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Interstate 97

2025-10-17T21:34:22Z

2600:1700:6180:6290:D171:B080:F0AA:D5B3:

{{Short description|Short Interstate Highway in Maryland}}
{{about|the interstate|the state highway with the same number|Maryland Route 97}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox road
| route = 97
| state = MD
| type = I
| map = {{MapframeForObjects|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 97}}}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = I-97 highlighted in red
| length_mi = 17.62
| length_ref = <ref>{{cite web |last=Starks |first=Edward |date=January 27, 2022 |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |access-date=January 20, 2023 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]}}</ref><ref name="Maryland HLR"/>
| established = 1987<ref name="Milestones"/>
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a = {{Jct|state=MD|US|50|US|301}} in [[Parole, Maryland|Parole]]
| junction = {{plainlist|
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|178}} in [[Crownsville, Maryland|Crownsville]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|3|MD|32}} in [[Millersville, Maryland|Millersville]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|174}} in [[Glen Burnie, Maryland|Glen Burnie]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|100}} in Glen Burnie
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|162|MD|176}} in Glen Burnie
*{{Jct|state=MD|MD|648}} in [[Ferndale, Maryland|Ferndale]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|I|695}} in Ferndale
}}
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = {{Jct|state=MD|I|895A|noshield=yes}} in [[Brooklyn Park, Maryland|Brooklyn Park]]
| counties = [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel]]
| previous_type = I
| previous_route = 95
| next_type = MD
| next_route = 97
}}
'''Interstate 97''' ('''I-97''') is a north-south [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highway]] in the [[eastern United States]]. It runs entirely within [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland]], for {{convert|17.62|mi|km}} from [[U.S. Route 50 in Maryland|U.S. Route 50]]/[[U.S. Route 301 in Maryland|U.S. Route 301]] (US 50/US 301) in [[Parole, Maryland|Parole]] near [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] north to [[Interstate 695 (Maryland)|I-695]] and [[I-895B]] in [[Brooklyn Park, Maryland|Brooklyn Park]] near [[Baltimore]]. The interstate is the primary highway between Baltimore and Annapolis. I‑97 connects Annapolis with [[Baltimore/Washington International Airport]] and links the northern Anne Arundel County communities of [[Crownsville, Maryland|Crownsville]], [[Millersville, Maryland|Millersville]], [[Severna Park, Maryland|Severna Park]], [[Glen Burnie, Maryland|Glen Burnie]], and [[Ferndale, Maryland|Ferndale]]. It is currently the second shortest [[List of primary Interstate Highways|primary Interstate Highway]] in the country after the unfinished [[Interstate 87 (North Carolina)|I-87]] in [[North Carolina]].

I-97 was constructed along the corridor of [[Maryland Route 3]] (MD 3) between Millersville and Ferndale and [[Maryland Route 178|MD 178]] between Parole and Millersville. From Millersville to south of Glen Burnie, the interstate closely follows the former course of MD 3, which was built in the late 1910s and early 1920s and expanded to a divided highway in the late 1950s. North of there, the highway follows the Glen Burnie Bypass, a freeway built in the mid-1950s. The segment of I-97 from Millersville to Crownsville originated as a two-lane portion of [[Maryland Route 32|MD 32]] in the early 1970s. The interstate was introduced in 1979 after the state of Maryland successfully obtained interstate mileage for a Baltimore–Annapolis freeway from the federal government. The state decided to build the highway along I-97's current corridor rather than along the [[Maryland Route 2|MD 2]] corridor, which has partial freeway access via [[Maryland Route 10|MD 10]].

Construction on I-97 began in the late 1980s with new construction from US 50/US 301 to Crownsville. The Crownsville–Millersville segment of MD 32 was expanded and incorporated into the interstate and the MD 3–MD 32 junction was upgraded. The portion of the MD 3 corridor from Millersville to south of Glen Burnie was upgraded on the spot to [[Interstate Highway standards|interstate highway standards]] in the early 1990s, after which MD 3 was truncated at Millersville. I-97's interchange with I-695 was rebuilt in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Glen Burnie Bypass was upgraded and expanded to six lanes in the mid-1990s. The complex process included reconstruction of several interchanges; the last interchange to be reconstructed was upgraded in the mid-2000s.

==Route description==
[[File:2016-08-12 14 33 28 View north along Interstate 97 (Patuxent Freeway) just south of Farm Road in Crownsville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|View north along I-97 in Crownsville between US 50/US 301 and MD 178]]
I-97 begins at US 50/US 301 (John Hanson Highway), which [[concurrency (road)|run concurrently]] with [[unsigned highway|unsigned]] [[Interstate 595 (Maryland)|I-595]], on the edge of the community of Parole west of Annapolis. The freeways meet at a [[semi-directional T interchange]]; the ramp from I-97 to eastbound US 50/northbound US 301 merges with a [[collector–distributor road]] that extends east to that freeway's interchange with [[Maryland Route 665|MD 665]] (Aris T. Allen Boulevard). I-97 heads northwest as a four-lane freeway. The freeway crosses over [[Maryland Route 450|MD 450]] (Defense Highway) and passes along the south and west sides of Crownsville, where it crosses several tributaries of the Bacon Ridge Branch of the [[South River (Maryland)|South River]]. North of Crownsville, I-97 has a partial interchange that comprises a pair of long ramps to MD 178 (Generals Highway); the interchange allows access from southbound I-97 to MD 178 and from the state highway to the northbound Interstate. I-97 gains an extra lane in each direction from the MD 178 ramps; those extra lanes split off at the freeway's partial interchange with the eastern end of MD 32 just north of Millersville. The Interstate curves northeast and has a complementary partial interchange with the northern end of MD 3 (Robert Crain Highway). The two state highways meet each other at a six-ramp [[partial cloverleaf interchange]] immediately to the west of I-97's sweeping curve, which facilitates all movements between the three highways.<ref name="Maryland HLR"/><ref name="Maryland Grid Map"/>

[[File:2019-07-25 09 59 38 View south along Interstate 97 from the overpass for northbound Maryland State Route 3 (Robert Crain Highway) in Millersville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-97 southbound past MD 3 in Millersville]]
I-97 continues north as a six-lane freeway and is closely paralleled on the east by Veterans Highway on the western edge of Severna Park. The highways cross the [[Severn River (Maryland)|Severn River]] within Severn Run Natural Environment Area before they diverge slightly at the Interstate's partial cloverleaf interchange with Benfield Boulevard; access from northbound I-97 to the crossroad is via Veterans Highway. I-97 and Veterans Highway continue to parallel each other to the latter highway's northern end at I-97's partial cloverleaf interchange with the southern end of [[Maryland Route 3 Business|MD 3 Business]] (MD 3 Bus.; Robert Crain Highway) and New Cut Road. The interchange includes a flyover ramp from northbound I-97 to northbound Veterans Highway just south of its intersection with MD 3 Bus. The freeway continues north along the west side of Glen Burnie and meets [[Maryland Route 174|MD 174]] (Quarterfield Road) at a four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange and [[Maryland Route 100|MD 100]] at a [[combination interchange]] that has flyover exit ramps from both directions of I-97.<ref name="Maryland HLR"/><ref name="Maryland Grid Map"/>

I-97 temporarily gains two extra lanes in each direction between MD 100 and its partial cloverleaf interchange with [[Maryland Route 176|MD 176]] (Dorsey Road). Access from the southbound Interstate to MD 176 is via [[Maryland Route 162|MD 162]] (Aviation Boulevard), which forms part of the [[Airport Loop]] surrounding Baltimore/Washington International Airport. I-97 continues through Ferndale, where it crosses over the Glen Burnie branch of the [[Maryland Transit Administration]] (MTA)'s [[Baltimore Light RailLink]] immediately before the highway's four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange with [[Maryland Route 648|MD 648]] (Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard), which provides access to the transit line's terminal station, [[Glen Burnie station]]. I-97's final interchange is with I-695 (Baltimore Beltway). The Interstate crosses the Cabin Branch of [[Curtis Creek]] within the interchange, which includes a flyover ramp from I-97 to westbound I-695; that ramp and the one from eastbound I-695 to I-97 merge on the inside of the two carriageways of the beltway. The Interstate drops to four lanes and reaches its northern terminus just north of the loop ramp from westbound I-695 to I-97 in Brooklyn Park. The highway continues north as [[I-895A]], a pair of ramps that merge with [[I-895B]], the spur from I-895 (Harbor Tunnel Thruway) to MD 2 (Governor Ritchie Highway). The continuation from I-97 includes a ramp to westbound I-695 that allows access to the beltway's interchange with MD 648.<ref name="Maryland HLR"/><ref name="Maryland Grid Map"/>

I-97 does not have an official name.<ref name="Maryland HLR"/> However, the Interstate is dedicated to [[John A. Cade]], who served the area around Severna Park in the [[Maryland Senate]] from 1974 to his 1996 death and who worked to secure funding for the highway. The [[Maryland General Assembly]] passed a dedication bill in 1998, and the [[Maryland State Highway Administration]] (MDSHA) installed a pair of signs noting the dedication in Millersville and near Parole.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Cade Dedication"/> Like all Interstate Highways, I-97 is a part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] for its entire length.<ref name="National Highway System"/> I-97 is the shortest completed two-digit mainline Interstate ([[Interstate 87 (North Carolina)|I-87 in North Carolina]] is shorter, but is still under construction) and officially the only intracounty two-digit Interstate in the [[contiguous US]] ([[Interstate 11]] is also currently intracounty, but intended to extend much further when finished.)<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part VII"/>

==History==
===Predecessor highways===
The first modern highway along the path of what is now I-97 followed the corridor from New Cut Road to south of the intersection of MD 178 and Veterans Highway at Dorrs Corner. This highway was intended as a second route from Glen Burnie to Annapolis to complement the highway along the east side of the Severn River; this western route later became known as General's Highway, a name still applied to its MD 178 portion.<ref name="1919 src report"/><ref name="1934 src report"/> Construction of this highway was underway by 1919.<ref name="1919 src report"/> The new highway was completed as a gravel road from New Cut Road to north of Benfield and as a concrete road through Benfield and across Severn Run to near Dorrs Corner by 1921.<ref name="1921 map"/> In 1922, this highway was designated part of Robert Crain Highway, a new highway to connect the Baltimore area with Southern Maryland.<ref name="1926 src report"/> The Glen Burnie–Dorrs Corner portion of the new highway was reconstructed and completed as a concrete road from Glen Burnie south through Millersville by 1923.<ref name="1923 map"/> Robert Crain Highway became part of MD 3 in 1927 and then US 301 in 1939 when the US Route was extended from Virginia to Baltimore.<ref name="1927 map"/><ref name="1939 map"/> MD 3 was reconstructed in 1933 and 1934.<ref name="1934 src report"/> The reconstruction eliminated several dangerous curves, particularly near the Severn River, and expanded the highway from a width of {{convert|15|to|20|ft|m}}.<ref name="1934 src report"/> Veterans Highway follows much of that early 1930s course.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1946"/>

