Interstate 555
Encyclopedia
Interstate 555 is a future Interstate Highway that is slated to connect Turrell, Arkansas
at Interstate 55
to Jonesboro, Arkansas
at Highway 91
. I-555 is currently under construction as U.S. Highway 63, which is being upgraded to Interstate standard over that stretch.
According to the 2007 Arkansas state highway map, only a segment from Tyronza
to Gilmore
is not yet up to freeway standards. However, as of August 5, 2007 the Highway 135
interchange on that section, the last one remaining, is open, thus making the route a true freeway. A few mainline bridges between Marked Tree
and Turrell are from the original two-lane U.S. 63 and are narrower than current Interstate Highway standards, but I-530 was approved a few years ago despite having a similar issue.
The last requirement to formally designate this route as I-555 is the construction of a parallel access road across a floodway between Payneway
and Marked Tree, so that farm equipment will no longer have to use U.S. 63 to cross the floodway. Once barred from I-555, alternate routes for farmers would lead to detours of up to 1½ hours. Though reportedly funding for the access road itself is still up in the air, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (which owns the floodway as part of a wildlife management area) is proceeding with bids for a mitigation project apparently related to the floodway crossing.
The project provides a limited-access highway corridor between Memphis, Tennessee
, and Arkansas
's fifth largest city, Jonesboro
.
I-555 will be the second Interstate with all three digits the same, and the first to be signed as an Interstate (I-444 in Oklahoma
is unsigned).
Turrell, Arkansas
Turrell is a city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Turrell's area of location is positioned primarily next to the item of liquid substance at the map coordinate ....
at Interstate 55
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...
to Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...
at Highway 91
Arkansas Highway 91
Arkansas Highway 91 is a state highway of that runs in Craighead and Lawrence Counties.-Route description:AR 91 begins in northwest Jonesboro at US 63 BUS. The route runs west in a concurrency with AR 18 over US 63 as Dan Ave.. The concurrency continues west as Kings Highway until AR 18 turns...
. I-555 is currently under construction as U.S. Highway 63, which is being upgraded to Interstate standard over that stretch.
According to the 2007 Arkansas state highway map, only a segment from Tyronza
Tyronza, Arkansas
Tyronza is a town in Poinsett County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 762 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Tyronza is located at ....
to Gilmore
Gilmore, Arkansas
Gilmore is a town in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 292 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gilmore is located at ....
is not yet up to freeway standards. However, as of August 5, 2007 the Highway 135
Arkansas Highway 135
Arkansas Highway 135 is a north–south state highway in northeast Arkansas. The route of runs from US 63 near Tyronza north through Paragould to US 62.-Route description:...
interchange on that section, the last one remaining, is open, thus making the route a true freeway. A few mainline bridges between Marked Tree
Marked Tree, Arkansas
Marked Tree is a city in Poinsett County, Arkansas in the United States, along the St. Francis River, at the mouth of the Little River. The population was 2,800 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and Turrell are from the original two-lane U.S. 63 and are narrower than current Interstate Highway standards, but I-530 was approved a few years ago despite having a similar issue.
The last requirement to formally designate this route as I-555 is the construction of a parallel access road across a floodway between Payneway
Payneway, Arkansas
Payneway is an unincorporated community in Little River Township, Poinsett County, Arkansas, United States. It is located west of Marked Tree near the intersection of Arkansas Highway 463 and Arkansas Highway 14....
and Marked Tree, so that farm equipment will no longer have to use U.S. 63 to cross the floodway. Once barred from I-555, alternate routes for farmers would lead to detours of up to 1½ hours. Though reportedly funding for the access road itself is still up in the air, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (which owns the floodway as part of a wildlife management area) is proceeding with bids for a mitigation project apparently related to the floodway crossing.
The project provides a limited-access highway corridor between Memphis, Tennessee
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....
, and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
's fifth largest city, Jonesboro
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...
.
I-555 will be the second Interstate with all three digits the same, and the first to be signed as an Interstate (I-444 in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
is unsigned).