was heavily hyped by the local politicians as several nearby highways were already congested by that point of time. By 1980, IDOT decided on the 255 numbering.
At the IL 3 interchange, I-255 makes a sharp turn north and is briefly duplexed with IL 3 in the Dupo area. When IL 3 splits, I-255 takes more of a northeast turn through the eastern side of Cahokia and East St. Louis. The Mousette Lane interchange was completed in the 1990s and is now the site of the Gateway Grizzlies baseball along with a business park located next to St. Louis Parks Airport. This section of 255 features shorter light poles to accommodate planes taking off and landing on the nearby airstrip. As a result, some of the best views of the St. Louis skyline can be observed in this area.
North of there, 255 continues through a portion of Frank Holten State Park before meeting up with I-64 just west of Caseyville. The section of 255 from 64 to 55/70 was opened on October 23, 1986, and it has a further east alignment than originally planned. 255 will cross Black Lane and two railroad tracks on a massive viaduct then intersect Collinsville Road just east of Fairmont Park racetrack.
255 will then intersect 55/70 and change its control cities from "Chicago" to "To I-270". The section from 55/70 to 270 was opened on July 26, 1988 and was not part of the original plans. (It was actually part of the plans that eventually became Illinois 255
that the politicians in the Alton-Wood River area started dreaming back in the 1970s.)
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
near St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and with Interstate 270
Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)
Interstate 270 makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of...
, it forms a loop
Loop route
A loop route is a highway or other major road that extends out from a typically longer, more important parents road to enter and circle a large city. A loop can function as a bypass for through traffic and also to service outlying suburbs....
around the city. Even though St. Louis is in Missouri, a majority of the route runs through Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It shares its southern terminus with 270 at the junction with Interstate 55, 270 goes to the west and 255 goes to the east. US 50 joins I-255 at Lemay Ferry Road. It crosses the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge
Jefferson Barracks Bridge
The Jefferson Barracks Bridge, often called the J.B. Bridge, is a pair of bridges that span the Mississippi River on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri. Both bridges are long steel arch bridges. The first bridge was built in 1983, the south bridge opened in 1992...
, enters Illinois, and then turns north. There is a junction with Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, where US-50 breaks off and goes east, and then further north there is a junction with Interstate 55 again, Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
, and U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, all of which are all co-signed together. The next junction is another one with Interstate 270, and it is the northern terminus of Interstate 255. After that, it becomes Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass , is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255 in southwestern Illinois...
.
Interstate 255 is 30.82 miles (49.6 km) in length.
History
I-255 route was proposed from I-55/I-244 near Green ParkGreen Park, Missouri
Green Park is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,622 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Green Park is located at ....
to I-55/70 west of Cahokia Mounds near the intersection with IL 111
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Short Street in Centreville to Illinois Route 104 in Waverly. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
when plans surfaced in the 1950s Yellow Book. It was originally supposed to be a 4 lane highway but was changed to six lanes.
Since that routing was to go through the American Bottoms, archaeological investigations had to be conducted prior to any constructions, which would later become known as the FAI 270 Series. When Cahokia Mounds was designated in the federal register, a new alignment for I-255 from I-64 to I-55/70 had to be picked.
As a result, this was the last interstate highway in the St. Louis area to be built as construction did not start until the late 1970s. During this time, the entire interstate loop would become I-270. However, the state of Illinois would start making their supplemental freeway plans during this time period and this included a routing from I-55/70 to I-270 in Madison County that would become "Corridor 413".
In 1978, the southern most 6 mile section of Corridor 413 would be added to the Interstate Highway System. This change caused a potential place of confusion where two intersecting highways would have the same number, and IDOT started floating with the I-270/870 routing for the east-west leg in Madison County. The locals did not care for that numbering alternative, as both the Alton Telegraph and Edwardsville Intelligencer was still referring that new highway as I-255 in various articles. In addition, the portion of the Corridor 413
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass , is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255 in southwestern Illinois...
from I-270 to US 67 (then IL 267) was heavily hyped by the local politicians as several nearby highways were already congested by that point of time. By 1980, IDOT decided on the 255 numbering.
