Interstate 44

Overview

Angling northeast from Wichita Falls, Texas to St. Louis, Missouri, Interstate 44 connects the southern Great Plains with the Upper Midwest. Three sections through Oklahoma take toll roads including the H.E. Bailey Turnpike from U.S. 70 near Randlett to Lawton and again from Lawton to Oklahoma City. The Turner Turnpike extends I-44 east from Interstate 35 near Edmond to Sapulpa southwest of Tulsa. Built in the 1950s, Skelly Drive takes Interstate 44 east across Tulsa to the Creek and Will Rogers Turnpikes by Catoosa. The Will Rogers Turnpike carries the remainder of I-44 northeast through Oklahoma to the Missouri state line by Joplin.

Throughout Missouri, Interstate 44 overlaid or parallels Historic U.S. 66 as it travels east to Springfield and northeast to St. Robert, Rolla and greater St. Louis. The eastern extent combines with I-55 north to the Poplar Street Bridge, where it formerly turned east and ended alongside I-64 and I-70. A slight extension was made in 2015 over what was I-70 by the Gateway Arch and Downtown St. Louis to the newly opened Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Mileage by State

Texas	15.41 mi
Oklahoma	328.53 mi
Missouri	293.39 mi

Data Sources

TxDOT Statewide Planning Map. https://www.dot.state.tx.us/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html

December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Parallel U.S. Routes

Between Wichita Falls and Lawton, Interstate 44 follows U.S. 277 and U.S. 281. Northeast from Lawton to Oklahoma City, the H.E. Bailey Turnpike portion of I-44 follows U.S. 62-277. The remainder of I-44 from Oklahoma City northeast to St. Louis, replaced famous U.S. 66, although much of that route survives as Oklahoma Highway 66, Missouri Route 66 or Business Loop I-44.

History

IH 44 was approved by the Texas State Highway Commission on August 12, 1982 with 15.398 miles from 8th Street in Wichita Falls northerly with U.S. 277/281 to the Oklahoma line by the city of Burkburnett.² This addition allowed the designation to continue southwest from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls via Lawton along the Oklahoma Turnpike system.³

Interstate 44 begins along the Central Freeway (U.S. 277-281-287) where the Broad and Holiday Street ramps tie in from 8th Street near Downtown Wichita Falls. Previously the Central Freeway ended with U.S. 277-281-287 following a one way couplet along Holliday Street south and Broad Street north southeast to an older freeway at 16th Street. Work starting on February 16, 1999 joined the two limited access highways by constructing a 1.7 mile long viaduct system above both Broad and Holliday Streets. With the addition of a $1.6 million flyover from U.S. 277-281-287 north to 6th Street, the $47.8 million project was finished seven months ahead of schedule on May 10, 2002.¹¹

The west end of IH 44 was previously located at the exchange joining IH 35 with the Turner Turnpike in north Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The extension southwest to Texas was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on June 28, 1982. Part of this involved renumbering the northern and western portions of the I-240 urban loop encircling Oklahoma City a part of I-44. It also designated I-44 along the previously unnumbered H.E. Bailey Turnpike, and along side the freeway for U.S. 62 connecting the Turnpike north end (U.S. 62/277) at Newcastle to I-240.¹³

The H.E. Bailey Turnpike segment of I-44 from Lawton to Oklahoma City opened on April 23, 1964. The section of I-44 from the north end of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike to SW 29th Street in Oklahoma City opened to traffic as part of Interstate 240 in April 1976.⁴

The Turner Turnpike, which carries I-44 east from I-35 at the Kilpatrick Turnpike to SH 66 at Sapulpa, opened to traffic on May 16, 1953. The toll road was the first superhighway built in Oklahoma.⁸ It ties I-44 in with Skelly Drive, the historic U.S. 66 bypass of Downtown Tulsa.⁹

Originally named the 51st Street Bypass, Skelly Drive (I-44 / Historic U.S. 66) was initially planned in 1948. Discussion of the proposed route wavered between backers of a route toward Downtown and those supporting a bypass for through traffic. Ultimately the decision favored the bypass route route versus no route at all. The proposed alignment resulted in a lawsuit that went all the way to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, with a 1954 ruling favoring the current route versus the original along 51st Street to Memorial Drive and then north to U.S. 66 at 11th Street.⁹

