Interstate 22

Interstate 22 (abbreviated I-22, originally Corridor X) is an interstate highway which connects Interstate 269 near Byhalia, Mississippi (just south of Memphis, Tennessee) with I-65 in Birmingham. It follows the U.S. Highway 78 corridor along its 176 mile route, passing through the cities of Holly Springs, New Albany, and Tupelo, Mississippi; and Hamilton and Jasper, Alabama.

History

Corridor X shields outside Jasper

The idea of improving the Birmingham to Memphis route to Interstate highway standards was first raised in the 1950s. Part of I-22 east of Fulton, Mississippi was approved for development in 1978 as "Corridor X", part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Parts of the highway remained under construction for more than 37 years, with the final portions connecting its eastern end to I-65 completed in June 2016. In all, construction of the highway cost more than $1.4 billion.

Funding for the Alabama sections was made a priority for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, who served 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 indicating the future interstate designation were unveiled on that date.

The easternmost 65 miles if Interstate 22 in Alabama opened to traffic in a series of stages. The road reached Bevill Industrial Parkway southeast of Jasper on 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, 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, the last segment to open before the connection was made with I-65.

The 14-bridge interchange with I-65 was constructed between August 1, 2010 and June 20, 2016. At $168.6 million, was the most expensive single highway interchange in the state before the $400 million I59/20 Bridge Replacement Project in downtown Birmingham was awarded beginning in early 2016. The contract, divided in to four separate phases, was awarded to Archer Western Contractors with an anticipated completion in October 2014. The project suffered numerous delays, however, due to weather and disputes between the contractor and ALDOT. Archer Western was assessed $2,000 per day (approximately $1.2 million) in liquidated damages for late completion beginning on October 22, 2014.

A project to widen I-65 to four lanes in either direction was also undertaken, beginning from just south of the I-22/I-65 interchange southward to the 16th Street interchange and then northward to the Walker Chapel Road exit. Although I-22 terminates at I-65, the mainline highway continues east beyond I-65 with a long pair of ramps to US-31. The feasibility of extending the highway to I-20/59 east of Birmingham has been 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
		86	I-222, connector to (I-422/Northern Beltline)	proposed
		87	Cherry Avenue - Graysville
	Forestdale	89	Hillcrest Road - Graysville, Adamsville
		91	Cherry Avenue - Brookside
	Birmingham	93	Coalburg Road - Fultondale
		95	I-65	Highway ends
		95C	U.S. Highway 31	projected

References

• "Interstate 22" (May 24, 2006) Wikipedia - accessed October 31, 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
• Kent, Dawn & Kent Faulk (November 18, 2007) "Corridor X (or future I-22) will bring big changes to parts of Alabama." The Birmingham News
• Gray, Jeremy (July 26, 2010) "Birmingham I-65/Corridor X project set to launch Aug. 1." The Birmingham News
• Gray, Jeremy (June 3, 2016) "One of Alabama's largest interstate projects is nearly complete after years of delays." The Birmingham News