[[File:2019-07-25 11 21 28 View south along Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) from the overpass for Wellham Avenue in Ferndale, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|View south along I-97 from Wellham Avenue in Ferndale]]
The next portion of I-97 predecessor highway was built as the four-lane Glen Burnie Bypass from Robert Crain Highway and New Cut Road north to the Baltimore Beltway. Construction on the four-lane freeway began in August 1954 with construction of several bridges over or for the highway; these bridges were completed in 1955 and 1956.<ref name="logbook 1p8"/> The dual roadways and interchange ramps from the southern end of the bypass to MD 648 were constructed starting in March 1955; the concrete-surfaced highway was completed in February 1957. The northernmost portion of the bypass, including the adjacent portion of the Baltimore Beltway, was constructed between December 1955 and September 1957.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> US 301 was moved onto the bypass and the adjacent portion of the Beltway when the projects were completed in 1957.<ref name="1957 map"/> The small portion of I-97 north of the Beltway was added to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel project as a direct connection between the Glen Burnie Bypass and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway's southern approach from MD 2 in 1955.<ref name="1956 src report"/> This segment was completed and opened with the tunnel and its approach highways in November 1957.<ref name="1958 src report"/> The Glen Burnie Bypass was constructed with five interchanges: a partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 3 Bus. and New Cut Road; a tighter four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 174; a diamond interchange at MD 176; the current four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 648; and a half-cloverleaf interchange at I-695 allowing full access between the Glen Burnie Bypass and beltway but no access between the beltway and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway.<ref name="USGS Relay 1960"/>

US 301 was expanded to a divided highway from the southern end of the Glen Burnie Bypass to Benfield in 1956 and 1957. The highway's second set of lanes, including a new bridge across the Severn River, was constructed and the existing roadway was reconstructed from Benfield to Millersville between 1957 and 1960.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> The second set of lanes was built on the west side of what became a very wide median, which allowed businesses to site themselves in the median between the northbound and southbound lanes.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1965"/> During construction of the Benfield–Millersville stretch, US 301 was relocated to its present course from [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]] to the [[Eastern Shore of Maryland|Eastern Shore]] and replaced with MD 3.<ref name="1959 map"/> A pair of ramps between the Glen Burnie Bypass and MD 177's freeway southern bypass of Glen Burnie (now MD 100) were constructed between 1963 and 1965.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> The first section of highway south of Dorrs Corner was built between 1969 and 1972 as a two-lane segment of MD 32 from east of Odenton to MD 178 in Crownsville.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/><ref name="1972 map"/> The highway used what are now the ramps of I-97's partial interchange with MD 178 and had a five-ramp interchange with MD 3 in Millersville that lacked access from northbound MD 3 to eastbound MD 32 and from westbound MD 32 to southbound MD 3.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1980"/>

===Interstate designation and construction===
[[File:2019-05-21 11 48 12 View north along Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) at Exit 14 (Maryland State Route 100, Ellicott City, Gibson Island) on the edge of Severn and Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-97 northbound at the MD 100 interchange in Glen Burnie]]
Despite the existence or upcoming construction of two divided highway corridors between Baltimore and Annapolis, a freeway connecting I-695 and US 50 was proposed as early as 1956 in the form of the Arundel Expressway, which would relieve congestion on MD 2.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Route 10"/> The portion of the Arundel Expressway that is today MD 10 was constructed from I-695 to MD 648 in Pasadena between 1970 and 1978.<ref name="Milestones"/> MD 10 was proposed to continue south of Pasadena as a toll road to US 50, but the section of the freeway south of MD 100 was removed from state plans by 1975.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Photo"/><ref name="1975 map"/> MD 10 was completed to its present end in Pasadena in 1991.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Route 10"/> The state of Maryland unsuccessfully petitioned the [[Federal Highway Administration]] for an Interstate designation for a Baltimore–Annapolis freeway after passage of the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968]]. However, the state was successful in obtaining Interstate mileage for the Baltimore–Annapolis corridor through the 1968 Howard–Cramer amendment, which provided for minor adjustments to the Interstate System if no additional costs were incurred.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part I"/> Much of the mileage of what became I-97 was reallocated from canceled Interstate Highways in Baltimore and the [[Washington, D.C.]] area.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/>

With Interstate funding assured, MDSHA commissioned the Baltimore–Annapolis Transportation Corridor Study in 1973 to figure out, among other things, the best route for the Baltimore–Annapolis Interstate.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Dorsey"/> The study discovered a western route following the MD 3 and MD 178 corridors would be less disruptive and require fewer acquisitions of homes and businesses compared to an extension of the Arundel Expressway south along the MD 2 corridor.<ref name="BATCS"/> In June 1979, MDSHA announced plans for I-97.<ref name="Milestones"/> The original route numbering plan, which was approved by the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO) at its November 1975 meeting, was for I-97 to include its current route plus US 50 from Parole west to I-95 (Capital Beltway). That proposal included two auxiliary Interstate highways. I-197 would follow US 50/US 301 east from I-97 to just west of the Severn River.<ref name="AASHTO November 1975"/> I-297 would follow MD 3 between a pair of intersections with I-97 in Millersville and Bowie.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/><ref name="AASHTO November 1975"/> AASHTO rescinded its approval of the 1975 plan at its June 1981 meeting, then approved what was essentially the original 1975 plan at its June 1982 meeting.<ref name="AASHTO June 1981"/><ref name="AASHTO June 1982"/> The east–west segment of I-97 and I-197 was replaced by I-68.<ref name="AASHTO June 1982"/> I-297 was withdrawn by request of the state of Maryland in 1983.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/> The 1982 concept of I-68 became unsigned I-595 and I-68 was applied to the [[National Freeway]] in [[Western Maryland]] in 1991 after AASHTO approved the new designations at its June 1989 meeting.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/><ref name="AASHTO June 1989"/>

The first portion of I-97 proper to be constructed was the section south of Millersville, which was placed under construction in three sections in March 1985.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun Cade Dedication"/> The first section of the highway, from US 50/US 301 to Millersville Road west of the MD 178 interchange, opened in December 1987.<ref name="Milestones"/> Construction of I-97 from Millersville Road to the intersection of MD 3 and MD 178 at Dorrs Corner started in July 1987.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The Interstate through Millersville opened in April 1989.<ref name="Milestones"/> The interchange at I-97's southern terminus was originally constructed as a partial interchange, with I-97 tying into what are now the [[collector–distributor lanes]] of US 50 and US 301.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="USGS South River 1993"/> The ramps from eastbound US 50/US 301 to I-97 and from I-97 to the westbound US Routes were added during the reconstruction of US 50/US 301 in 1992 and 1993.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="1993 map"/>

===Reconstruction of existing highway===
Reconstruction of the MD 3 divided highway and the Glen Burnie Bypass was a complex operation that involved many temporary openings, lane shifts, construction of new roadways, and reconstruction of existing roadways over several phases over several years.<ref name="Milestones"/> The first improvement was the reconstruction of the I-695 interchange between 1987 and 1991.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The modern ramps from I-97 to westbound I-695 and from eastbound I-695 to I-97 were built, eastbound I-695's ramp over these two ramps was constructed, and the loop ramp from I-97 to westbound I-695 was removed.<ref name="1991 map"/> I-97 from its interchange with MD 648 to the new beltway ramps was reconstructed to [[Interstate Highway standards]] and expanded to six lanes between May 1993 and August 1995.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Start"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Finish"/> Part of the functionality of the loop ramp to westbound I-695 was restored in October 1995 when another ramp from the Harbor Tunnel Thruway approach to westbound I-695 was added to allow access from I-97 to MD 648.<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 648"/>

[[File:2016-08-12 14 48 04 View north along Interstate 97 (Robert Crain Highway) just north of Exit 10 in Severna Park, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-97 northbound in Severna Park]]
Reconstruction of the MD 3 divided highway from Millersville to MD 3 Bus. began in 1987 over two sections. The first section, from north of MD 3 Bus. to north of Benfield Boulevard, began in 1987.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The work included the construction of the flyover ramp from northbound I-97 to Veterans Highway just south of MD 3 Bus.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The section from north of Benfield Boulevard to MD 178 at Dorrs Corner was reconstructed starting in 1989.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The second section included construction of the Benfield Boulevard interchange.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The southbound MD 3 roadway was rebuilt in place as the southbound lanes of I-97. New northbound lanes were built immediately to the east of the southbound lanes.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> In February 1991, the new northbound lanes opened and access from I-97 to Veterans Highway was removed at Dorrs Corner.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 7 to 12 Reconstruction"/> The old northbound lanes were reconstructed and repurposed as a two-lane road, Veterans Highway, later that year.<ref name="1991 map"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 7 to 12 Reconstruction"/> Anne Arundel County agreed to accept Veterans Highway for maintenance after the I-97–related construction concluded in a road transfer agreement on July 21, 1988.<ref name="Memo 1991-11-15"/> MD 3 was truncated at Millersville after I-97 opened in October 1991; signage for MD 3 on I-695 was removed by 1993.<ref name="1991 map"/><ref name="Memo 1991-11-15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 3 Signage"/>

Before reconstruction of the Glen Burnie Bypass from MD 3 Bus. to MD 648 began in November 1993, the Stewart Avenue bridge across the Interstate just south of the MD 100 interchange was replaced and ramps from northbound I-97 to eastbound MD 100 and from westbound MD 100 to southbound I-97 were added between 1990 and 1992.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 12 to 16 Widening Start"/> The freeway was reconstructed to Interstate standards in three sections.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> The middle section from MD 174 to MD 176 was reconstructed concurrently with the segment of MD 100 west from I-97 to MD 295 starting in 1993.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> That segment of MD 100, including the MD 100–I-97 interchange, opened in November 1996, and the reconstruction of the middle section of I-97 was finished in July 1997.<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 100"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/> The sections of I-97 from MD 3 Bus. to MD 174 and from MD 176 to MD 648 and were reconstructed starting in January 1994.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> The MD 176–MD 648 roadway sectional was completed in March 1996. <ref name="Baltimore Sun 15 to 16 Finish"/> The northern half of the MD 176 interchange was reconstructed as part of the latter project. The new loop ramp from northbound I-97 to westbound MD 176 and the new ramp from MD 176 to northbound I-97 were completed in 1995.<ref name="1995 map"/> The ramp from southbound I-97 to MD 176 was removed during the widening project.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/> The pair of ramps between southbound I-97 and MD 162 to replace the removed ramp were constructed between 1996 and 1998.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/><ref name="1999 map"/> The final piece of construction on I-97 was the reconstruction of its interchange with MD 174, which began in 2002 and concluded in 2005.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 174"/><ref name="Maryland HLR 2005"/>

== Future ==
MDOT plans to widen I-97 to a six-lane freeway between the US 50 and MD 32 interchanges, add an auxiliary lane on northbound and southbound I-97 between the MD 32 and MD 178 interchanges in Millersville, and widen northbound I-97 to four lanes from US 50 to some point north of MD 450. The collector-distributor on westbound US 50 between the I-97 and MD 665 interchanges is to be widened to four lanes. Such widening will include the reconstruction and widening of the bridges over MD 450 and Crownsville Road. The project is expected to start construction around 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I-97 from US 50 to MD 32 Roadway Widening|url=https://mdot-sha-i97-us50-to-md32-aa9455172-maryland.hub.arcgis.com/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website= MDOT SHA Project Portal |publisher = Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration |language=en-us}}</ref>

