Fanmade Memphis Interstate Map by RiveraMichael4567 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Here's my fanmade map of the interstates in the Memphis, TN–MS–AR Combined Statistical Area, imagining my following fanfictional interstate ideas.

SIDE NOTE: I did not include any of the U.S. highways that pass through Memphis on the map as I had difficulty trying to accurately sketch them out through Downtown, so I just stuck with the Interstates.

I-269 - IMAGINARY SECOND CHANCE FOR MEMPHIS:

OVERVIEW:

There’s this auxiliary route of the proposed I-69 called I-269, which is to officially be an outer SEMI-beltway around the eastern parts of the Memphis area.

However, it would be very interesting if (theoretically) TDOT were to reach agreements with both AHTD and MDOT (Mississippi) and expand their plans by upgrading I-269 into a full circular beltway. And fortunately, just in case you're worried about environmental concerns, the eastern half of I-269 is already complete (although the northern part from I-40 to US-51 is currently designated TN-385), and the approximate area and location for hypothetical western half has VERY LITTLE to ZERO development. And for whatever wildlife preserves the interstate would come near (particularly the not pictured Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park), it would somewhat loop around the park rather than go through it.

SOMEWHAT RELATIONSHIP TO THE ORIGINAL AND CANCELLED I-40 PLANS:

A complete I-269 circular outer loop could provide Memphis with a "second chance" at having a fully encircled city, following the major freeway opposition that transformed I-240 (the inner loop) from a full beltway into a southern semi-beltway, with I-40 being redirected along the northern part of the inner loop.

While many road enthusiasts are familiar with this contentious piece of highway history, it's still worth revisiting. Originally, I-40 was planned to run directly through Memphis via what is now Sam Cooper Blvd (shown in purple on the map, with the remainder of the unbuilt route shown in green), entering from the east. Meanwhile, I-240 was intended to be a complete 31-mile beltway around Midtown Memphis. However, the proposal for the original I-40 route,

as typical in that kind of infrastructure project,

would've involved dividing neighborhoods in half, and here in Memphis, it would've cut directly through Overton Park. This lead to significant pushback and opposition from community preservationists, as it would have destroyed 26 acres of the park's total 342 acres.

The conflict reached all the way up the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the advocacy group "Citizens to Preserve Overton Park" in 1971. The court found that Secretary of Transportation

John A. Volpe

had violated clauses of the

Department of Transportation Act of 1966

and the

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968

, both of which prohibit the approval of federal funding for highway projects through public parks with feasible alternative routes.

During this period, I-40 remained unfinished in Memphis, while I-240 was nearly completed. Planners considered various alternatives to navigate I-40 through the park, including options like a tunnel or deep trench. However, in 1981, the decision was made to simply align I-40 with the northern loop of I-240. In 1982, that section of I-240 was officially decommissioned, turning it into a semi-beltway around southern Midtown Memphis, resulting in what we have today. Consequently, I-40 now bypasses the Midtown Memphis, despite still serving both the Uptown and (more importantly) Downtown parts of the city. Some portions of the intended I-40 route along Sam Cooper Blvd were constructed from North Highland Street eastward to the I-40/I-240 junction.

While a full circular I-269 outer beltway can't change history, it could still provide an alternative route for I-40 traffic, even with I-40 still utilizing the northern segment of the inner beltway as shown on my map. And with all honesty, even in a hypothetical scenario where I-40 did cut through Overton Park (using the proposed tunnel) and I-240 had been fully built as originally intended, the I-240 beltway is only 31 miles long and primarily encircles Midtown Memphis. This would not have been enough to accommodate the heavy traffic seeking to bypass I-40. Generally, circular interstate beltways are much longer and are designed to encompass most or all of a metropolitan area, rather than just one section. Thus, even if the original plans for both I-40 and I-240 had been fully realized, I-269 could still alleviate congestion on those routes.

SIDE NOTE: As much as I mentioned that hypothetical scenario of I-40 cutting through Overton Park (using the proposed tunnel) and I-240 being fully built as originally intended, my fanfic ideas have absolutely NOTHING to do with reviving that cancelled project. Even I would leave Overton Park alone and keep it as it is. That's why I put a gray I-40 shield on the map and marked the section that is now Sam Cooper Blvd in purple, and the rest of unbuilt cancelled route in green.

I-22 - IMAGINARY EXTENSION INTO ARKANSAS:

Currently, I-22 ends at I-269 on the southwestern outskirts of Memphis. However, it would be interesting if I-22 was extended beyond its western terminus through Memphis all the way up to Walnut Ridge, AR.

The imaginary extended route of I-22 would head west on a concurrency with I-269, then turn north onto the concurrent I-55/I-69 (creating rare instance of a concurrency between three interstates). Where the three interstates meet I-240, though I-69 would break away, I-22 would continue to overlap I-55 over the state line and Mississippi River on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, before the two interstates end up on another three-route interstate concurrency involving I-40. After splitting north away from I-40, I-22 would continue to overlap with I-55 until in between the towns of Gilmore and Turrell.

There, I-22 would split away from I-55 and follow the entire 49.6-mile route of I-555 (replacing that designation) all the way to Jonesboro. Though Jonesboro is where the freeway currently ends, and although not pictured, I would upgrade a 16.9-mile section of the US-63 corridor northwest to Walnut Ridge to meet Interstate standards, where I-22 would terminate at and connect with the future I-57 corridor (currently occupied by US-67).

SIDE NOTE 1: As you know, the not pictured US-78 (which I-22 overlays for its entire route) was extended northwest beyond its original western terminus in Memphis, into the state of Arkansas, to a new western terminus in Cash in November 2023. Despite the imaginary I-22 extension at least paralleling the extended US-78, the latter highway would most likely still remain as opposed to being truncated to Birmingham, AL like most roadgeeks (myself included) had originally expected. This is because US-78 and the imaginary I-22 extension go their own separate ways west of Jonesboro, with I-22 heading northwest along the US-63 corridor to Walnut Ridge, and US-78 heading perfectly west on its own to Cash.

SIDE NOTE 2: I'm already aware that my imaginary I-22 extension would bring the extended interstate north of I-40, deviating from the standard Interstate Highway System grid. However, seeing how I-24 has a similar scenario west of Nashville, I've decided that the grid deviation in my imaginary I-22 extension is okay.

I-722 - ADDITIONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN I-22 & I-269:

To give more improved connectivity between I-22 and I-269 on the Arkansas side of the metro area, I would create a connector route designated as I-722, which would provide a connection between those two interstates (similar in manner to how I-865 in Indianapolis, IN provides a connection between I-65 and I-465/Indianapolis Beltway, and how the I-270 Spur in Washington D.C. provides a connection between the I-270 mainline and I-495/Capital Beltway).