Ultimate Interstates:I-30/57 Extension
Ultimate Interstate 30 or Ultimate Interstate 57 extension would extend either the existing I-30 or existing I-57 corridor along portions of US-Route 67 and US-Route 60 through the states of Arkansas to Missouri via Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Of the two options, the Interstate 30 extension is longer, ultimately ending in Lexington, Kentucky and utilizes the existing Kentucky parkway system. The southward extension of I-57 would only traverse the section between Little Rock and Sikeston and would be conversely less expensive to build. These route options traverse along FHWA designated high priority corridors 89 and 91.
Ultimate Interstate 30
Corridor 30 would extend I-30 northward from Little Rock, Arkansas along US-67 into Missouri via Poplar Bluff then continue along US-60, I-24, I-69, and utilize the existing Kentucky parkway system, ultimately ending at I-75/64 in Lexington, Kentucky. This routing consists of all 8 segments listed below.
Purpose & Need
The I-30 designation denotes the highway as a transcontinental major interstate highway, and while it is of vital importance it only travels 366 miles from Fort Worth to Little Rock, Arkansas. Extending the highway further eastward would establish Interstate 30 as the vitally important transcontinental route that it should be by allowing it to transverse more of the nation making more connections to major metropolitan regions, including ST. Louis, Chicago, Louisville, Indianapolis, as well as major cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and the northeast. If built out completely it would extend the total mileage of the corridor to approximately 950 miles in length.
Ultimate Interstate 57
Corridor 57 would extend I-57 southward from its current terminus in Miner, Missouri. Beginning in the south in Little Rock, Arkansas the corridor travels along US-67 via Poplar Bluff then continues along US-60 until it reaches the existing I-57/55 interchange. From there it continues as existing I-57 northward into Illinois. This proposed routing consists of segments 1-3 listed below and is the most plausible routing to be chosen by state and federal highway officials.
Purpose & Need
The I-57 would provide a direct connection from Chicago to Little Rock, Arkansas. This like the Corridor 30 option would provide a new alternative route for traffic heading from the Great Lakes region and Ohio River Valley to Arkansas and Texas (via I-30). Currently I-57 is just over 366 miles in length, but if built out completely it would extend the total mileage of the corridor to approximately 625 miles.
Corridor Routing
Corridor 30/57 Segments
- Segment 1 - Little Rock to Walnut Ridge=
The corridor would extend north from Little Rock, Arkansas along US-67 northeastward toward Walnut Ridge, Arkansas where it would meet up with an extension of Interstate 555 providing a connection to Jonesboro, Arkansas. This segment of the corridor is already constructed as a limited access freeway and may only require light to moderate improvements to bring the existing freeway up to interstate standards.
- Segment 2 - Walnut Ridge to US-160 Junction
Segment 2 extends the corridor from Walnut Ridge to US-160/MO-158 junction approximately 8 miles southwest of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. From Walnut Ridge the route would continue along or in the vicinity of US-67 northward passing near Pocohontas and Corning, Arkansas before crossing over into Missouri and heading north toward Poplar Bluff. This routing would require a more substantial investment to bring this corridor up to interstate standards since it would require new greenfield miles of interstate to be constructed where the existing US-67 corridor cannot be practically upgraded or where bypasses are needed around towns along the route. Much of this segment is unimproved 2 lane highway.
- Segment 3 - US-160 Junction to I-55
Segment 3 begins at the US-160/MO-158 junction 8 miles southwest of Poplar Bluff and continues northward along a 4-lane expressway which eventually becomes a freeway as it enters Poplar Bluff from the southwest. It would travel around the northwest side of the city along the existing freeway bypass following US-60 eastward. The route continues as a 4-lane expressway with some interchanges passing through Dexter and Sikeston, Missouri until it reaches the I-55/57 junction in Miner, Missouri. This segment has already been largely upgraded to freeway standards but there are many at grade intersections that will need to be grade separated or upgraded to interchanges to bring the route up interstate standards. The cost of upgrading segment 3 would be moderate since much of this corridor has already been partially converted to interstate standards and would not need to acquire much in the way of greenfield right of way. The Interstate 57 extension would end at the end of segment 3.