==Exit list==
{{jcttop|exit|length_ref=<ref name="Maryland HLR"/>|state=MD|county=Anne Arundel}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Parole
|mile=0.00
|exit=—
|road={{jct|state=MD|US|50|US|301|city1=Annapolis|city2=Bay Bridge|location3=[[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]|location4=[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]}}
|notes=Exit 21 on US 50/US 301 (unsigned [[Interstate 595 (Maryland)|I-595]])
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Crownsville
|mile=5.19
|exit=5
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|178|city1=Crownsville|location2=Fairgrounds}}
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Millersville
|mile=6.71
|mile2=7.82
|exit=7
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|32|MD|3|dir1=west|dir2=south|city1=Bowie|city2=Odenton}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of MD 32; northern terminus of MD 3
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Severna Park
|mile=9.67
|exit=10
|road={{jct|state=MD|road|Benfield Boulevard / Veterans Highway|city1=Severna Park}}
|notes=Signed as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west) southbound; Benfield Boulevard is unsigned MD 3C
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Glen Burnie
|lspan=5
|mile=12.10
|exit=12
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD-Bus|3|dir1=north|road|New Cut Road|city1=Glen Burnie}}
|notes=Southern terminus of MD 3 Bus.
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=13.29
|exit=13
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|174|name1=Quarterfield Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=13.84
|exit=14
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|100|city1=Gibson Island|city2=Ellicott City}}
|notes=Signed as exits 14A (east) and 14B (west); exit 13 on MD 100
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=14.80
|exit=15
|espan=2
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|176|name1=Dorsey Road|city1=Glen Burnie|location2=[[BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport]]|location3=[[Glen Burnie station|Light Rail]]|extra=airport}}
|notes=No southbound exit; signed as exits 15A (east) and 15B (west); exit 15B also serves [[BWI Rail Station]]
}}
{{MDint
|mile=15.07
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|162|name1=Aviation Boulevard|location1=[[BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport]]|extra=airport}}
|notes=Southbound exit and entrance; via unsigned MD 162A; also serves [[BWI Rail Station]]
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Ferndale
|lspan=2
|mile=15.58
|exit=16
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|648|name1=Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard|city1=Ferndale|city2=Glen Burnie}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=17.46
|exit=17
|road={{jct|state=MD|I|695|city1=Baltimore|city2=Towson}}
|notes=Signed as exits 17A (west) and 17B (east) northbound; no exit number southbound; exit 4 on I-695
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Brooklyn Park
|mile=17.62
|exit=—
|road={{jct|state=MD|I|895|dir1=north|MD|648|to1=yes|name1=[[Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway]]|location1=[[Port of Baltimore]]|city2=Ferndale}}
|notes=Access via [[I-895A]]
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Maryland Roads}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Milestones">{{cite web|title=Major Transportation Milestones in the Baltimore Region Since 1940|pages=10–12|publisher=Baltimore Metropolitan Council|date=December 1, 2005|url=http://www.baltometro.org/reports/Major%20Transp%20Milestones%20Since%201940.pdf|access-date=October 12, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025170746/http://www.baltometro.org/reports/Major%20Transp%20Milestones%20Since%201940.pdf|archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref>

<ref name="Maryland HLR">{{Maryland HLR|year=2014|county1=Anne Arundel|access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="Maryland Grid Map">{{Maryland grid map|sections=F13A, F12B, E12D, E12B, D12D|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun Cade Dedication">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=State Dedicates I-97 to Late Sen. John Cade|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=August 13, 1998|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/08/13/state-dedicates-i-97-to-late-sen-john-cade/|access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="National Highway System">{{cite map|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|title=National Highway System: Maryland|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/maryland/md_maryland.pdf|date=November 15, 2012|access-date=August 2, 2014|format=PDF}}</ref>

<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part VII">{{cite web|author=Office of Engineering|title=Part VII: Miscellaneous Interstate Facts|work=The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways|publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]|year=1998|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/data/page07.cfm|access-date=August 2, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="1919 src report">{{Maryland SRC report|year=1919|page=35|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="1934 src report">{{Maryland SRC report|year=1934|page=30|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="1921 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1921}}</ref>

<ref name="1926 src report">{{Maryland SRC report|year=1926|page=15|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="1923 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1923}}</ref>

<ref name="1927 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1927}}</ref>

<ref name="1939 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1939}}</ref>

<ref name="USGS Odenton 1946">{{cite map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Odenton, MD quadrangle|edition=1946|scale=1:31,680|series=7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic)}}</ref>

<ref name="logbook 1p8">{{Maryland road logbook|key=1|page=8|contract1=AA-473-3-520|date1=July 7, 1954|contract2=AA-473-5-520|date2=September 1, 1954|contract3=AA-473-8-520|date3=September 22, 1954|contract4=AA-473-7-520|date4=October 7, 1954|contract5=AA-473-9-520|date5=October 20, 1954|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="logbook 1p9">{{Maryland road logbook|key=1|page=8|contract1=AA-473-2-520|date1=November 8, 1954|contract2=AA-460-6-520|date2=November 30, 1954|contract3=AA-460-5-520|date3=February 9, 1956|contract4=AA-485-6-520|date4=August 29, 1956|contract5=AA-485-8-520|date5=July 24, 1957|contract6=AA-485-5-520|date6=April 3, 1958|contract7=AA-507-1-520|date7=July 18, 1963|contract8=AA-656-1/5-571|date8=November 17, 1969|contract9=AA-656-26-571|date9=January 2, 1973|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="1956 src report">{{Maryland SRC report|year=1956|pages=4, 15, 173, 180|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="1957 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1957}}</ref>

<ref name="1959 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1959}}</ref>

<ref name="1958 src report">{{Maryland SRC report|year=1958|pages=8, 72|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="USGS Relay 1960">{{cite map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Relay, MD quadrangle|edition=1960|scale=1:24,000|series=7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic)}}</ref>

<ref name="USGS Odenton 1965">{{cite map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Odenton, MD quadrangle|edition=1965|scale=1:24,000|series=7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic)}}</ref>

<ref name="1972 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1972}}</ref>

<ref name="USGS Odenton 1980">{{cite map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Odenton, MD quadrangle|edition=1980|scale=1:24,000|series=7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic)}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun Route 10">{{Cite news|last=Lee|first=Robert|title=Route 10 Gets Off To Slow Start|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=May 21, 1991|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/05/21/route-10-gets-off-to-slow-start/|access-date=October 12, 2013|archive-date=October 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014175007/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-05-21/news/9113005390_1_route-10-severna-park-expressway|url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun Photo">{{cite map|publisher=Maryland State Highway Administration|title=Arundel Expressway Locator Map|url=http://tribune-files.imagefortress.com/attachment1s/2439381/medium_wm/BMM-063-BS_F.JPG?1330678778|date=January 7, 1972|access-date=October 12, 2013|format=JPG}}</ref>

<ref name="1975 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1975}}</ref>

<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part I">{{cite web|author=Office of Engineering|title=Part I: History|work=The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|year=1998|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/data/page01.cfm|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V">{{cite web|author=Office of Engineering|title=Part V: Interstate Withdrawal-Substitution Program|work=The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|year=1998|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/data/page05.cfm|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun Dorsey">{{Cite news|last=Daemmrich|first=JoAnna|title=Road Plans A Concern To Residents|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=June 13, 1991|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/06/13/road-plans-a-concern-to-residents/|access-date=October 15, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="BATCS">{{cite book|last1=Rummel, Klepper & Kahl|others=in association with Kimley-Horn and Associates and John Hambury & Associates, Inc.|title=Baltimore–Annapolis Transportation Corridor Study from the Baltimore Beltway to Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=esfDOwAACAAJ|format=PDF|access-date=2016-02-27|year=1980|publisher=Maryland State Highway Administration|location=Baltimore}}</ref>

<ref name="AASHTO November 1975">{{AASHTO minutes|year=1975A|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="AASHTO June 1981">{{AASHTO minutes|year=1981S|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="AASHTO June 1982">{{AASHTO minutes|year=1982S|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="AASHTO June 1989">{{AASHTO minutes|year=1989S|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="1989 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1989}}</ref>

<ref name="logbook 3p13">{{Maryland road logbook|key=3|page=13|contract1=AA-937-503-572|date1=January 16, 1984|contract2=AA-937-502-572|date2=March 26, 1985|contract3=AA-309-501-572|date3=October 9, 1985|contract4=AA-937-504-572|date4=March 18, 1986|contract5=AA-937-505-572|date5=July 14, 1986|contract6=AA-310-502-572|date6=June 30, 1987|contract7=AA-309-503-572|date7=September 2, 1987|contract8=AA-132-502-572|date8=November 17, 1987|contract9=AA-132-503-572|date9=August 18, 1988|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="USGS South River 1993">{{cite map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=South River, MD quadrangle|edition=1993|scale=1:24,000|series=7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic)}}</ref>

<ref name="1993 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1993}}</ref>

<ref name="logbook 3p15">{{Maryland road logbook|key=3|page=15|contract1=AA-893-503-572|date1=February 9, 1990|contract2=AA-316-505-572|date2=April 1, 1992|contract3=AA-893-502-572|date3=April 5, 1993|contract4=AA-132-501-572|date4=April 12, 1993|contract5=AA-682-501-570|date5=March 27, 1993|contract6=AA-893-504-572|date6=December 30, 1993|contract7=AA-132-503-572|date7=February 7, 1994|contract8=AA-893-506-572|date8=August 15, 1996|contract9=AA-629-5171|date9=November 11, 2002|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="1991 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1991}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Start">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=I-97 Widening in Glen Burnie to Start About May 20|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=April 30, 1993|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/04/30/i-97-widening-in-glen-burnie-to-start-about-may-20/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Finish">{{Cite news|last=Lee|first=Edward|title=New I-97 lanes Will Open Tomorrow|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=August 12, 1995|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1995/08/12/new-i-97-lanes-will-open-tomorrow/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 648">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=New Ramp to Open Tomorrow as Part of I-97 Widening|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=October 11, 1995|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-10-11-1995284118-story.html|access-date=October 12, 2013|archive-date=October 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172321/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-10-11/news/1995284118_1_i-97-ferndale-ramp|url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 7 to 12 Reconstruction">{{Cite news|title=Here's What to Look Out For If...|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=February 10, 1991|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/02/10/heres-what-to-look-out-for-if-16/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 3 Signage">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=Route 3/301 Exit Marker on Beltway Was Sign of Richer Road Era|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=April 25, 1994|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-04-25-1994115043-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172522/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-04-25/news/1994115043_1_route-3-i-97-southern-maryland|url-status=live|archive-date=October 14, 2013|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Memo 1991-11-15">{{Maryland road memo|key=02|page=220|title=Memorandum of Action of Director Neil J. Pedersen|date=November 15, 1991|publisher=Maryland State Highway Administration|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 12 to 16 Widening Start">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=I-97 Widening Work Starting|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=November 17, 1993|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/11/17/i-97-widening-work-starting/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 15 to 16 Finish">{{Cite news|last=Siegel|first=Andrea F.|title=Expect Tie-ups as I-97 Lanes Open Near BWI|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=March 14, 1996|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/03/14/expect-tie-ups-as-i-97-lanes-open-near-bwi/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=Wider Northbound I-97 Opens Tomorrow|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=July 25, 1997|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1997/07/25/wider-northbound-i-97-opens-tomorrow-third-lane-will-ease-commute-to-baltimore/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="1995 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1995}}</ref>

<ref name="1999 map">{{Maryland road map|year=1999}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 100">{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=The Outer Beltway That Wasn't|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=November 28, 1996|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/11/28/the-outer-beltway-that-wasnt-route-100-link-between-suburbs-highway-will-serve-as-once-planned-southern-loop/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 174">{{Cite news|last=Kobell|first=Rona|title=As Traffic Swells, Work Starts at I-97 Interchange|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|location=Baltimore|publisher=Tribune Company|date=December 20, 2002|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/12/20/as-traffic-swells-work-starts-at-i-97-interchange/|access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="Maryland HLR 2005">{{Maryland HLR|year=2005|county1=Anne Arundel|access-date=October 11, 2013}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Interstate 97}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
* [https://www.aaroads.com/interstate-guide/i-097/ Interstate Guide – I-97]
*[http://www.dcroads.net/roads/I-97_MD DCRoads: Interstate 97 (Maryland)]
*[http://www.roadstothefuture.com//I97_MD.html Roads to the Future: Interstate 97 in Maryland]
*[http://www.mdroads.com/routes/is097.html MDRoads: Interstate 97]
*[http://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0097md AARoads: Interstate 97]
*[https://www.alpsroads.net/roads/md/i-97/ Maryland Roads - I-97]