Route description
I-255 leaves I-55 and I-270 as a east/west highway. This section to the JB Bridge was built in the 1960s and upgraded between 2002-2004 with new pavement and the replacement of the Telegraph Road bridge. Past Koch Road, I-255 crosses the Mississippi River on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, known to the locals as the JB Bridge. Past this point, this highway is now signed as a north/south highway, and appears considerably newer than the Missouri section. The section from the JB Bridge to I-64 was opened to traffic between 1984 to 1985.At the IL 3 interchange, I-255 makes a sharp turn north and is briefly duplexed with IL 3 in the Dupo area. When IL 3 splits, I-255 takes more of a northeast turn through the eastern side of Cahokia and East St. Louis. The Mousette Lane interchange was completed in the 1990s and is now the site of the Gateway Grizzlies baseball along with a business park located next to St. Louis Parks Airport. This section of 255 features shorter light poles to accommodate planes taking off and landing on the nearby airstrip. As a result, some of the best views of the St. Louis skyline can be observed in this area.
North of there, 255 continues through a portion of Frank Holten State Park before meeting up with I-64 just west of Caseyville. The section of 255 from 64 to 55/70 was opened on October 23, 1986, and it has a further east alignment than originally planned. 255 will cross Black Lane and two railroad tracks on a massive viaduct then intersect Collinsville Road just east of Fairmont Park racetrack.
255 will then intersect 55/70 and change its control cities from "Chicago" to "To I-270". The section from 55/70 to 270 was opened on July 26, 1988 and was not part of the original plans. (It was actually part of the plans that eventually became Illinois 255
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass , is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255 in southwestern Illinois...
that the politicians in the Alton-Wood River area started dreaming back in the 1970s.)
Exit list
| County | Location | Mile | # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis St. Louis County, Missouri St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all... |
Continuation beyond I-55 | ||||
| 1 | , Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) | |||
| 1C | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||||
| 1D | South end of US 50 overlap; Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | Koch Road | ||||
| Jefferson Barracks Bridge Jefferson Barracks Bridge The Jefferson Barracks Bridge, often called the J.B. Bridge, is a pair of bridges that span the Mississippi River on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri. Both bridges are long steel arch bridges. The first bridge was built in 1983, the south bridge opened in 1992... over the Mississippi River Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains... (state line) |
|||||
| Monroe Monroe County, Illinois Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 32,957, which is an increase of 19.3% from 27,619 in 2000. Its county seat is Waterloo... |
Columbia Columbia, Illinois Columbia is a city in Monroe and St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Illinois, about south of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 7,922 at the 2000 census.-History:... |
6 | South end of IL 3 / GRR overlap | ||
| St. Clair St. Clair County, Illinois St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is... |
Dupo Dupo, Illinois Dupo is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. The village was settled in about 1750 and was incorporated in 1876. Its name is derived from Prairie du Pont .-Geography:... |
9 | Dupo Dupo, Illinois Dupo is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. The village was settled in about 1750 and was incorporated in 1876. Its name is derived from Prairie du Pont .-Geography:... |
||
| 10 | North end of IL 3 / GRR overlap | ||||
| Cahokia Cahokia, Illinois Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also... |
13 | ||||
| 15 | Mousette Lane | ||||
| Centreville Centreville, Illinois Centreville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States of America. The population was 5,951 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Centreville is located at .... |
17 | Signed as exits 17A (east) and 17B (west) | |||
| 19 | State Street – East St. Louis East St. Louis, Illinois East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950... |
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| Washington Park Washington Park, Illinois Washington Park is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,345 at the 2000 census.-History:Washington Park filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in July, 2009, citing assets of less than $50,000 and debt of more than $1 million... |
20 | – St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... , Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
North end of US 50 overlap | ||
| Madison Madison County, Illinois Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to... |
Collinsville Collinsville, Illinois Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 26,016. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area... |
24 | Collinsville Road | ||
| 25 | – Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... , Chicago, St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
Signed as exits 25A (north/east) and 25B (south/west) | |||
| 26 | Horseshoe Lake Road | ||||
| Pontoon Beach Pontoon Beach, Illinois Pontoon Beach is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pontoon Beach is located at .... |
29 | ||||
| 30 | – Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... , Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Continuation beyond I-270 | |||||