Interstate 22

Interstate 22 (abbreviated I-22) is an under-construction highway currently known as Corridor X which will connect Birmingham with Memphis, Tennessee. When completed, it will follow the U.S. Highway 78 corridor along a 176 mile (283 km) route. The limited access freeway will connect Interstate 55 and Interstate 40 in the northwest to Interstate 65 and Interstate 20 in the southeast, passing through the cities of Holly Springs, New Albany, and Tupelo, Mississippi; and Hamilton and Jasper, Alabama.

History

Corridor X shields outside Jasper

The part of I-22 east of Fulton, Mississippi was approved in 1978 as Corridor X, part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Parts of the highway have been under construction ever since, with the final portions connecting it to I-65 to be completed. Funding for the Alabama sections has been a priority for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Transportation Subcommittee. In 2004 Corridor X was designated as Future Interstate 22 by Public Law No: 108-199, and the designation was made official on April 18, 2005. In Alabama signs indicated the future interstate were unveiled on that date.

Approximately 78 miles of Interstate 22 is open to traffic in Alabama. The westernmost 65 miles in Alabama (to Bevill Industrial Parkway southeast of Jasper) opened to traffic in a series of stages through November 22, 2005. An additional 13 miles, from Walker County Highway 81 to Cherry Avenue near the city limits of Birmingham, including the interchange with U. S. Highway 78, were opened in June 2007. A 20-mile section connecting the ends at Industrial Parkway and Cherry Avenue opened November 14, 2007. A segment between Cherry Avenue to a spot about 1/2 mile shy of I-65 near Fultondale, including an interchange with Coalburg Road, opened in December 2009; it is the last segment to open before the connection is made with I-65. ALDOT also plans to widen Coalburg Road from the I-22 interchange southward to Daniel Payne Drive (which leads to I-65) in anticipation of heavy truck traffic usage. However, no timetable for this project has been announced by ALDOT.

The highway will officially become Interstate 22 once the 14-bridge stack interchange with I-65 is completed, currently planned for 2012 and expected to cost $145 million, making it the most expensive single interchange in the state. The work will be done in four separate projects, keeping two to three lanes open each way on I-65 at all times. In all, the approved portions of I-22 are expected to cost between $1.3 and $1.4 billion.

A project to widen I-65 to four lanes in either direction has begun from just south of the upcoming I-22/I-65 interchange southward to the 16th Street interchange. Under the present design, I-22 will terminate at I-65, but the mainline highway will continue east beyond I-65 as a long pair of ramps to US-31. ALDOT announced that contract letting for the construction of the final segment including the massive interchange with I-65 and US 31 will be let in August 2009 with construction to begin shortly afterward. Another associated project will be a widening of I-65 from the I-22 interchange northward to the Walker Chapel Road exit.

The feasibility of extending the highway to I-20/59 east of Birmingham is being studied.

View of Interstate 22 under construction from Hillcrest Road in November 2005

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Alabama exit list

County	Location	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Marion		3	Marion County Road 33
	Hamilton	7	Alabama State Highway 74 - Weston, Hamilton
		11	Alabama State Highway 17 - Hamilton, Sulligent
		14	Marion County Road 35
		16	US 43/US 278 - Hamilton, Guin
		22	Marion County Road 45
		26	Alabama State Highway 44 - Brilliant, Guin
		30	Alabama State Highway 129 - Brilliant, Winfield
		34	Alabama State Highway 233 - Glen Allen, Natural Bridge
Walker		39	Alabama State Highway 13 - Natural Bridge, Eldridge
	Carbon Hill	46	Walker County Road 11 - Carbon Hill, Nauvoo
		52	Alabama State Highway 118 - Carbon Hill
		53	US Alt 78
	Jasper	57	Alabama State Highway 118 East - Jasper
		61	Alabama State Highway 69 - Jasper, Tuscaloosa	Old exit 96
		63	Alabama State Highway 269 - Jasper, Parrish	Old exit 101
		65	Industrial Parkway Road	Old exit 104
		70	Walker County Road 22 - Cordova, Parrish
		72	Walker County Road 61 - Cordova
		78	Walker County Road 81 - Dora, Sumiton
Jefferson		81	Snowville Brent Road - West Jefferson
	Graysville	85	U.S. Highway 78 - Graysville, Adamsville
		87	Cherry Avenue - Graysville
	Forestdale	89	Hillcrest Road - Graysville, Adamsville
		91	Cherry Avenue - Brookside
		93	Coalburg Road - Fultondale	Highway ends

References

• "Interstate 22" (24 May 2006, 11:10 UTC) [1]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed August 8, 2006.
• MacDonald, Ginny (November 26, 2006). "Roads chief wants I-22 done by 2010." The Birmingham News.
• MacDonald, Ginny (June 2, 2007). "13 miles of Corridor X to open." The Birmingham News.
• MacDonald, Ginny (October 31, 2007). "26 miles of Corridor X to open Nov. 14." The Birmingham News.
• "Interstate 22" (October 31, 2007, 15:44 UTC) [2]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed October 31, 2007/
• Kent, Dawn and Kent Faulk (November 18, 2007) "Corridor X (or future I-22) will bring big changes to parts of Alabama." Birmingham News.