{{interstates|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Interstate Highway System|97]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Maryland|97]]
[[Category:Roads in Anne Arundel County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Limited-access roads in Maryland]]

Interstate 40

2025-10-17T21:25:28Z

2600:1700:6180:6290:D171:B080:F0AA:D5B3: /* Business routes */

{{Short description|Interstate Highway across south-central US}}
{{redirect|I-40}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox road
| country = USA
| type = I
| route = 40
| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|type=line|from=Interstate 40.map}}
| map_custom = yes
| length_mi = 2556.61
| length_ref = <ref name="log">{{cite web |first = Edward |last = Starks |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |title = Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2018 |publisher = [[Federal Highway Administration]] |date = May 6, 2019 |access-date = October 22, 2021 }}</ref>
| established = August 14, 1957<ref name="AASHO57">{{cite map |author = American Association of State Highway Officials |author-link = American Association of State Highway Officials |date = August 14, 1957 |title = Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |url = http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interstate_Highway_plan_August_14,_1957.jpg |scale = Scale not given |location = Washington, DC |publisher = American Association of State Highway Officials |access-date = March 27, 2017 |via = [[Wikimedia Commons]] }}</ref>
| direction_a = West
| terminus_a = {{jct|country=USA|I|15}} in [[Barstow, California|Barstow, CA]]
| junction =
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|17}} in [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff, AZ]]
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|25}} in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque, NM]]
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|27}} in [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo, TX]]
*{{jct|country=USA|I|35}} in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City, OK]]
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|30}} in [[North Little Rock, Arkansas|North Little Rock, AR]]
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|55}} in [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis, AR]]
*{{jct|country=USA|I|24|I|65}} in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]]
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|75}} from [[Farragut, Tennessee|Farragut]] to [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville, TN]]
*{{nowrap|{{Jct|country=USA|I|85}} from [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]] to [[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough, NC]]}}
*{{Jct|country=USA|I|95}} in [[Benson, North Carolina|Benson, NC]]
| direction_b = East
| terminus_b = {{Jct|state=NC|US|117|NC|132}} in [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington, NC]]
| states = [[California]], [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Arkansas]], [[Tennessee]], [[North Carolina]]
}}
'''Interstate 40''' ('''I-40''') is a major east–west transcontinental [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highway]] in the [[Southeastern United States|southeastern]] and [[Southwestern United States|southwestern]] portions of the United States. At a length of {{convert|2,556.61|mi|km}}, it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after [[Interstate 90|I-90]] and [[Interstate 80|I-80]]. From west to east, it passes through [[California]], [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Arkansas]], [[Tennessee]], and [[North Carolina]]. Its western terminus is at [[Interstate 15 in California|I-15]] in [[Barstow, California]], while its eastern terminus is at a [[concurrency (road)|concurrency]] with [[U.S. Route 117 in North Carolina|U.S. Route 117]] (US 117) and [[North Carolina Highway 132]] (NC 132) in [[Wilmington, North Carolina]]. Major cities served by the Interstate include [[Flagstaff, Arizona]]; [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]]; [[Amarillo, Texas]]; [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]; [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]] and [[Little Rock]] in Arkansas; [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], and [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] in Tennessee; and [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], and Wilmington in North Carolina.

I-40 begins in the [[Mojave Desert]] in California, and then proceeds through the [[Colorado Plateau]] in Arizona and the southern tip of the [[Rocky Mountains]] in New Mexico. It then traverses the [[Great Plains]] through the [[Texas Panhandle]] and Oklahoma, and passes south of the [[Ozarks]] in Arkansas. The freeway crosses the [[Appalachian Mountains]] in Tennessee and North Carolina, before terminating in the [[Atlantic Plain|Atlantic Coastal Plain]] near the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

Much of the western part of I-40, from Barstow to [[Oklahoma City]], parallels or overlays the historic [[U.S. Route 66]]. East of Oklahoma City, the route generally parallels [[U.S. Route 64|US 64]] and [[U.S. Route 70|US 70]]. I-40 was established by the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956]], and the numbering was subsequently approved on August 14, 1957, along with most of the rest of the system. The eastern terminus was initially planned to be located at [[Interstate 85 in North Carolina|I-85]] in Greensboro, but the [[Federal Highway Administration]] later approved extending the route to its current eastern terminus in Wilmington. As a result, this was the last segment of I-40 to be completed upon its dedication in 1990.

==Route description==
{{lengths table|length_ref=
<ref name="log" />}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in California|CA]] || {{convert|154.61|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in Arizona|AZ]] || {{convert|359.48|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in New Mexico|NM]] || {{convert|373.51|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in Texas|TX]] || {{convert|177.10|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in Oklahoma|OK]] || {{convert|331.73|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in Arkansas|AR]] || {{convert|284.69|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in Tennessee|TN]] || {{convert|455.28|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|NC]] || {{convert|420.21|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|Total || {{convert|2,556.61|mi|km|disp=table}}
|}
I-40 is the third-longest freeway in the United States, spanning {{convert|2556.61|mi|km}} across the southern half of the country. The longest stretch of the highway is in Tennessee, and the shortest is in California. The busiest stretch of I-40 is in Knoxville, concurrent with [[Interstate 75 in Tennessee|I-75]], which has an [[annual average daily traffic]] volume of more than 210,000 vehicles.<ref>{{cite web |author1 = Tennessee Department of Transportation |title = Transportation Data Management System |url = https://tdot.public.ms2soft.com/tcds/tsearch.asp?loc=Tdot&mod=TCDS |website = ms2soft.com |publisher = MS2 |access-date = November 27, 2021 }}</ref> The lowest traffic volumes are found on rural stretches in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, where the freeway carries fewer than 15,000 vehicles per day.<ref>{{cite report |author = Tamara P. Haas |date = October 10, 2017 |title = Traffic Counts New Mexico Interstates |url = https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/TIRS%20101017%20Item%201%20B%20-%20Interstate%20Traffic%20data-map.pdf |publisher = New Mexico Department of Transportation |access-date = January 7, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1 = Texas Department of Transportation |title = TPP District Traffic Web Viewer |url = https://txdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=06fea0307dda42c1976194bf5a98b3a1 |website = ArcGIS |publisher = Esri |access-date = January 7, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1 = Oklahoma Department of Transportation |title = AADT Traffic Counts |url = https://okdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html?appid=a33b6aaa19674493bf42de11b250ef1b |website = ArcGIS |publisher = Esri |access-date = January 7, 2023 }}</ref>

===California===
[[File:Start of Interstate 40.jpg|thumb|A sign at the start of I-40 in Barstow, California, showing the distance to the freeway's eastern terminus in Wilmington, North Carolina. This sign has been stolen several times.]]
{{Main|Interstate 40 in California}}
I-40 in California crosses through the lightly populated northern part of the [[Inland Empire]] region of the state. Its western end is in [[Barstow, California]]. Known as the Needles Freeway, it heads east from Barstow across the [[Mojave Desert]] in [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] to [[Needles, California|Needles]], before it crosses the [[Colorado River]] into [[Arizona]] southwest of [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]]. I-40 covers {{convert|155|mi|km}} in California. Some signs show the [[control city]] for I-40 westbound to be [[Los Angeles]], where drivers would follow [[Interstate 15 in California|I-15]] south from its western terminus in Barstow. The highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state.

A sign in California showing the distance to [[Wilmington, North Carolina]], has been stolen several times.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM |title = I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good |work = StarNewsOnline.com |date = November 12, 2009 |access-date = October 20, 2020 |archive-date = October 1, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201001132230/https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM/ |url-status = dead }}</ref>

===Arizona===
[[File:I-40 west near Flagstaff.jpg|thumb|I-40 westbound heading toward Flagstaff]]
{{Main|Interstate 40 in Arizona}}
I-40 is a main route to the South Rim of the [[Grand Canyon]], with the exits leading into [[Grand Canyon National Park]] in [[Williams, Arizona|Williams]] and Flagstaff. I-40 covers {{convert|359|mi|km}} in Arizona. Just west of exit 190, west of Flagstaff, is its highest elevation along I-40 in the US, as the road crosses just over {{convert|7330|ft|m}} at the Arizona Divide near milepost 190. I-40 also passes through the [[Navajo Nation]], the largest Indian reservation in the US. Like California's segment, the highway is four lanes for the entirety of its length in the state.

===New Mexico===
{{Main|Interstate 40 in New Mexico}}
I-40 covers {{convert|374|mi|km}} in New Mexico. As in other states it parallels or overrides the post 1937 Route 66 route through the state. Notable cities along I-40 include [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]], [[Grants, New Mexico|Grants]], [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]], [[Santa Rosa, New Mexico|Santa Rosa]], and [[Tucumcari, New Mexico|Tucumcari]]. I-40 also travels through several [[Indian reservation]]s in the western half of the state. It reaches its highest point in the state of {{convert|7275|ft|m}} at the Continental Divide (Campbell Pass) in western New Mexico between Gallup and Grants. The last place that I-40 tops {{convert|7000|ft|m}} is at the head of Tijeras Canyon east of Albuquerque at approximately {{convert|7040|ft|m}}.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are the five states where I-40 has a speed limit of {{convert|75|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} instead of the {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} limit in California, Tennessee, and North Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://tulsaworld.com/news/speed-limit-on-much-of-i-40-i-35-raised-to-75-mph/article_f9e3cc58-cc3f-5f09-82cb-db170a67ffc8.html |title = Speed limit on much of I-40, I-35 raised to 75 MPH |date = August 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.5newsonline.com/article/traffic/speed-limit-on-i-40-in-the-river-valley-increases-to-75-mph/527-fa7bfbf5-125d-4bfc-91f1-6bf26370938e |title = Speed limit on I-40 in the River Valley increases to 75 MPH |date = August 6, 2020 }}</ref>

===Texas===
[[File:Grade intersection on I-40.jpg|thumb|right|An at-grade intersection on I-40 in Texas, 2003]]
{{Main|Interstate 40 in Texas}}
In the west [[Texas panhandle]] area, there are several ranch roads connected directly to the Interstate. The only major city in Texas that is directly served by I-40 is [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]], which connects with [[Interstate 27|I-27]] that runs south toward [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]]. I-40 also connects to [[U.S. Route 287 in Texas|US 287]] that runs southeast to Dallas–Fort Worth and [[U.S. Route 87 in Texas|US 87]]/US 287 north to Dumas and then on into Oklahoma. I-40 has only one welcome center in the state, which is located in Amarillo at the exit for [[Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport]], serving both sides of the Interstate.

[[File:15.07 downtown okc.jpg|thumb|I-40 in Downtown Oklahoma City]]
===Oklahoma===
{{Main|Interstate 40 in Oklahoma}}
I-40 goes through the heart of the state, passing through many Oklahoma cities and towns, including [[Erick, Oklahoma|Erick]], [[Sayre, Oklahoma|Sayre]], [[Elk City, Oklahoma|Elk City]], [[Clinton, Oklahoma|Clinton]], [[Weatherford, Oklahoma|Weatherford]], [[El Reno, Oklahoma|El Reno]], [[Yukon, Oklahoma|Yukon]], [[Oklahoma City]], [[Del City, Oklahoma|Del City]], [[Midwest City, Oklahoma|Midwest City]], [[Shawnee, Oklahoma|Shawnee]], [[Okemah, Oklahoma|Okemah]], [[Henryetta, Oklahoma|Henryetta]], [[Checotah, Oklahoma|Checotah]], [[Sallisaw, Oklahoma|Sallisaw]], and [[Roland, Oklahoma|Roland]]. I-40 covers {{convert|331|mi|km}} in Oklahoma.

