The Mississippi River Corridor (I-55) Road Conditions & Traffic

01 Route overview

Interstate 55 runs 964 miles from LaPlace, Louisiana — just outside New Orleans — to Chicago, Illinois, shadowing the Mississippi River for much of its length. It is the principal north-south corridor of the central US, tying together New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, St. Louis, and Chicago. The route replaces much of historic US Route 66 between St. Louis and Chicago.

For freight, I-55 is the spine of the Mississippi River intermodal network. Container traffic from the Port of New Orleans and the Memphis FedEx hub moves on I-55, and the St. Louis-to-Chicago segment carries some of the highest truck volumes in the central US. The route connects to I-40 at Memphis (one of the busiest east-west truck transfers in the country), to I-70 and I-64 at St. Louis, and to I-80 / I-90 / I-94 in Chicago.

Geographically I-55 is mostly flat, crossing the Mississippi delta in Louisiana, the bluffs around Memphis, the rolling Ozark foothills in southeastern Missouri, and the prairie of central Illinois. Weather hazards are dominated by hurricane evacuations from coastal Louisiana, Mississippi River flooding that closes the Bonnet Carré and other low-lying segments, severe weather across the Mid-South, and lake-effect snow at the Chicago terminus.

Shadows the Mississippi River from LaPlace, LA to Chicago, IL
Crosses six states: LA, MS, TN, AR, MO, IL
Replaced much of historic US Route 66 between St. Louis and Chicago
Memphis-Arkansas Bridge crossing is a critical Mississippi River chokepoint
Designated hurricane evacuation route from coastal Louisiana
Concurrent with I-44 / I-70 / I-64 in St. Louis
Connects Port of New Orleans to the Chicago intermodal hubs

02 Key cities & junctions

State	Mile	City / Junction
LA	MM 0	LaPlace (I-10 jct)
LA	MM 41	Hammond
LA	MM 78	Kentwood / MS line
MS	MM 18	McComb
MS	MM 86	Brookhaven
MS	MM 96	Jackson (I-20 jct)
MS	MM 174	Grenada
MS	MM 285	Hernando / Memphis line
TN	MM 12	Memphis (I-40 jct)
AR	MM 44	West Memphis (I-40 jct)
AR	MM 22	Marion
AR	MM 67	Wynne
MO	MM 1	Hayti
MO	MM 67	Sikeston (I-57 jct)
MO	MM 174	Cape Girardeau
MO	MM 197	Festus
MO	MM 207	St. Louis (I-44/I-64/I-70 jct)
IL	MM 18	Edwardsville (I-270 jct)
IL	MM 89	Litchfield
IL	MM 145	Springfield, IL (I-72 jct)
IL	MM 197	Bloomington (I-74 jct)
IL	MM 281	Joliet (I-80 jct)
IL	MM 295	Chicago (I-90/I-94 jct)

04 Notable hazards & trouble spots

Hazard

Critical Mississippi River chokepoint

Memphis-Arkansas Bridge, TN/AR (MM 1 TN - 0 AR)

The I-55 Memphis-Arkansas Bridge is one of the few Mississippi River crossings between Memphis and Vicksburg. When the parallel I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge was unexpectedly closed in 2021, all I-40 traffic was rerouted onto the I-55 bridge — overwhelming capacity for weeks. Plan for the worst whenever either bridge is restricted.

Hazard

Low-lying corridor with flood-related closures

Bonnet Carré spillway, LA (MM 0-15)

I-55 in Louisiana crosses the Maurepas swamp and runs low to the Bonnet Carré spillway. Major Mississippi River flooding events have closed the corridor in the past. Hurricane storm surge can also flood the route — monitor 511 Louisiana.

Hazard

Chronic urban congestion

Chicago Stevenson Expressway (MM 281-295)

I-55 in Chicago (the Stevenson Expressway) is one of the most congested truck corridors in the Midwest. Container drayage between the BNSF Logistics Park and the I-90 / I-94 stack moves on I-55. Plan deliveries outside the 6-9 AM and 3-7 PM peaks.

