Interstate 66 (west)
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Department of Transportation
had plans to extend Interstate 66
westward across the country to California
. However, Interstate 66 west of Wichita, Kansas
, has been postponed, with the Nevada and California sections cancelled. This was because of several reasons, among them were lack of interest in the West, insufficient traffic for an interstate in the area (in fact, in some places there was no highway), and the route was to go through Death Valley National Park
(to which the National Park Service
was strongly opposed.) The main reason for the number 66 was to capitalize on U.S. Route 66
; westward expansion of I-66 was started by businesspeople in Wichita.
There have been some documents from Arizona
as late as September 2007 that mention the possibility of I-66 in northern Arizona.
No connection is currently planned between this I-66 and the Interstate 66
in Virginia
and the District of Columbia.
near Joplin, Missouri
to Wichita, Kansas
. U.S. Route 400
follows the route that I-66 would have followed. Due to the construction cost and lack of facilities, plans to extend I-66 west of Wichita have been postponed.
(which would require going through Shawnee National Forest
), or bringing the route through close to the current bridges by Wyatt to Sikeston
where it could overlap the current U.S. Route 60
westward. Illinois has only recently gained interest in bringing I-66 through their state. If Cape Girardeau and Illinois cannot lure Congress to modify the route through there, Sikeston may eventually be the convergence point of three Interstates, I-55
to St. Louis
and Memphis
, I-57
to Chicago, and the new I-66 to Kentucky and Washington, D.C.
in addition to the considerable pieces of the U.S. Highway System
already present there.
On November 2, 2006, it was announced that there would be two 4-year studies funded by the Federal Highway Administration
to study the impact of a Sikeston
route versus a Cape Girardeau
one.
announced a $3.6 million grant had been secured by the Illinois Department of Transportation to study a route between Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi River
and Paducah, Kentucky
on the Ohio River
. The route would utilize the existing Interstate 24
bridge at Paducah and new four-lane bridge at Cape Girardeau. The state will hire a consulting group to do the study. Work on it is expected to begin in 2012. Illinois last held a public hearing on the proposed corridor in 2003.
, then continue east on a new alignment to Interstate 24
north of Paducah
. It will then follow I-24 east to Eddyville, where it will turn northeast following I-69
/Western Kentucky Parkway
to the William H. Natcher Parkway
, then turn southeast following the Natcher Parkway to I-65 near Bowling Green
. Former Governor Paul Patton
had I-66 written into law in Kentucky
, with the routing being confirmed along the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway. That state-supported designation has been echoed at the federal level; the 2002 federal highway authorization act authorized a future Interstate between Interstate 57
in southeast Missouri and the I-73/I-74 proposed corridor in West Virginia, a few miles east of the Kentucky state line. This route is not without controversy, however; opponents note that the segment between London
and Somerset
, currently served by the two- to four-lane Kentucky Route 80, would risk damaging delicate karst
formations and environmentally sensitive areas of the Daniel Boone National Forest
. Going between London and Hazard, Interstate 66 would parallel or replace the Super two
Hal Rogers Parkway
. The Interstate would then turn northeast toward Pikeville, KY and east to West Virginia.
Construction was completed in 2011 on a less controversial segment in western Pulaski County
, relocating the eastern terminus of the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway to US 27.
numbering standards, since most of it would actually run south of existing I-64. A similar condition exists where I-75 and I-85 cross over at Atlanta, Georgia
, so it is not without precedent. I-99 in Pennsylvania is also out of sequence, though its designation was written into law by its Congressional sponsor, Bud Shuster
, not designated by AASHTO. However, I-64 doesn't yet exist west of St. Louis Metro, so west of around Poplar Bluff
, this section of I-66 would comply with AASHTO, since the western terminus of I-64 is at this longitude.
Another concern is that the proposed route of I-66 in Missouri and Kansas would cross the former path of historic U.S. Route 66
. However, as the US route has been decommissioned, there would be no official route numbering conflicts. Proposed expansions of other Interstate corridors are expected to have intersections with similarly numbered active US routes, such as the future intersection of Interstate 69
and U.S. Route 69
in Texas
, and Interstate 74
and US 74
in North Carolina
.
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
had plans to extend Interstate 66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
westward across the country to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. However, Interstate 66 west of Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, has been postponed, with the Nevada and California sections cancelled. This was because of several reasons, among them were lack of interest in the West, insufficient traffic for an interstate in the area (in fact, in some places there was no highway), and the route was to go through Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
(to which the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
was strongly opposed.) The main reason for the number 66 was to capitalize on U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
; westward expansion of I-66 was started by businesspeople in Wichita.
There have been some documents from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
as late as September 2007 that mention the possibility of I-66 in northern Arizona.
No connection is currently planned between this I-66 and the Interstate 66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the District of Columbia.
Kansas
I-66 was planned to extend west from I-44Interstate 44 in Missouri
In the U.S. state of Missouri, Interstate 44 runs northeast from the Oklahoma state line near Joplin to Interstate 55 in downtown St. Louis. It runs for a total of 290 miles in Missouri.-Route description:...
near Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. U.S. Route 400
U.S. Route 400
U.S. Route 400 is a mostly east–west U.S. Highway, commissioned in 1994. Its route number is a "violation" of the usual AASHTO numbering scheme, as there is no US 0 or US 100....
follows the route that I-66 would have followed. Due to the construction cost and lack of facilities, plans to extend I-66 west of Wichita have been postponed.