In [[Downtown Oklahoma City]], I-40 was rerouted {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} south of its former alignment and a 10-lane (five in each direction) facility replaced the former [[Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway|I-40 Crosstown Bridge]]; the former I-40 alignment will be replaced with an urban boulevard currently designated as Oklahoma City Boulevard.

===Arkansas===
[[File:Hernando de Soto Bridge Memphis.jpg|thumb|The [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]], where I-40 crosses the [[Mississippi River]] into [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]]]
{{Main|Interstate 40 in Arkansas}}
I-40 enters the west-central part of the state and runs for {{convert|285|mi|km}} in Arkansas. The route passes through [[Van Buren, Arkansas|Van Buren]], where it intersects the southbound [[Interstate 540 (Arkansas)|I-540]]/[[U.S. Route 71 in Arkansas|US 71]] to [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]].<ref name="cra">{{Cite map |location = Little Rock |publisher = Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |title = General Highway Map, Crawford County, Arkansas |url = http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/CrawfordCounty.pdf |author = Planning and Research Division |format = PDF |year = 2011 |scale = 1:62,500 |access-date = November 15, 2011 |archive-date = February 26, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120226223917/http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/counties/county%20PDFs/CrawfordCounty.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref> The route continues east to [[Alma, Arkansas|Alma]] to intersect [[Interstate 49 (Arkansas)|I-49]] north to [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]]. Running through the [[The Ozarks|Ozark Mountains]], I-40 serves [[Ozark, Arkansas|Ozark]], [[Clarksville, Arkansas|Clarksville]], [[Russellville, Arkansas|Russellville]], [[Morrilton, Arkansas|Morrilton]], and [[Conway, Arkansas|Conway]]. The route turns south after Conway and enters [[North Little Rock, Arkansas|North Little Rock]], which brings high volume interchanges with [[I-430]], [[Interstate 30 in Arkansas|I-30]]/[[U.S. Route 65 in Arkansas|US 65]]/[[U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas|US 67]]/[[U.S. Route 167 in Arkansas|US 167]], and [[Interstate 440 (Arkansas)|I-440]]/[[Arkansas Highway 440|Highway 440]] (AR 440).<ref name="pul">{{Cite map |location = Little Rock |publisher = Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |title = General Highway Map, Pulaski County, Arkansas |url = http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/PulaskiCounty.pdf |author = Planning and Research Division |format = PDF |year = 2009 |scale = 1:62,500 |access-date = November 15, 2011 |archive-date = July 7, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110707162427/http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/PulaskiCounty.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref> The Interstate continues east through [[Lonoke, Arkansas|Lonoke]], [[Brinkley, Arkansas|Brinkley]], and [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis]] on the eastside. I-40 briefly overlaps [[Interstate 55 in Arkansas|I-55]] in West Memphis before it crosses the [[Mississippi River]] on the [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]] and enters [[Memphis, Tennessee]].<ref name="cri">{{Cite map |location = Little Rock |publisher = Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |title = General Highway Map, Crittenden County, Arkansas |url = http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/CrittendenCounty.pdf |author = Planning and Research Division |format = PDF |year = 2009 |scale = 1:62,500 |access-date = November 15, 2011 |archive-date = February 26, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120226223642/http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/counties/county%20PDFs/CrittendenCounty.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref>

===Tennessee===
{{Main|Interstate 40 in Tennessee}}
[[File:I-40 near Nashville Int'l Airport.jpg|thumb|I-40 in [[Nashville]]]]
The State of Tennessee has the longest segment of I-40 at {{convert|455|mi|km}}. The Interstate goes through all of the three [[Grand Divisions of Tennessee]] and its three largest cities: [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], and [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]. [[Jackson, Tennessee|Jackson]], [[Lebanon, Tennessee|Lebanon]], [[Cookeville, Tennessee|Cookeville]], [[Crossville, Tennessee|Crossville]], and [[Newport, Tennessee|Newport]] are other notable cities through which I-40 passes. Before leaving the state, I-40 enters the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] toward [[North Carolina]].

The section of I-40 which runs between Memphis and Nashville is often referred to as the [[Music Highway (Tennessee)|Music Highway]].<ref>Tennessee public acts 2001 Chapter 100, Senate Bill 916 House Bill 616 Signed into law April 18, 2001, http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/acts/102/pub/pc0100.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210201103/http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/102/pub/pc0100.pdf |date=February 10, 2009 }}</ref> During reconstruction, a short section of I-40 through downtown Knoxville near the central [[Spaghetti Junction#Tennessee|Malfunction Junction]] was completely closed to traffic from May 1, 2008, and not reopened until June 12, 2009, with all traffic redirected via [[I-640]], the northern bypass route. The redesigned section now has additional lanes in each direction, is less congested, and has fewer accidents.<ref>{{cite web |author = Tennessee Department of Transportation |url = http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/ |title = SmartFix: I-40/James White Parkway/Hall of Fame Drive |publisher = Tennessee Department of Transportation |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101231003123/http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/ |archive-date = December 31, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Tennessee Department of Transportation |url = http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/closures.asp |title = SmartFix: I-40/James White Parkway/Hall of Fame Drive |publisher = Tennessee Department of Transportation |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090429213607/http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/closures.asp |archive-date = April 29, 2009 }}</ref>

===North Carolina===
{{Multiple image
|total_width = 400
|caption_align = center
|image1 = WilmingtonBarstow.JPG
|caption1 = A sign displaying the distance to Barstow near Wilmington. This sign is no longer posted by NCDOT due to the frequency of its theft.<ref>{{cite web |author = Star News Staff Reports |title = I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good |url = https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM |website = StarNews Online |publisher = StarNews |access-date = October 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211018200805/https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM/ |archive-date = October 18, 2021 }}</ref>
|image2 = Beginning of Interstate 40 (39245153235).jpg
|caption2 = The beginning of I-40 west, near Wilmington
}}
{{Main|Interstate 40 in North Carolina}}

In [[North Carolina]], I-40 travels {{convert|420|mi|km}}. It enters the state as a winding mountain freeway through the [[Great Smoky Mountains]], which frequently closes due to landslides and weather-related problems. It enters the state on a mostly north–south alignment, turning to a more east–west alignment upon merging with [[U.S. Route 74 in North Carolina|US 74]] at the eastern terminus of the [[Great Smoky Mountains Expressway]]. From there, the highway passes through [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]], and [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]] before reaching the [[Piedmont Triad]]. Just east of the Triad City of [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], it merges with [[Interstate 85 in North Carolina|I-85]], and the two roads split again just west of the [[Research Triangle]] area, passing through [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] and [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. From the Triangle to its eastern terminus in [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], it once again takes a more north–south alignment.

A standard distance sign existed near the start of the westbound section of I-40 in Wilmington that indicated the distance to Barstow, California, as {{convert|2554|mi|km}}. In 2009, NCDOT said it would not be replaced after [[street sign theft|frequent thefts]].<ref>{{cite web |title = I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good |url = https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM |website = Star News Online |location = Wilmington, North Carolina |date = November 12, 2009 |access-date = May 10, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210814025001/https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20091112/News/605066511/WM |archive-date = August 14, 2021 }}</ref>
{{clear}}

==History==
===Predecessors and planning===
[[File:Kingman-Beale Wagon Road Monument-1.jpg|thumb|A monument to [[Beale's Wagon Road]] in [[Kingman, Arizona]]]]
During the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial]] and [[Territorial evolution of the United States|westward expansion]] eras, a number of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] trails existed within the vicinity of what is now Interstate 40. In 1857, an expedition led by Lt. [[Edward Fitzgerald Beale]] was tasked with establishing a trade route along the [[35th parallel north]] from [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]], to [[Los Angeles]]. This route, which became known as [[Beale's Wagon Road]], was constructed by a team of about 100 men and 22 camels led by Beale. Completed in 1859, it is generally considered the first federal highway in the Southwestern United States.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad/ |title = Beale's Wagon Road From Arkansas to California |first = Kathy |last = Weiser-Alexander |date = 2021 |work = Legends of America |access-date = January 15, 2023 }}{{self-published inline|certain=yes|date=January 2023}}</ref>

In the early 20th century, a number of [[auto trail]]s were established by private organizations to aid motorists in traveling between major cities. Among these was the [[National Old Trails Road]], which roughly followed the western part of present-day I-40 to Albuquerque, and the [[Lee Highway]], which followed much of the eastern portion of the route.<ref>{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |title = Auto Road Atlas |year = 1926 |url = http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/ |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |via = Broer Maps Online |access-date = April 15, 2012 |archive-date = April 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120427035609/http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/ |url-status = live }}</ref> When the state governments established the [[United States Numbered Highway System]] in 1926, two of these most important highways, [[U.S. Route 66|US 66]] and [[U.S. Route 70|US 70]] were established within the present-day I-40 corridor.<ref>{{cite web |last = Weingroff |first = Richard F. |title = From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm |work = Highway History |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = December 9, 2021 |archive-date = September 1, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190901182531/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm |url-status = live }}</ref>

US 66, which followed the route from its western terminus to Oklahoma City, became arguably the most famous highway in the United States and has been recognized multiple times in popular culture.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.nps.gov/articles/route-66-overview.htm |title = Route 66 Overview |author =  |date = June 27, 2022 |publisher = National Park Service |access-date = January 15, 2023 }}</ref> US 70, which roughly follows the remainder of the Interstate, was also one of the most important highways for east−west travelers, and was considered part of the "Broadway of America" highway between California and [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{cite news |author =  |title = Plan To Spend $8,000,000 On Route 1, Tennessee's Broadway of America |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69837346/plan-to-spend-8000000-on-route-1/ |page = 9 |work = Johnson City Chronicle |date = August 18, 1928 |access-date = February 10, 2021 |via = [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

An east−west trans-continental freeway to serve the south-central United States was proposed in multiple plans throughout the 1930s and 1940s for what later became the [[Interstate Highway System]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Pfeiffer |first = David A. |date = Summer 2006 |title = Ike's Interstates at 50 |pages = 14–18 |url = https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/summer/interstates.html |magazine = [[Prologue (magazine)|Prologue]] |issn = 0033-1031 |access-date = April 11, 2022 |archive-date = March 2, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110302235254/http://archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/summer/interstates.html |url-status = live }}</ref> The general alignment for the highway that became I-40 was included in a plan released on August 2, 1947, by the Public Roads Administration of the now-defunct [[Federal Works Agency]].<ref>{{cite map |url = http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interstate_Highway_plan_August_2,_1947_big_text.jpg |title = National System of Interstate Highways |author = [[Public Roads Administration]] |scale = Scale not given |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Public Roads Administration |date = August 2, 1947 |access-date = September 4, 2010 |via = [[Wikimedia Commons]] }}</ref> The Interstate was officially authorized between Barstow and Greensboro by the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956]], which created the Interstate Highway System. The numbering was subsequently approved by the [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] (AASHO) on August 14, 1957, along with most of the system.<ref name="AASHO57"/>

In 1957, the California Department of Highways, the predecessor agency to the [[California Department of Transportation]] (Caltrans), proposed that the route be renumbered to [[Interstate 30|I-30]] instead because of the already existing [[U.S. Route 40 in California|US 40]] in the state. This route was decommissioned in the state in 1964 as a part of a major revamping of California's overall highway numbering system.<ref name="cahighways">{{cite web |url = http://cahighways.org/033-040.html#040 |work = California Highways |title = Interstate 40 |access-date = November 27, 2011 }}{{self-published source|date=February 2017}}</ref> The California state government also submitted [[California State Route 58|State Route 58]] (SR 58) between [[Barstow, California|Barstow]] and [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]] for I-40 extension potential in 1956 and 1968, but both of these requests were rejected.<ref>{{cite web |last = Waller |first = Jeff |url = http://we.got.net/~mapman/streets/California/I40/I40.html |title = Interstate 40 Extension and Bakersfield Freeway Network |work = California Streets |access-date = February 18, 2006 |archive-date = April 26, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050344/http://we.got.net/~mapman/streets/California/I40/I40.html |url-status = dead }}{{self-published source|date=February 2017}}</ref>

