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Interstate No. 64 13 live incidents

I-64: The Midland Trail

Interstate 64 runs 943 miles from Wentzville, Missouri (just west of St. Louis) to Chesapeake, Virginia, crossing the central US through the Ohio River valley and the southern Appalachians. It serves St. Louis, Louisville, Lexington, Charleston WV, and the Hampton Roads metro at …

13Incidents
3Alerts in its states
6States
5Hazards
I-64 through the West Virginia mountains near Hinton, West Virginia
I-64 through the West Virginia mountains near Hinton, West Virginia Doug Kerr (Flickr: Dougtone) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
01 Route overview

Interstate 64 runs 943 miles from Wentzville, Missouri (just west of St. Louis) to Chesapeake, Virginia, crossing the central US through the Ohio River valley and the southern Appalachians. It serves St. Louis, Louisville, Lexington, Charleston WV, and the Hampton Roads metro at the Atlantic Ocean.

For freight, I-64 is the principal east-west corridor through the central Appalachians and the only interstate that connects St. Louis directly to the Mid-Atlantic ports without going north of the Ohio River. Truck volumes are heavy through Louisville (where I-64 meets I-65 and I-71), Lexington, and Charleston, WV.

Geographically I-64 is mostly rolling, with the only major climbs through the West Virginia Appalachians where the route crosses the Allegheny Front at Sandstone Mountain (3,300 ft) and threads the Sewell Mountain area near Beckley. The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel at the eastern terminus is a major chokepoint and one of the few US interstate crossings that includes both bridge and tunnel sections. The four-lane 'gap' segment of I-64 between Richmond and Hampton Roads is being widened by VDOT, which calls congestion there notorious on one of Virginia's most important thoroughfares (VDOT).

  • Crosses six states: MO, IL, IN, KY, WV, VA
  • Includes the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel at the Atlantic terminus
  • Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel carries over 100,000 vehicles a day in tourist season (Wikipedia)
  • Concurrent with I-77 across most of West Virginia (West Virginia Turnpike)
  • Crosses the Ohio River at Louisville (concurrent with I-65)
  • Highest point: Sandstone Mountain, WV at approximately 3,300 ft
  • Tolled across the West Virginia Turnpike segment
  • Connects St. Louis to the Hampton Roads ports without going through the Mid-Atlantic
02 Key cities & junctions
StateMileCity / Junction
MO MM 0 Wentzville (I-70 jct)
MO MM 40 St. Louis (I-44/I-55/I-70 jct)
IL MM 5 East St. Louis
IL MM 78 Mt. Vernon (I-57 jct)
IN MM 1 Grayville line
IN MM 91 Evansville
IN MM 121 Tell City line
KY MM 25 Owensboro line
KY MM 91 Elizabethtown line
KY MM 120 Louisville (I-65/I-71 jct)
KY MM 192 Lexington (I-75 jct)
KY MM 250 Mt. Sterling
WV MM 1 Huntington
WV MM 47 Charleston, WV (I-77 jct)
WV MM 124 Beckley (I-77 jct)
WV MM 156 Sandstone Mountain summit
WV MM 183 Lewisburg
VA MM 13 Covington
VA MM 80 Lexington, VA (I-81 jct)
VA MM 156 Charlottesville
VA MM 200 Richmond (I-95 jct)
VA MM 277 Norfolk (I-264 jct)
VA MM 297 Chesapeake (I-664/I-464 jct)
04 Notable hazards & trouble spots
Hazard

Major chokepoint with chronic congestion

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, VA (MM 263-272)

The HRBT is a 3.5-mile combined bridge-and-tunnel crossing of Hampton Roads and one of the region's most congested corridors (Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization). It carries I-64 with no comparable alternate route, so an incident in the tunnel can stop traffic for miles in both directions. A long-running expansion project will eventually add lanes. Until then, plan around peaks, especially in summer tourist season.

Hazard

Steep Appalachian grade

Sandstone Mountain, WV (MM 145-160)

I-64 crosses Sandstone Mountain at about 3,300 ft on a sustained 6% grade. WVDOT closes the segment occasionally in winter for snow and ice. Runaway-truck ramps line both descents. Use them.

Hazard

Tolled mountainous segment with HAZMAT routing

West Virginia Turnpike, WV (MM 47-124)

I-64 / I-77 are concurrent across the WV Turnpike between Charleston and Beckley. Tolled, with HAZMAT routing requirements that change seasonally. Mountainous terrain with frequent fog and ice events.

Hazard

I-64 / I-65 concurrent crossing

Louisville Ohio River bridges (MM 120 KY - 0 IN, west)

I-64 crosses the Ohio River at Louisville on the Sherman Minton Bridge (toll-free), separate from the tolled RiverLink bridges that carry I-65. Sherman Minton has had chronic structural concerns and emergency closures in recent years.

Hazard

Concurrent interstates and HAZMAT routing

Richmond I-95 / I-64 stack (MM 200)

I-64 and I-95 are concurrent for about 5 miles through downtown Richmond. The shared segment is heavily congested and has tight curves. VDOT publishes real-time alerts; consider I-295 bypass for through-truck routing.

4a Passes and chain laws on this route

The passes on Interstate 64 with a full guide: grade, chain-control season, closures and hazards. The status is the state DOT's latest reading.

Chain rules for the states these passes are in, and for every state on the route that has a chain law:

All US mountain pass conditions →

05 Active incidents (13)
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06 Weather alerts in its states (3)

National Weather Service alerts in force in the states Interstate 64 runs through. Each one covers a county or a forecast zone, which may be far from the Interstate.

  • 1 alert in Kentucky: Special Weather Statement
  • 2 alerts in West Virginia: Special Weather Statement
  • 2 alerts in Virginia: Coastal Flood Advisory, Special Weather Statement

See where each alert is on the live map →

07 FAQ
How long does it take to drive I-64 end to end?
A passenger car can cover the 943 miles in 14-16 hours of driving time. Commercial drivers respecting hours-of-service rules typically need 2 to 3 days, with delays common at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and across the West Virginia Turnpike.
Is I-64 a toll road?
Mostly no. The West Virginia Turnpike concurrency segment between Charleston and Beckley is tolled. The Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia segments are toll-free.
What is the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel?
The HRBT carries I-64 across the mouth of Hampton Roads between Hampton and Norfolk. It is a 3.5-mile combined bridge-tunnel crossing, one of the few in the United States, and is among the most congested commuter chokepoints in Virginia. A multi-year expansion project will eventually add capacity.
Does I-64 close in winter?
Occasionally across the West Virginia Appalachians for snow and ice. Sandstone Mountain and the WV Turnpike segment see most of the closures. WVDOT and VDOT publish real-time status.
What major cities does I-64 connect?
I-64 directly serves St. Louis, Evansville, Louisville, Lexington, Huntington, Charleston (WV), Beckley, Lewisburg, Lexington (VA), Charlottesville, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads metro (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake).

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