Corridor 30 Segments
- Segment 4 - I-55 to I-24
Segment 4 may be the costliest segment of Interstate to construct along this corridor due to the need of constructing a new 4 lane high bridge crossing over the Mississippi river into Kentucky. Additionally, much of the route would be built on new greenfield terrain since there is no current improved highways that traverse this section that could be upgraded. Initially the corridor continues along existing I-55 heading east to Charleston, Missouri. from there the corridor would exit Interstate 55 via a new freeway corridor roughly in the vicinity of US-62 passing near Wyatt, Missouri then crossing the Mississippi river near Winford, Kentucky then heading east passing near St John, Kentucky and connecting to I-24 in the vicinity of the Husband Road and US-68 interchange in Paducah. Due to urban development and rural residential areas along this corridor, weaving this new section of interstate through this segment would have to be done thoughtfully to avoid negative impacts to residents in the area and to control right of way costs.
As a second yet less favorable option, corridor 30 could utilize existing I-57 and I-24 in Illinois instead, to avoid having to construct a new roadway.
- Segment 5 - I-24 & I-69
Segment 5 is complete except for signage. Corridor 30 would overlap I-24 from Paducah to Eddyville, Kentucky and continue along I-69 to the I-69/169/WK-Pkwy junction in Nortonville, Kentucky. This segment would require no upgrades and would have a minimal cost for signage.
- Segment 6 - Western KY Parkway
Segment 6 would make minor improvements to the Western Kentucky Parkway to bring it up to interstate standards. Currently the western segment of the parkway from the Nortonville Junction to I-165 Junction in Beaver Dam, KY (about 38 miles) is already planned to become Corridor-569 once upgrades are complete. The Corridor 30 plan would extend that all the way to I-65 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Most of the length of the WK parkway is already interstate standards except for some minor needed upgrades requiring minimal cost to complete. Notably the reconstruction of the interchange near Central City, KY.
- Segment 7 - Bluegrass Parkway
Segment 7 would continue the corridor eastward a short distance along I-65 to the Bluegrass Parkway then head eastward passing near Bardstown, Kentucky and ending at US-60 west of Lexington, KY at the current end of the parkway. This section would require minimal upgrade cost to bring it to interstate standards.
- Segment 8 - Lexington Bypass
Segment 8 would largely be the most controversial of the segments of I-30 to construct. The Bluegrass parkway was originally intended to connect to I-64 but was never extended further than US-60 due to opposition of travelling through prized horse countryside located in the region. Ideally if Corridor 30 is to become a reality there may have to be some way feasibly to allow it to happen. Perhaps eliminating any possible access points between I-64 and US-60 and finding a delicate way to weave the highway through the landscape would be more favorable than seeing sprawl develop and take over precious thoroughbred horse countryside be overrun with development by an interstate project. That being said sections 7 and 8 have the lowest likelihood of becoming an interstate. Leaving I-30 to end at I-65 in Elizabethtown instead.
Auxiliary Routes
Potential Auxiliary routes for the 30 or 57 corridors could include:
- No auxiliary routings are proposed at this time.
Plausibility
Since the corridor has already been designated as a high priority corridor this interstate expansion could become a reality. Currently the FHWA has designated that high priority corridor 89 (segments 1-3) be designated as Interstate 57. and high priority corridor 91 (part of segment 7) be designated as I-569. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC) may petition to include all of segment 7 in the 569 designation since the highway is contiguous. That being said all but the segment of the corridor crossing the Mississippi River (segment 4) and bypassing Lexington (segment 8) have already been largely constructed or are already high priority corridors. THis makes the use of Interstate 30 corridor even more plausible if these states petition congress or the FHWA to approve the change.
Alternatively, the I-57 extension is also a viable option, and because upgrades have already been made since this was designated as a high priority corridor, it is only a matter of time until this interstate corridor becomes a reality.
Indyroads Vision
Indyroads favors the I-30 option for extending this corridor. Ideally what makes the most sense long term and logistically is to extend I-30 northeastward toward Lexington, KY. This would make the I-30 corridor from DFW to Lexington more of a transcontinental corridor than it currently is being that it only traverses 2 states and only connects two major metropolitan areas and one medium sized metro area (Texarkana). Extending the route eastward would connect other large metro areas such as Louisville and other medium sized cities such as Paducah, Evansville, Elizabethtown, and Lexington. It would also reinforce existing connections by connecting with other major interstate routes along the way such as I-24, I-69, I-65, I-64 and I-75 which are all important high traffic interstate corridors. These connections would enable the I-30 corridor to make better connections to other metro areas such as Nashville, Chicago, St Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and even major cities in the northeastern states. Regardless of which Interstate number is extended, this project would prove vital for interregional transportation and also provide a much-needed relief route for I-55.