From 1963 to 1966, the US government considered a plan, part of [[Project Plowshare]], to use atomic bombs to excavate a path for I-40 through California. The project was canceled largely due to the cost of developing the explosives and due to the unavailability of a "clean bomb".<ref>{{cite news |first = Howard |last = Wilshire |title = Building a Radioactive Highway |publisher = Sierra Club |work = Desert Report |date = Spring 2001 |pages = 9, 14 |url = http://www.desertreport.org/media/DR_Spring2001.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326112853/http://www.desertreport.org/media/DR_Spring2001.pdf |archive-date = March 26, 2009 }}</ref>

===Construction===
The first sections of I-40 reused freeways that had been constructed prior to the Interstate Highway System or were under construction at the time of the authorization of the system. The first stretch in Tennessee reused a short freeway in Knoxville called the Magnolia Avenue Expressway, which was opened in two segments in 1952 and 1955. The first stretches in North Carolina were a short controlled-access section of [[U.S. Route 421 in North Carolina|US 421]] in Winston-Salem, and from [[Kernersville, North Carolina|Kernersville]], constructed between 1955 and 1958. By 1957, most states had begun construction on the first sections of I-40.{{cn|date=August 2025}} The first construction project specifically for I-40 in 1958 was a section along the [[Pigeon River (Tennessee–North Carolina)|Pigeon River]] in Western North Carolina.<ref name=I40Facts>{{cite web |publisher = [[North Carolina Department of Transportation]] |url = http://www.ncdot.org//public/50thanniv/ncinterstates/download/factsI40.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080621040412/http://www.ncdot.org//public/50thanniv/ncinterstates/download/factsI40.pdf |title = I-40 Fact Sheet |date = June 21, 2008 |access-date = June 20, 2014 |archive-date = June 21, 2008 }}</ref> The stretch between Memphis and Nashville, completed on July 24, 1966, was the first major stretch of interstate highway completed in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite news |last = Veazey |first = Walter |date = July 25, 1966 |title = A Giant Of Progress Grows 195 Miles |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90332310/a-giant-of-progress-grows-195-miles/ |page = 1 |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = December 10, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>

On June 30, 1972, the final stretch of I-40 entirely within Arkansas, located between [[Clarksville, Arkansas|Clarksville]] and [[Ozark, Arkansas|Ozark]] was opened;<ref>{{cite news |author =  |date = June 30, 1972 |title = Last Stretch Of I-40 Opens To Traffic Today |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116562182/last-stretch-of-i-40-opens-to-traffic/ |page = 3 |work = Northwest Arkansas Times |location = Fayetteville, Arkansas |agency = Associated Press |access-date = January 15, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref> the last section to open in the state was the [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]], which opened on August 2, 1973.<ref>{{cite news |date = August 3, 1973 |title = Bridge Gets 'Ho-Hum' Opening |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88386533/bridge-gets-ho-hum-opening/ |page = 1-1 |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = November 5, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Kofoed |first = Richard |date = August 5, 1973 |title = Span Rekindles Westward Ho |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88383916/span-rekindles-westward-ho/ |page = 2-2 |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = November 5, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref> The last segment in California to be completed was a short stretch in Needles, opened on August 13, 1973.<ref>{{cite news |author =  |date = August 16, 1973 |title = Traffic Flows Over I-40; Plan Formal Rites For Opening |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116564078/traffic-flows-over-i-40-plan-formal/ |page = 1 |work = Needles Desert Star |access-date = January 16, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author =  |date = August 14, 1973 |title = Interstate 40 Open |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116564173/interstate-40-open/ |page = A11 |work = Hi-Desert Star |location = Yucca Valley, California |access-date = January 16, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref> The last original planned stretch of the highway in Tennessee, located east of Knoxville, was partially opened on December 20, 1974,<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Yarbrough |first1 = Willard |title = All Interstates in ET Open; Dunn Dedicates New Sections |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91441849/all-interstates-in-et-open/ |access-date = December 30, 2021 |work = The Knoxville News-Sentinel |date = December 21, 1974 |pages = 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91441878/et-interstate-links-opened/ 14] }}</ref> and fully opened on September 12, 1975.<ref>{{cite news |author =  |title = I-40 Link Opening Near Knoxville |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56532090/i-40-link-opening-near-knoxville/ |page = 11 |work = The Tennessean |location = Nashville |agency = Associated Press |date = September 11, 1975 |issn = 1053-6590 |access-date = April 18, 2019 }}</ref> The last section of I-40 in Oklahoma, a {{convert|17|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch near [[Erick, Oklahoma|Erick]] near the western end of the state, opened on June 2, 1975.<ref>{{cite news |author =  |date = June 1, 1975 |title = I-40 Unbroken in Oklahoma; Ceremony to Open Last Stretch Near Erick Monday |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116560360/i-40-unbroken-in-oklahoma/ |at = §1, p. 5 |work = The Sunday Oklahoman |location = Oklahoma City |access-date = January 15, 2023 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author =  |date = 2011 |title = Moments In History: June |url = https://www.odot.org/odot100/moments/06-june.php |publisher = Oklahoma Department of Transportation |access-date = January 15, 2023 }}</ref>

In 1971, the North Carolina State Highway Commission approved a plan to extend I-40 from [[Research Triangle Park]] to [[Interstate 95 in North Carolina|I-95]], a distance of {{convert|41|mi|km}}, at a cost of $75 million (equivalent to ${{inflation|US-GDP|75|1971|r=2}} million in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{inflation/fn|US-GDP}}). Most of the highway would be four lanes, though six lanes were likely near [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], where I-40 would extend the [[Raleigh Beltline|Beltline]]. Several routes were being considered, but, at the time, the most likely route would have ended north of [[Smithfield, North Carolina|Smithfield]].<ref>{{cite news |title = SHC Approves I-40 Link in Wake County |work = [[Independent Tribune|Concord Tribune]] |agency = [[Associated Press]] |date = July 20, 1971 }}</ref> When the last portion of I-40, connecting Wilmington to Raleigh, was dedicated on June 29, 1990, CBS journalist [[Charles Kuralt]] stated:

{{cquote|Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.<ref>{{cite news |last = Wilson |first = Amy |url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/01/0102_020104wir66_2.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050825095153/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/01/0102_020104wir66_2.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = August 25, 2005 |title = U.S. Route 66: Historic Road Is Time Line of America |work = National Geographic News |date = January 18, 2002 |access-date = February 18, 2006 }}</ref><ref name=I40Facts>{{cite web |publisher = [[North Carolina Department of Transportation]] |url = http://www.ncdot.org//public/50thanniv/ncinterstates/download/factsI40.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080621040412/http://www.ncdot.org//public/50thanniv/ncinterstates/download/factsI40.pdf |title = I-40 Fact Sheet |date = June 21, 2008 |access-date = June 20, 2014 |archive-date = June 21, 2008 }}</ref>}}

===Controversies===
In [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], I-40 was originally planned to pass through the city's [[Overton Park]], a {{convert|342|acre|ha|adj=on}} public park. Following a public announcement of the routing, a group of community activists opposed to the routing founded an organization called [[Citizens to Preserve Overton Park]] in 1957, and collected 10,000 signatures in their support.<ref name=McNichol>{{cite book |last = McNichol |first = Dan |date = 2006 |title = The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=b0qO1yCFRxYC |location = New York |publisher = [[Sterling Publishing]] |pages = 159–161 |isbn = 9781402734687 |via = Google Books }}</ref> After Secretary of Transportation [[John Volpe]] authorized the state to solicit bids for the construction of the Interstate through the park in 1969, the organization filed a lawsuit, which culminated in the [[List of landmark court decisions in the United States|landmark]] [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] ruling of ''[[Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe]]'' in 1971, which ruled that the state highway department had not adequately explored alternative routes for the interstate.<ref>{{cite court |litigants = Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe |vol = 401 |reporter = U.S. |opinion = 402 |court = U.S. Supreme Court |year = 1971 |url = http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=401&page=402 |via = [[FindLaw]] }}</ref> This case is considered to have established the modern process of [[judicial review]] of infrastructural projects, and eventually resulted in the state rerouting the alignment of I-40 through the park onto a section of I-240 in 1981.<ref name="McNichol"/><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Cunningham |first1 = Morris |last2 = Brosnan |first2 = James W. |date = January 17, 1981 |title = I-40 Funds Diverted, Park Route Canceled |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88551737/i-40-funds-diverted-park-route-canceled/ |page = 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88551755/canceling-park-route-nets-city-i-40/ 3] |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = November 8, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>

===Major projects===
Between May 1980 and March 1982, a major project was conducted on I-40 in Knoxville that widened the route, eliminated several interchanges, added frontage roads, and reconstructed the congestion-prone cloverleaf interchange with I-75, which had earned the nickname "Malfunction Junction", into a three-level stack interchange.<ref>{{cite news |title = Interstate Work Ahead of Schedule; 3 Contracts Signed |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91442063/interstate-work-ahead-of-schedule-3/ |access-date = December 30, 2021 |work = The Knoxville News-Sentinel |date = April 29, 1980 |page = 21 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author =  |title = Junction Bottleneck Officially Broken |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89194354/junction-bottleneck-officially-broken/ |page = C-1 |work = The Knoxville News-Sentinel |date = March 31, 1982 |access-date = November 19, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref> This was conducted as part of a larger $250 million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|250000000|1982}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) road improvement project in the Knoxville area in preparation for the [[1982 World's Fair]].<ref>{{cite book |type = Report |author1 = Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission |author2 = Barton-Aschman Associates |author3 = Knoxville International Energy Exposition |author4 = K-Trans |date = December 1982 |title = 1982 World's Fair Transportation System Evaluation |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FYwnAQAAMAAJ |publisher = Office of Planning Assistance, Urban Mass Transportation Administration |page =  |id = DOT-I-83-4 |access-date = June 6, 2020 |via = Google Books }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Hunt |first = Keel |date = 2018 |title = Crossing the Aisle: How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the Twenty-First Century and Could Save America |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=h7wpEAAAQBAJ |location = Nashville |publisher = Vanderbilt University Press |pages = 101–102, 117–129, 122 |isbn = 978-0-8265-2241-2 |via = Google Books }}</ref>

Originally, I-40 was constructed through downtown [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], and it continued to follow that route until a new urban bypass route was built. After the bypass was completed around 1992, I-40 was relocated to the new freeway, that went through the urban areas of the city while avoiding the congested Downtown. The old highway was then redesignated as [[Interstate 40 Business (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)|Interstate 40 Business]] (I-40 Bus.), establishing a business route that was actually a freeway for its entire length, a rarity among business routes. Following a reconstruction, the expressway was renamed [[Salem Parkway (North Carolina)|Salem Parkway]] and redesignated as part of [[U.S. Route 421 in North Carolina|US 421]].

