I-55 North - Memphis - Tennessee - 4K Highway Drive

Interstate 55 northbound through the Memphis, TN Area. Includes Mississippi and Arkansas suburbs.
Filmed: January 2023
Cities Explored: www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mi...
Follow on Instagram: / mileagemike
Main Channel: / @mileagemike485
From Wikipedia:
Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north-south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The highway travels from LaPlace, Louisiana, at I-10 to Chicago, Illinois, at U.S. Route 41 (US 41, Lake Shore Drive), at McCormick Place. The major cities that I-55 connects to are (from south to north) New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; St. Louis, Missouri; and Chicago, Illinois.
The section of I-55 between Chicago and St. Louis was built as an alternate route for U.S. Route 66 (US 66). The Interstate crosses the Mississippi River twice: once at Memphis and again at St. Louis.
Time Stamps:
Hernando, MS: 0:00
Southaven, MS: 4:47
Memphis: 10:02
Crittenden County, AR: 22:49
West Memphis, AR: 25:32
Marion, AR: 30:37

[@dhinton1]

I am glad that the Crump Blvd interchange overhaul is FINALLY going to get done. the bottlenecks on 55 SB from the Mississippi River bridge crossing, and on 55 NB from about Mallory Street, were just nightmares.

[@chrismartin4502]

Young Dolph hometown 🕊️

[@MasonColemanWright1234]

I 55 goes from I 10 in Laplace LA to Chicago

[@ronansmith7840]

Yep. Because it ends near New Orleans

[@MarcBookPro]

My grandmother and aunt/uncle live in Hernando. It's a nice area.

[@dhinton1]

ah ....... my old stomping grounds. my parents are both from Mississippi, so I recognize every inch of 55 from Brookhaven NORTHWARD.

[@arthanza112]

Was on that earlier. Southbound.

[@scottyuwainat3899]

I Used To Lived in Mississippi

[@LonghornCSL]

Great drive! What camera are you using?

[@shaynestephens]

Great video, Mileage Mike! It is disturbing that the states want to run US routes concurrently with the Interstate routes but they won't sign them. If I wanted to follow US 64 through Memphis and across Arkansas, I'd miss the US 64 running with I-55 North. The same with US 79 not knowing it turned with I-40. I know it is probably "cost saving" but it also requires drivers to have to own a map of the area. The purpose of signing the routes is for NOT requiring a map.

[@MileageMikeTravels]

Yeah it’s a struggle these days if you’re trying to follow US Routes in some urban areas. I guess that was one of the side effects of the interstate system.

[@swinde]

@@MileageMikeTravels Well, both US 64 and US 79 have to cross the river and there are only two auto bridges, so there you go. I-40 also connects with these routes. I-40 and I-55 run concurrently through West Memphis.

[@markmoore8399]

PA cattlechute in Memphis!!!

[@PelicanGuy]

MDOT will eventually widen I-55/69 between Hernando and Southaven...there just isn't any money right now. Hernando has come a LONG way since the 80s.

[@shaynestephens]

Well, Washington spent a trillion dollars for infrastructure improvements and Interstate 69 was extended from the Canadian border to the Mexican border because of a North American TRADE TREATY. Looks to me that the FEDS should be paying for it.

[@MileageMikeTravels]

I didn’t realize it got that busy. It’s always been pretty smooth when I drove through the area.

[@tameikabrown]

Mike When Will U Do A St.Louis Trip 20:27

[@JCVACCARO]

When are you coming to the Mississippi Gulf Coast?

[@MileageMikeTravels]

Already did Biloxi and Gulfport.

[@historyrebel]

The Memphis-Arkansas Bridge predates the interstate system, and it really shows with how narrow it is.

[@alexlevingston]

That bridge needs to be torn down 👎🏿 rebuild a new one and make it six lanes going across just like the Hernando De soto bridge.

[@swinde]

@@alexlevingston It was opened in 1949, and will likely remain in place as it is for years to come. There is some talk of building another bridge somewhere to the north of the I-40 bridge, but currently traffic doesn't support another bridge. It would actually just be a safety valve in case of issues such as the I-40 bridge closure in 2021. Image if the I-40 structural problem was found AFTER the construction had began on the new I-55 interchange had begun. It is currently two way traffic in a single lane each way from McLemore to the I-55 bridge now.

[@alexlevingston]

@@swinde I appreciate the truth and facts.

[@dhinton1]

@@alexlevingston there just isn't room to build another bridge in the shadow of the 55 crossing. they BARELY got room for the reconstruction project that they put together for the Crump interchange as it is. that's the reason the ORIGINAL plan was to close the bridge for nine months for this project. the eastern end of the bridge literally drops in the lap of that interchange, and then 55 makes a 90° turn to the south (actually a bit more than a 90° turn).

[@SCL6054Prouctions]

to road looks like ir has a different color its more light than most asphalt im wodering why it looks like that

[@MileageMikeTravels]

Yeah it’s something I’ve noticed in this part of the country. I’ll have to look into it.

[@swinde]

@@MileageMikeTravels Most of the interstates that were built in the 1960s were built of concrete, rather than asphalt.

[@w-josh]

@@swindeyea but im pretty sure he is referring to the brown asphalt. This is used in the Memphis area almost more than anywhere, & Tennessee in general. Its mostly the geographically southern states that use brown asphalt.

[@donavanjohnson409]

Interstate 55 doesn't last long in Tennessee

[@shaynestephens]

I-55 doesn't even have a direct exit to I-40 East. You have to take the I-269 East exit in Mississippi to get to I-40 via an interstate.

[@kennypalermo9071]

@@shaynestephens Is I-555 coming up on this channel?

[@dhinton1]

​@@shaynestephens there's NO reason to have a ramp connecting I-55 NB to I-40 EB, or I-40 WB to I-55 SB, at the eastern West Memphis split. Traffic for both can take the completed I-269 beltway OR the older I-240 beltway to make that connection.

[@swinde]

@@shaynestephens You can also go east on to I 240 and pickup I-40 on the east side of Memphis.

[@dhinton1]

in fact, I suspect a LOT of truck traffic takes the 269 beltway around to connect between 55 and 40 and avoid Memphis outright. I know for a fact I would.

[@adawg2015]

Memphis is nasty.

[@alexlevingston]

True.