Hazard

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms

Mississippi Delta severe weather (MM 78 LA - 285 MS)

I-55 across Louisiana and Mississippi runs through Dixie Alley, where nighttime tornadoes and damaging-wind events are common March through May. Park under solid shelter when warnings are active.

Hazard

Complex multi-interstate convergence

St. Louis I-44 / I-55 / I-64 / I-70 stack (MM 207)

The I-55 stack in central St. Louis is one of the most complex interchanges in the Midwest. Lane drops, tight curves, and short merge zones cause chronic incidents. MoDOT publishes real-time alerts.

05 Active incidents (14)

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 between Lawrence St EX 20A and US 98 W EX 20B - Exit ramp closed

**I-55 between Lawrence St EX 20A and US 98 W EX 20B

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : Old Byram Rd at I-55 - Road closed

**Old Byram Rd at I-55

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 N between US 98 E EX 15A and US 84 EX 38 - Expect delays

I-55 between US 98 E EX 15A and US 84 EX 38

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 S between US 84 EX 38 and US 98 E EX 15A - Expect delays

I-55 between US 84 EX 38 and US 98 E EX 15A

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-55: Lane Closure

I-55

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-55: Lane Closure

I-55

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : Lawerence St. W ramp to I-55 N - Entrance ramp closed

Lawerence St. ramp to I-55 N

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : MS 24 between I-55 and Enterprise Rd - Expect delays

MS 24 between I-55 and Enterprise Rd

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : Brookway Blvd E at I-55 - Expect delays

Brookway Blvd at I-55

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : Brookway Blvd at I-55 - Expect delays

Brookway Blvd at I-55

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 between Papermill Rd EX 208 and MS 404 EX 195 - Expect delays

I-55 between Papermill Rd EX 208 and MS 404 EX 195

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : US 98 W between I-55 and Old Brookhaven Rd - Expect delays

US 98 between I-55 and Old Brookhaven Rd

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 S between Lawrence St EX 20A and Delaware Ave EX 17 - Right lane closed

I-55 between Lawrence St EX 20A and Delaware Ave EX 17

CONSTRUCTION MS

Road Work : I-55 N between Delaware Ave EX 17 and US 98 W EX 20B - Left lane closed

I-55 between Delaware Ave EX 17 and US 98 W EX 20B

06 Active weather alerts (1)

RED FLAG WARNING

Red Flag Warning issued May 13 at 1:33PM MDT until May 14 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Upper Arkansas River Valley Including Lake County and Chaffee County; Fremont County Including Canon City/Howard/Texas Creek; Southern Front Range Including Sangre De Cristo Mountains/Wet Mountains/La

07 FAQ

How long does it take to drive I-55 end to end?

A passenger car can cover the 964 miles in 14-16 hours of driving time. Commercial drivers respecting hours-of-service rules typically need 2 to 3 days, with chronic congestion through Memphis, St. Louis, and the Chicago Stevenson Expressway.

Is I-55 a toll road?

No. I-55 is toll-free for its entire 964-mile length. Optional adjacent toll routes exist (the Indiana Toll Road carries I-90 around Chicago) but are not part of I-55.

Does I-55 close for hurricanes?

Yes, the Louisiana segment is part of the contraflow evacuation network for New Orleans. When a major hurricane threatens the Gulf Coast, southbound I-55 is reversed to send all traffic north out of New Orleans. Trucks face long delays and may be ordered off the road entirely.

What major cities does I-55 connect?

I-55 directly serves New Orleans (via I-10 connection), Jackson, Memphis, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Springfield IL, Bloomington, Joliet, and Chicago.

Does I-55 follow Route 66?

Closely between St. Louis and Chicago. I-55 replaced much of historic US Route 66 across Missouri and Illinois. The Route 66 alignment generally parallels I-55 within a few miles, and many original Route 66 towns (Lebanon, Springfield IL, Pontiac, Joliet) are I-55 exits today.

I-55 — The Mississippi River Corridor

Critical Mississippi River chokepoint

Low-lying corridor with flood-related closures

Chronic urban congestion

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms

Complex multi-interstate convergence

Red Flag Warning issued May 13 at 1:33PM MDT until May 14 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Interstate 55 Live Map