The "[[Big I]]" interchange in Albuquerque between I-40 and I-25 was reconstructed between 2000 and 2002 in a project that eliminated left-hand entrance ramps and added lanes. This project was given an honorable mention by the [[United States Department of Transportation]] and the FHWA for excellence in urban highway design in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/eihd/2002/cat1pic8.htm |title = Excellence in Highway Design - 2002 I-25/I-40 System-to-System Interchange, Albuquerque, New Mexico |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = November 27, 2011 }}</ref>

The [[Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway]] was relocated and replaced with a new wider alignment in two phases between May 2002 and October 2012. The old alignment was replaced with [[Oklahoma City Boulevard]], and at-grade thoroughfare.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.macokc.com/project/i-40-crosstown/ |title = I-40 Crosstown Realignment |publisher = MacArthur Associated Consultants |location = Oklahoma City |access-date = May 7, 2022 |quote = }}</ref>

In Memphis, the cancellation of the Overton Park stretch of I-240, along with increased traffic volumes and safety hazards, rendered both interchanges with I-240 unable to effectively handle unplanned traffic patterns, thus necessitating their reconstruction. This was accomplished in three phases between January 2001 and December 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last = Adams |first = Tracy |date = June 26, 2003 |title = Honk if you like I-40 relief |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90006239/honk-if-you-like-i-40-relief/ |page = A1 |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = January 30, 2022 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = TDOT sharpens listening skills |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93776122/tdot-sharpens-listening-skills/ |access-date = January 30, 2022 |work = The Commercial Appeal |date = October 17, 2003 |location = Memphis |page = B4 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://dementconstruction.com/i-40-i-240-interchange-phase-ii/ |title = I-40 / I-240 Interchange – Phase II |author =  |date = 2016 |publisher = Dement Construction Company |access-date = February 16, 2020 }}</ref><ref name=commercialappeal06>{{cite news |last = Charlier |first = Tom |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89563429/midtown-i-40-240-project-wraps-up/ |title = Midtown I-40/240 Project Wraps Up; Dangerous curves led to deaths of 8 in 1988 |date = December 10, 2006 |work = The Commercial Appeal |page = B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89563503/project/ B7] |location = Memphis |access-date = November 26, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>

A $203.7 million two-phase project dubbed "SmartFix 40" resulted in a complete closure of a short stretch of I-40 through Knoxville between May 1, 2008, and June 12, 2009.<ref>{{cite press release |first = Travis |last = Brickey |title = Interstate 40 Reopens In Knoxville 18 days ahead of schedule |url = http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/2104 |date = June 12, 2009 |publisher = Tennessee Department of Transportation |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090615075026/http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/2104 |archive-date = June 15, 2009 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> This was done in order to accelerate the construction timeline, and during this time, through traffic was required to use [[Interstate 640|I-640]].<ref>{{cite news |last = Jacobs |first = Don |date = April 13, 2008 |title = Downtown's 14-month I-40 shutdown will mean new routes, potential surprises |url = https://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/downtowns-14-month-i-40-shutdown-will-mean-new-routes-potential-surprises-ep-411801200-359923741.html/ |work = The Knoxville News-Sentinel |access-date = January 31, 2021 }}</ref> Both phases of the project won an America's Transportation Award from AASHTO in 2008 and 2010, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://americastransportationawards.org/2008-2/tn-smartfix40/ |title = TN: SmartFix40 |author =  |date = 2008 |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date = January 31, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://americastransportationawards.org/past-projects/2010-2/tn-smartfix40-phase-2-knoxville-project/ |title = TN: SmartFIX40 Phase 2 Knoxville Project |author =  |date = 2010 |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date = January 31, 2021 }}</ref>

===Geological difficulties===
Landslides are common in the Pigeon River Gorge section along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Here, the roadway was cut into the slopes of several steep mountains. Accidents on the winding road are also common especially during bad weather. On October 25, 2009, I-40 was closed at the North Carolina and Tennessee border due to a landslide at milemarker 2.6 just east of the Tennessee state line. All traffic was detoured via I-26 and I-81, and non-heavy-load traffic via US 25 and US 70.<ref>{{cite news |first = Stephen |last = McLamb |date = October 27, 2009 |url = http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/66605652.html |title = HWY 25-70 a scenic, tough rock slide detour |publisher = [[WVLT-TV]] |access-date = November 27, 2011 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100215020545/http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/66605652.html |archive-date = February 15, 2010 }}</ref> The roadway was reopened on April 25, 2010, with some remaining limitations on westbound traffic.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/25/section-of-i-40-back-open-after-oct-slide/ |title = Section of I-40 closed since Oct. rockslide reopens |last = Hickman |first = Hayes |work = Knoxville News Sentinel |date = April 26, 2010 |access-date = April 26, 2010 }}</ref>

===Major incidents===
[[File:I40 Bridge disaster.jpg|thumb|The collapsed section of the I-40 bridge, May 31, 2002]]
On December 23, 1988, a [[tank truck|tanker truck]] hauling liquefied propane [[Memphis tanker truck disaster|overturned on a ramp in the interchange between I-40 and I-240]] in the [[Midtown, Memphis|Midtown]] neighborhood of Memphis, rupturing a small hole in the front of the tank.<ref>{{cite news |last = Charlier |first = Tom |date = December 24, 1988 |title = Fiery tanker crash kills 6; Cars, homes enveloped by inferno along I-240 |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88843440/fiery-tanker-crash-kills-6/ |page = A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88843657/crash/ A5] |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = December 5, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Beifuss |first = John |date = December 24, 1988 |title = Even witnesses seem scorched by fire's havoc |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88843593/even-witnesses-seem-scorched-by-fires/ |page = A4 |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = December 5, 2021 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref> The leaking gas ignited in a massive fireball, and the tank was propelled {{convert|125|yd|m}} from the crash site into a nearby duplex apartment.<ref>{{cite book |type = Report |first = Michael S. |last = Isner |date = February 6, 1990 |title = Fire Investigation Report: Propane Tank Truck Incident, Eight People Killed, Memphis, Tennessee, December 23, 1988 |url = https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/fimemphis.ashx |publisher = National Fire Protection Association |access-date = January 18, 2021 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210128223921/https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/fimemphis.ashx |archive-date = January 28, 2021 }}</ref> The incident killed six motorists and three occupants of nearby structures, and provided momentum for the eventual reconstruction of the interchange.<ref>{{cite news |date = December 25, 1988 |title = Death Toll at 9 in Memphis Tanker Explosion |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/25/us/death-toll-at-9-in-memphis-tanker-explosion.html |work = The New York Times |agency = Associated Press |access-date = January 12, 2021 }}</ref><ref name=commercialappeal06/>

The [[I-40 bridge disaster]] occurred on May 26, 2002, when a barge collided with a bridge foundation member near [[Webbers Falls, Oklahoma]], causing a {{convert|580|ft|m|adj=on}} section of the I-40 bridge to plunge into the [[Arkansas River]]. Automobiles and semitrailers fell into the water, killing 14 people.

On May 11, 2021, the [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]] carrying I-40 over the Mississippi River was closed when inspectors discovered a crack on a tie girder.<ref>{{cite news |title = I-40 bridge closed indefinitely after crack discovered in structure |url = https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/05/11/emergency-roadwork-shutdowns-i-bridge/ |access-date = June 11, 2021 |publisher = [[WMC-TV]] |date = May 11, 2021 |location = Memphis }}</ref> A subsequent investigation revealed that the crack had existed since at least May 2019, and reports later surfaced that the crack had likely existed since August 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Chaney |first1 = Kim |title = Yes, there was damage to the I-40 Hernando de Soto bridge at the time of 2019 inspection |url = https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/verify/yes-there-was-damage-to-the-i-40-hernando-de-soto-bridge-at-the-time-of-2019-inspection/522-16447073-9d21-4c42-aeaa-65f4160cab9c |access-date = June 11, 2021 |publisher = [[WATN-TV]] |date = May 14, 2021 |location = Memphis }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Peterson |first1 = Joyce |title = Photos show I-40 bridge damage in 2016 |url = https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/05/18/photos-show-i-bridge-damage/ |access-date = June 11, 2021 |publisher = WMC-TV |date = May 19, 2021 |location = Memphis }}</ref> An emergency contract to repair the beam was awarded six days after the closure,<ref>{{cite web |title = Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge – Timeline |url = https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/i-40-hernando-desoto-bridge/timeline.html |publisher = Tennessee Department of Transportation |access-date = June 11, 2021 |date = May 17, 2021 |archive-date = June 11, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210611034647/https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/i-40-hernando-desoto-bridge/timeline.html |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Duncan |first1 = Ian |title = Repairs to cracked Mississippi River interstate bridge will stretch on for weeks |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/06/03/memphis-bridge-mississippi-river/ |access-date = June 11, 2021 |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = June 3, 2021 }}</ref> and the bridge reopened on July 31, 2021, to eastbound traffic,<ref>{{cite news |last = Finton |first = Lucas |title = The Hernando DeSoto Bridge reopens eastbound lanes, 2 days ahead of plans |date = August 1, 2021 |url = https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2021/07/30/eastbound-lanes-40-bridge-re-open-saturday/5436041001/ |work = The Commercial Appeal |location = Memphis |access-date = August 1, 2021 }}</ref> and to westbound traffic on August 2, 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last = Burnside |first = Tina |title = A vital Memphis bridge shut down since May due to a structural crack has fully reopened |date = August 2, 2021 |url = https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/02/us/memphis-hernando-desoto-bridge-reopen/index.html |publisher = CNN |access-date = August 3, 2021 }}</ref>

The highway was badly damaged during [[Hurricane Helene]] in September 2024, with the road closed in multiple locations across western North Carolina due to landslides.<ref>{{Cite web |last = Doty |first = Justin Berger and Kelly |date = September 28, 2024 |title = Parts of I-40, I-26 to remain closed for days, according to NCDOT |url = https://wlos.com/news/local/parts-interstate-40-26-remain-closed-after-helene-storm-damage-flooding-mudslides-road-conditions-asheville-buncombe-haywood |access-date = September 29, 2024 |publisher = WLOS |language = en }}</ref> The worst damage was seen near North Carolina's border with Tennessee, where a large portion of the highway was washed into the [[Pigeon River (Tennessee–North Carolina)|Pigeon River]] following a mudslide, resulting in it being indefinitely closed in both directions.<ref>{{Cite web |last = Wulfeck |first = Andrew |date = September 27, 2024 |title = Interstate 40 partially collapses after catastrophic rains in North Carolina |url = https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/interstate-40-north-carolina-flooding-helene |access-date = September 29, 2024 |website = FOX Weather |language = en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last = Kiehl |first = Allison |title = Interstate 40 collapses at the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the Gorge |url = https://www.knoxnews.com/story/weather/2024/09/28/interstate-40-collapse-tennessee-north-carolina-border-near-gorge/75427194007/ |access-date = September 29, 2024 |website = Knoxville News Sentinel |language = en-US }}</ref> On November 5, it was announced that the highway could reopen as early as the beginning of 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Kiehl |first1 = Allison |title = When Will Interstate 40 Reopen at the Tennessee–North Carolina State Line? Maybe Early 2025 |url = https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2024/11/05/i-40-tennessee-north-carolina-state-line-could-reopen-early-2025/76076691007/ |access-date = November 21, 2024 |work = Knoxville News Sentinel |date = November 5, 2024 }}</ref>

