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Interstate 240 (Tennessee)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 240 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee
. Running 19.27 miles (31 km) or 31.0 km, it loops southward from Interstate 40 in east Memphis
, then turning west at TN 385 (Bill Morris Parkway). At I-55, the highway turns north and runs through midtown to end at I-40. The section in East Memphis around Walnut Grove Road is the busiest interstate in Tennessee, with an AADT of just under 200,000 vehicles.
, with the exception of the segment between Interstates 40 and 55, which was proposed as Interstate 255
. Later, that number was decommissioned in favor of I-240 running in a full loop, with I-40 running from downtown
to east Memphis. However, in 1957 citizens collected 10,000 signatures protesting the route, which cut through Overton Park in midtown. The controversy lasted until the 1970s, when the Supreme Court
ruled that the Overton Park route be canceled, shifting I-40 onto the northern leg of I-240. Part of the proposed I-40 route was already built—from N. Highland St. east to the I-40/240 junction. The road is now called Sam Cooper Boulevard
, and is owned by the city.
Recently, the City of Memphis built an extension to the former I-40 section of Sam Cooper Blvd. This extension runs west from N. Tillman St. (the former entry/end point for Sam Cooper Boulevard) as a limited access parkway to East Parkway N. (a former exit for the proposed "Overton Park route").
The interstates overlapped around the northern bypass of Memphis for many years, but I-240 signs were later removed from the northern leg for reasons of redundancy. (The exit numbers for I-240—the exception being exits 1A-1C, which were changed to 1E-1G—remain, causing redundancy on I-40 exits 1, 1A-G, 12, and 12A-C.)
It is unknown why, but few or no I-240 markers placed since the 1980s carry the state name (Tennessee).
On January 18, 2008, the Federal Highway Administration authorized the states of Mississippi and Tennessee to extend I-69 from the I-40
/TN 300 interchange in north Memphis to the I-55/I-69 interchange in Hernando
; however, Tennessee has signed the extension of the route, although Mississippi has already done so.
On March 24, 2010, a sinkhole formed in the two leftmost northbound lanes north of the Walnut Grove interchange. It was initially thought to have been a smaller pothole and had been paved over the day before. It formed around 3:00 in the afternoon and damaged several cars, although no injuries were reported. These two lanes were shut down until March 28 while the sinkhole was filled.
Starting April 2011, a widening project began on the stretch of I-240 from north of TN 385 to north of Walnut Grove Road. This is due to increased traffic volumes since the freeway's construction. This includes adding a lane to each side (which would make it an average of 4 lanes on each side), retaining walls, noise barriers, and redesigning the Poplar Avenue interchange: a main source of congestion. The project is expected to last until June 2013.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Running 19.27 miles (31 km) or 31.0 km, it loops southward from Interstate 40 in east Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, then turning west at TN 385 (Bill Morris Parkway). At I-55, the highway turns north and runs through midtown to end at I-40. The section in East Memphis around Walnut Grove Road is the busiest interstate in Tennessee, with an AADT of just under 200,000 vehicles.
History
I-240 was first planned circa 1955, but it was to have been a 30.8 miles (49.6 km) or 49.6 km beltway to completely encircle midtown MemphisMidtown, Memphis
- Overview :Architecturally, Midtown Memphis, Tennessee is marked with residential vintage housing, specialty stores, and high-rise buildings, often all located on the same avenue...
, with the exception of the segment between Interstates 40 and 55, which was proposed as Interstate 255
Interstate 255
Interstate 255 is a bypass route of Interstate 55 near St. Louis, Missouri and with Interstate 270, it forms a loop around the city. Even though St. Louis is in Missouri, a majority of the route runs through Illinois. It shares its southern terminus with 270 at the junction with Interstate 55, 270...
. Later, that number was decommissioned in favor of I-240 running in a full loop, with I-40 running from downtown
Downtown Memphis, Tennessee
Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis....
to east Memphis. However, in 1957 citizens collected 10,000 signatures protesting the route, which cut through Overton Park in midtown. The controversy lasted until the 1970s, when the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
ruled that the Overton Park route be canceled, shifting I-40 onto the northern leg of I-240. Part of the proposed I-40 route was already built—from N. Highland St. east to the I-40/240 junction. The road is now called Sam Cooper Boulevard
Sam Cooper Boulevard
Sam Cooper Boulevard is a six-lane controlled-access parkway/expressway in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.. The more recent western segment of the road follows a parkway design, the older eastern portion which was proposed and constructed as a segment of Interstate 40 is built as an expressway, without...