Missouri
Missouri has had several proposals to bring I-66 through it. Currently, the two ideas for consideration are bringing I-66 from Kentucky through Illinois to Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
(which would require going through Shawnee National Forest
Shawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
), or bringing the route through close to the current bridges by Wyatt to Sikeston
Sikeston, Missouri
Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...
where it could overlap the current U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
westward. Illinois has only recently gained interest in bringing I-66 through their state. If Cape Girardeau and Illinois cannot lure Congress to modify the route through there, Sikeston may eventually be the convergence point of three Interstates, I-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 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...
and 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....
, I-57
Interstate 57
Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central rail line for much of its route. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between...
to Chicago, and the new I-66 to Kentucky and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in addition to the considerable pieces of the U.S. Highway System
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
already present there.
On November 2, 2006, it was announced that there would be two 4-year studies funded by the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
to study the impact of a Sikeston
Sikeston, Missouri
Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...
route versus a Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
one.
Illinois
On 19 Aug 2011 officials in Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
announced a $3.6 million grant had been secured by the Illinois Department of Transportation to study a route between Cape Girardeau on 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...
and Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The route would utilize the existing Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
bridge at Paducah and new four-lane bridge at Cape Girardeau. The state will hire a consulting group to do the study. Work on it is expected to begin in 2012. Illinois last held a public hearing on the proposed corridor in 2003.
Kentucky
I-66 is planned to cross the Mississippi River east of Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
, then continue east on a new alignment to Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
north of Paducah
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. It will then follow I-24 east to Eddyville, where it will turn northeast following I-69
Interstate 69 in Kentucky
Interstate 69 is a freeway that overlaps Interstate 24 from Calvert City to Eddyville, and the Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway at Madisonville. Eventually, I-69 will pass through the western part of the U.S. state of Kentucky...
/Western Kentucky Parkway
Western Kentucky Parkway
The Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway is a controlled-access highway running from Elizabethtown, Kentucky to near Eddyville, Kentucky. It intersects with Interstate 65 at its eastern terminus, and Interstate 24 at its western terminus. It is one of nine highways that are part of the...
to the William H. Natcher Parkway
William H. Natcher Parkway
The Wiliam H. Natcher Green River Parkway is a limited-access freeway from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Owensboro, Kentucky. The Natcher is one of nine highways that are part of Kentucky's parkway system. Conceived as the "Owensboro-Bowling Green Parkway," it was instead named the Green River...
, then turn southeast following the Natcher Parkway to I-65 near Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Former Governor Paul Patton
Paul E. Patton
Paul Edward Patton was the 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800...
had I-66 written into law in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, with the routing being confirmed along the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway. That state-supported designation has been echoed at the federal level; the 2002 federal highway authorization act authorized a future Interstate between Interstate 57
Interstate 57
Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central rail line for much of its route. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between...
in southeast Missouri and the I-73/I-74 proposed corridor in West Virginia, a few miles east of the Kentucky state line. This route is not without controversy, however; opponents note that the segment between London
London, Kentucky
-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...
and Somerset
Somerset, Kentucky
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
, currently served by the two- to four-lane Kentucky Route 80, would risk damaging delicate karst
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
formations and environmentally sensitive areas of the Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest is the only national forest completely within the boundary of Kentucky. Established in 1937, it was originally named the Cumberland National Forest, after the core region called the Cumberland Purchase Unit...
. Going between London and Hazard, Interstate 66 would parallel or replace the Super two
Super two
A super two, super two-lane highway or wide two lane is a two-lane surface road built to high standards, typically including partial control of access, occasional passing lanes and hard shoulders...
Hal Rogers Parkway
Hal Rogers Parkway
The Hal Rogers Parkway, formerly named the Daniel Boone Parkway, connects London and Hazard in southeastern Kentucky. This toll road opened in November 1971 and the tolls were removed June 1, 2003. The original extent of the highway was to be instead of today's 62.90, with that mileage to have...
. The Interstate would then turn northeast toward Pikeville, KY and east to West Virginia.
Construction was completed in 2011 on a less controversial segment in western Pulaski County
Pulaski County, Kentucky
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 63,063 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Somerset6. The county is named for Count Kazimierz Pułaski. Most of the county is a prohibition or dry county...
, relocating the eastern terminus of the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway to US 27.
Numbering considerations
A completed I-66 would not be in strict compliance with AASHTO Interstate Highway SystemInterstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
numbering standards, since most of it would actually run south of existing I-64. A similar condition exists where I-75 and I-85 cross over at Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, so it is not without precedent. I-99 in Pennsylvania is also out of sequence, though its designation was written into law by its Congressional sponsor, Bud Shuster
Bud Shuster
Elmer Greinert "Bud" Shuster is an American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1973 to 2001. He is best known for his advocacy of transportation projects that critics deride as "pork barrel" spending.-Career:Shuster was born...
, not designated by AASHTO. However, I-64 doesn't yet exist west of St. Louis Metro, so west of around Poplar Bluff
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Poplar Bluff is a city in Butler County located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. As of the 2000 U.S...
, this section of I-66 would comply with AASHTO, since the western terminus of I-64 is at this longitude.
Another concern is that the proposed route of I-66 in Missouri and Kansas would cross the former path of historic U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. However, as the US route has been decommissioned, there would be no official route numbering conflicts. Proposed expansions of other Interstate corridors are expected to have intersections with similarly numbered active US routes, such as the future intersection of Interstate 69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
and U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
and US 74
U.S. Route 74
U.S. Route 74 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Cleveland, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:Established in 1987, US-74 western terminus is exit 20 on I-75 in Cleveland...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.