==Major junctions==
;California
: {{jct|country=USA|I|15}} in [[Barstow, California|Barstow]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|95}} west-northwest of [[Needles, California|Needles]]. The highways travel concurrently to Needles.
;Arizona
: {{jct|country=USA|Future|11|US|93|nolink1=yes}} in [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]]. The highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Kingman.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|17}} in [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|89|US|180}} in Flagstaff. I-40/US 180 travels concurrently to [[Holbrook, Arizona|Holbrook]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|191}} in [[Chambers, Arizona|Chambers]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[Sanders, Arizona|Sanders]].
;New Mexico
: {{jct|country=USA|US|491}} in [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|25|US|85}} in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|285}} in [[Clines Corners, New Mexico|Clines Corners]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|84}} west-northwest of [[Santa Rosa, New Mexico|Santa Rosa]]. The highways travel concurrently to Santa Rosa.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|54}} in Santa Rosa. The highways travel concurrently to [[Tucumcari, New Mexico|Tucumcari]].
;Texas
: {{jct|country=USA|US|385}} in [[Vega, Texas|Vega]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|27|US|60|US|87|US|287}} in [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]]. I-40/US 287 travels concurrently through Amarillo.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|83}} in [[Shamrock, Texas|Shamrock]]
;Oklahoma
: {{jct|country=USA|US|283}} in [[Sayre, Oklahoma|Sayre]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|183}} in [[Clinton, Oklahoma|Clinton]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|281}} in [[Hinton, Oklahoma|Hinton]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|270}} west of [[El Reno, Oklahoma|El Reno]]. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of [[Shawnee, Oklahoma|Shawnee]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|81}} in El Reno
: {{jct|country=USA|I|44}} in [[Oklahoma City]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|35|I|235|dab2=Oklahoma|US|62|US|77}} in Oklahoma City. I-35/I-40/US 62 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|240|dab1=Oklahoma}} in Oklahoma City
: {{jct|country=USA|US|177|US|270}} northwest of Shawnee
: {{jct|country=USA|US|377}} south-southeast of [[Prague, Oklahoma|Prague]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|62}} in [[Okemah, Oklahoma|Okemah]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[Henryetta, Oklahoma|Henryetta]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|75}} northeast of [[Clearview, Oklahoma|Clearview]]. The highways travel concurrently to Henryetta.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|69}} southwest of [[Checotah, Oklahoma|Checotah]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|266}} in [[Warner, Oklahoma|Warner]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|59}} in [[Sallisaw, Oklahoma|Sallisaw]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in Sallisaw
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[Roland, Oklahoma|Roland]]
;Arkansas
: {{jct|country=USA|I|540|dab1=Arkansas|US|71}} in [[Van Buren, Arkansas|Van Buren]]. I-40/US 71 travels concurrently to [[Alma, Arkansas|Alma]].
: {{jct|country=USA|I|49}} in Alma
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[Clarksville, Arkansas|Clarksville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[Lamar, Arkansas|Lamar]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[London, Arkansas|London]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|65}} in [[Conway, Arkansas|Conway]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[North Little Rock, Arkansas|North Little Rock]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in Conway
: {{jct|country=USA|I|430}} in North Little Rock
: {{jct|country=USA|I|30|I|57|US|65|US|67|US|167}} in North Little Rock. I-40/US 67/US 167 travels concurrently through North Little Rock.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|440|dab1=Arkansas}} in North Little Rock
: {{jct|country=USA|US|63}} in [[Hazen, Arkansas|Hazen]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[Brinkley, Arkansas|Brinkley]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|49}} in Brinkley
: {{jct|country=USA|US|79}} south of [[Jennette, Arkansas|Jennette]]. The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|55|US|61|US|64}} in West Memphis. The highways travel concurrently through West Memphis.
;Tennessee
: {{jct|country=USA|US|51}} in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|69|I|240|dab2=Tennessee}} in Memphis. I-40/I-69 travels concurrently through Memphis.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64|US|70|US|79}} in Memphis
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} on the Memphis–[[Bartlett, Tennessee|Bartlett]] city line
: {{jct|country=USA|I|269}} in [[Arlington, Tennessee|Arlington]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} east of [[Brownsville, Tennessee|Brownsville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|412}} in [[Jackson, Tennessee|Jackson]]. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Jackson.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|45}} in Jackson
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70|US|412}} northeast of Jackson
: {{jct|country=USA|US|641}} southeast of [[Holladay, Tennessee|Holladay]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|840|dab1=Tennessee}} southeast of [[Burns, Tennessee|Burns]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70S}} in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} in Nashville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|440|dab1=Tennessee}} in Nashville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|65}} in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} in Nashville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70|US|70S|US|431}} in Nashville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|31A|US|41A|dab2=Tennessee}} in Nashville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|24}} in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|840|dab1=Tennessee}} in [[Lebanon, Tennessee|Lebanon]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|231}} in [[Lebanon, Tennessee|Lebanon]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} in Lebanon
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70N}} in Cookeville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70N}} in [[Monterey, Tennessee|Monterey]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|127}} in [[Crossville, Tennessee|Crossville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|27}} in [[Harriman, Tennessee|Harriman]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|321}} in [[Lenoir City, Tennessee|Lenoir City]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|75}} west of [[Farragut, Tennessee|Farragut]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]].
: {{jct|country=USA|I|140|dab1=Tennessee}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|11|US|70}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|75|I|640}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|129}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|275|dab1=Tennessee}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|441}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|11W}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|640|US|25W}} in Knoxville. I-40/US 25W travels concurrently through Knoxville.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|11E|US|25W|US|70}} in Knoxville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|25W|US|70}} west of [[Dandridge, Tennessee|Dandridge]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|81}} north-northeast of Dandridge
: {{jct|country=USA|US|25W|US|70|US|411}} in [[Newport, Tennessee|Newport]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|321}} in Newport
;North Carolina
: {{jct|country=USA|US|276}} in [[Cove Creek, North Carolina|Cove Creek]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|74}} north-northwest of [[Clyde, North Carolina|Clyde]]. The highways travel concurrently to [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|19|US|23}} in Asheville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|26|I|240|dab2=North Carolina|US|74}} in Asheville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|25}} in Asheville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|240|dab1=North Carolina}} in Asheville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} in [[Black Mountain, North Carolina|Black Mountain]]. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of [[Old Fort, North Carolina|Old Fort]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|221}} southeast of [[West Marion, North Carolina|West Marion]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|321}} in [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|21}} in Statesville
: {{jct|country=USA|I|77|dab1=North Carolina}} in Statesville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} in Statesville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} east-northeast of Statesville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|64}} west-northwest of [[Mocksville, North Carolina|Mocksville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|601}} in Mocksville
: {{jct|country=USA|US|421}} in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|158}} in Winston-Salem
: {{jct|country=USA|US|52|I|285|dab2=North Carolina}} in Winston-Salem
: {{jct|country=USA|I|74}} in Winston-Salem
: {{jct|country=USA|US|421}} west of [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]. The highways travel concurrently to Greensboro.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|73|US|421|I|840|dab3=North Carolina}} in Greensboro
: {{jct|country=USA|US|220}} in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|29|US|70}} in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|85|I|840|dab2=North Carolina|I|785}} in Greensboro. I-40/I-85 travels concurrently to southwest of [[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough]].
: {{jct|country=USA|US|15|US|501}} in [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|885}} in Durham
: {{jct|country=USA|I|540|dab1=North Carolina}} in Durham
: {{jct|country=USA|I|440|dab1=North Carolina|US|1|US|64}} in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. I-40/US 64 travels concurrently through Raleigh.
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70|US|401}} in Raleigh
: {{jct|country=USA|I|87|dab1=North Carolina|I|440|dab2=North Carolina|US|64}} in Raleigh
: {{jct|country=USA|US|70}} in [[Garner, North Carolina|Garner]]. The highways travel concurrently to west-southwest of [[Clayton, North Carolina|Clayton]].
: {{jct|country=USA|I|42|US|70}} near Clayton.
: {{jct|country=USA|I|95}} in [[Benson, North Carolina|Benson]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|701}} south-southeast of [[Newton Grove, North Carolina|Newton Grove]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|117}} south-southeast of [[Warsaw, North Carolina|Warsaw]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|117}} east-southeast of [[Willard, North Carolina|Willard]]
: {{jct|country=USA|I|140|dab1=North Carolina}} in [[Murraysville, North Carolina|Murraysville]]
: {{jct|country=USA|US|117}} on the [[Kings Grant, North Carolina|Kings Grant]]–Murraysville CDP line
<ref name=randmcnally>{{cite book |author = Rand McNally |year = 2014 |title = The Road Atlas |edition = Walmart |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |pages = 8, 10–11, 15, 68, 74–75, 82–83, 94–95 |isbn = 978-0-528-00771-2 }}</ref>

==Auxiliary routes==
*[[Interstate 140 (Tennessee)|I-140]]: [[Alcoa, Tennessee|Alcoa]]–[[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]–[[Oak Ridge, Tennessee|Oak Ridge]] area, Tennessee
*[[Interstate 140 (North Carolina)|I-140]]: [[Wilmington, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)|I-240]]: [[Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]
*[[Interstate 240 (Tennessee)|I-240]]: [[Memphis, Tennessee]]
*[[Interstate 240 (North Carolina)|I-240]]: [[Asheville, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 440 (Arkansas)|I-440]]: [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]
*[[Interstate 440 (Tennessee)|I-440]]: [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
*[[Interstate 440 (North Carolina)|I-440]]: [[Raleigh, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 540 (Arkansas)|I-540]]: spur to [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]]
*[[Interstate 540 (North Carolina)|I-540]]: [[Raleigh, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 640|I-640]]: [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]
*[[Interstate 840 (Tennessee)|I-840]]: partial beltway around [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
*[[Interstate 840 (North Carolina)|I-840]]: [[Greensboro, North Carolina]]
In Oklahoma City, the designation I-440 had been given to a stretch of Interstate Highway from I-240 to US 66. It was a part of Grand Boulevard that had been built in compliance with [[Interstate Highway standards]]. In 1982, as part of Oklahoma's "Diamond Jubilee", I-44's western terminus was moved from the I-35/I-44 junction to the Texas–Oklahoma state line via the Belle Isle Freeway (connecting I-440 with I-35); I-440, the H. E. Bailey Turnpike; and the turnpike connector road on the eastern edge of [[Lawton, Oklahoma]]. The I-440 number was dropped at the time.

===Business routes===
{{see also|Business routes of Interstate 40}}
* Interstate 40 Business in California: [[Needles, California|Needles]]
*Interstate 40 Business in Arizona: spur to [[Winslow, Arizona|Winslow]], loops through [[Winslow, Arizona|Winslow]], [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], [[Williams, Arizona|Williams]], [[Ash Fork, Arizona|Ash Fork]], [[Seligman, Arizona|Seligman]], and [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]]
*Interstate 40 Business in New Mexico: [[Tucumcari, New Mexico|Tucumcari]], [[Santa Rosa, New Mexico|Santa Rosa]], [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]], [[Grants, New Mexico|Grants]], Mount Taylor, and [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]]
*Interstate 40 Business in Texas: [[Shamrock, Texas|Shamrock]], [[McLean, Texas|McLean]], [[Groom, Texas|Groom]], [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]], [[Vega, Texas|Vega]], [[Adrian, Texas]], and [[Glenrio, Texas]]
*Interstate 40 Business in Oklahoma: [[Sallisaw, Oklahoma|Sallisaw]], [[Henryetta, Oklahoma|Henryetta]], [[El Reno, Oklahoma|El Reno]], [[Weatherford, Oklahoma|Weatherford]], [[Clinton, Oklahoma|Clinton]], [[Elk City, Oklahoma|Elk City]], [[Sayre, Oklahoma|Sayre]], and [[Erick, Oklahoma]]
*Interstate 40 Business in North Carolina: formerly in both [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]] and [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], now [[Salem Parkway (North Carolina)|Salem Parkway]]; [[Interstate 40 Business (Raleigh, North Carolina)|Raleigh]], now [[Interstate 440 (North Carolina)|I-440]]

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Interstate 40}}
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|331438}}
* [http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-040.html Interstate-Guide: I-40] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329094617/http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-040.html |date=March 29, 2010 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071030215411/http://www.tomjonas.com/swex/beale.htm The Beale Wagon Road]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080510085501/http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/jul02/story2.htm The I-40 Bridge Disaster]

{{I-40 aux}}
{{interstates}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Interstate 40| ]]
[[Category:Interstate Highway System|40]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 66|040]]