, and is owned by the city.
Recently, the City of Memphis built an extension to the former I-40 section of Sam Cooper Blvd. This extension runs west from N. Tillman St. (the former entry/end point for Sam Cooper Boulevard) as a limited access parkway to East Parkway N. (a former exit for the proposed "Overton Park route").
The interstates overlapped around the northern bypass of Memphis for many years, but I-240 signs were later removed from the northern leg for reasons of redundancy. (The exit numbers for I-240—the exception being exits 1A-1C, which were changed to 1E-1G—remain, causing redundancy on I-40 exits 1, 1A-G, 12, and 12A-C.)
It is unknown why, but few or no I-240 markers placed since the 1980s carry the state name (Tennessee).
On January 18, 2008, the Federal Highway Administration authorized the states of Mississippi and Tennessee to extend I-69 from the I-40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
/TN 300 interchange in north Memphis to the I-55/I-69 interchange in Hernando
Hernando, Mississippi
Hernando is a city in central DeSoto County, Mississippi. The population was 6,812 at the 2000 census. The 2006 census estimate reflects a population of 10,580. Hernando is the county seat of DeSoto County, the second-most-populous county in the Memphis metropolitan area. US Hwy 51 and the I-55...
; however, Tennessee has signed the extension of the route, although Mississippi has already done so.
On March 24, 2010, a sinkhole formed in the two leftmost northbound lanes north of the Walnut Grove interchange. It was initially thought to have been a smaller pothole and had been paved over the day before. It formed around 3:00 in the afternoon and damaged several cars, although no injuries were reported. These two lanes were shut down until March 28 while the sinkhole was filled.
Recent Construction
I-240 has seen much reconstruction over the past decade, as area growth has demanded increased capacity. Both interchanges with I-40 are have been reconstructed (with further improvements coming to the East Memphis interchange in a few years) due to the amount of traffic taking I-40 through Memphis.Starting April 2011, a widening project began on the stretch of I-240 from north of TN 385 to north of Walnut Grove Road. This is due to increased traffic volumes since the freeway's construction. This includes adding a lane to each side (which would make it an average of 4 lanes on each side), retaining walls, noise barriers, and redesigning the Poplar Avenue interchange: a main source of congestion. The project is expected to last until June 2013.
Exit list
The exits on I-240 run clockwise from east to west, reflecting their initial numbering as part of a circumferential beltway.| # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 12A | – Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... |
Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance |
| 12B | Sam Cooper Boulevard Sam Cooper Boulevard Sam Cooper Boulevard is a six-lane controlled-access parkway/expressway in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.. The more recent western segment of the road follows a parkway design, the older eastern portion which was proposed and constructed as a segment of Interstate 40 is built as an expressway, without... |
Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance |
| 12C | Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance | |
| 13 | Walnut Grove Road (SR 23) | |
| 15 | Signed as exits 15A (east) and 15B (west) counterclockwise | |
| 16 | ||
| 17 | Mount Moriah Road | |
| 18 | Perkins Road | |
| 20 | Signed as exits 20A (south) and 20B (north) counterclockwise | |
| 21 | – Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S... |
|
| 23 | Airways Boulevard –  Memphis International AirportMemphis International Airport Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States.... |
Signed as exits 23A (north) and 23B (south) |
| 24 | Millbranch Road, Nonconnah Boulevard | |
| 25A | – Jackson Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census... |
South end of I-69 overlap |
| 25B | – St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
|
| 26 | Norris Road | |
| 28 | South Parkway Memphis Parkway System The Memphis Parkway System, locally known as the Parkway System, The Parkways, or simply by their individual names is a system of parkways that formed the original outer beltway around Memphis, Tennessee. They consist of South Parkway, East Parkway, and North Parkway. Designed by George Kessler,... |
Signed as exits 28A (east) and 28B (west) |
| 29 | Lamar Avenue, E.H. Crump Boulevard (US 78, SR 4) | |
| 30 | Union Avenue (US 51, US 64, US 70, US 79, SR 3) | Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance |
| 30 | Madison Avenue | Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance |
| 31 | – Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... |
Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance |
| 32 | Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance | |
| 33A-B | Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance; North end of I-69 overlap |