Renamed Skelly Drive to honor oilman W.G. Skelly, the expressway opened on November 21, 1958 at a cost of $15 million. Construction of the expressway was later investigated by a grand jury and congressional subcommittee in 1960, after allegations that substandard material was used. The grand jury indicted three principals in the construction company, but those were later dropped or dismissed.⁹

A $6.3 million widening in the city of Tulsa expanded Interstate 44 from four to six lanes between 41st and 31st Streets from September 2002 to August 2003. Outlined for 2006 at a cost of $13.6 million, the next section of I-44 expanded to six lanes was the section from 41st Street to Yale Avenue (Exit 229).¹

Work to construct the Creek Turnpike (SH 364) around the east side of Tulsa included the relocation of I-44 from Skelly Drive onto the Will Rogers Turnpike. The previous alignment of I-44 split with U.S. 412 east leading directly to the partition with SH 66 north. This configuration changed in July 2002 with I-44 taking U.S. 412 east to a new cloverstack interchange with the Creek Turnpike. The Creek Turnpike south to the Muskogee Turnpike opened a month later.¹⁰

The relocation of Interstate 44 east of Tulsa at the Creek Turnpike and U.S. 412 was approved by AASHTO on May 30, 2003. This included a new alignment for I-44 leading due south directly to the Creek Turnpike at U.S. 412. The angled portion of the Will Rogers Turnpike to SH 66 at U.S. 412 was abandoned, though ramps still link SH 66 east from I-44 east and from SH 66 west to I-44 west.

Approval for the Will Rogers Turnpike was initiated by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority one month after its establishment by the state Legislature in June 1953.⁸ The toll road features one of the largest McDonald's restaurants in the world, at the location of the former Glass House Restaurant where it crosses over the Interstate near the city of Vinita. The Vinita Service Plaza closed on June 4, 2013 for renovation and reconstruction. The recognizable bridge and arch was retained during the $14.6 million renovation project⁵ completed on December 22, 2014.⁶

Until 2013, the east end of I-44 was located at the Poplar Street Bridge, where I-55/64/70 and U.S. 40 cross the Mississippi River into Illinois. With construction of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge and realignment of Interstate 70 to the north, AASHTO approved a 2.9 mile northern extension of I-44 over what was previously I-70, from I-55 at Truman Parkway to the west end of the cable-stayed bridge. Opened on February 9, 2014, the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge shifted I-70 northward away from both the Poplar Street Bridge and the trenched freeway stretch by the Gateway Arch.

East End  ‐ St. Louis, MO

East at

Interstate 44 ascends from the below grade section by the Gateway Arch on a viaduct spanning Washington Avenue and Carr Street, one mile south of the merge with I-70 westbound. 05/24/18

East at

Crossing over Branch Street at Old North St. Louis, I-70 advances 0.75 miles south to separation with Interstate 44 at Left Exit 249 A. 05/07/18

Former East End  ‐ St. Louis, MO

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

East at

An end sign for I-44 east preceded the Compton Avenue overpass at the Compton Heights neighborhood in St. Louis. A sign for an Amtrak Station at Exit 290B took the place of this assembly by 2014. 04/13/13

West South at

I-55/64/70 and U.S. 40 combined west across the Poplar Street Bridge from East St. Louis, Illinois to Downtown St Louis, Missouri. Initial signs referenced the forthcoming TOTSO movements of I-70 west to Memorial Drive and I-55 south to Interstate 44 west. 05/04/12

East at

Diagrammatic sign out lining the TOTSO movement of Interstate 70 east from the below grade freeway between Downtown and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial onto the Poplar Street Bridge (I-55 north). The freeway mainline defaulted onto I-55 south ahead of I-44 west. Photo by Michael Summa (1981).

South at

Interstate 55 angles southwest from the Poplar Street Bridge along a viaduct by the LaSalle Park community preceding Exit 207 with I-44 west. 05/04/12

North at

Heading north between the Kosciusko and Soulard communities, I-55 advance to the left exits for both I-44 west and Lafayette Avenue / Truman Parkway. Had the Route 755 freeway been completed, it would have provided connectivity from I-44 east and I-55 north to I-64/U.S. 40 west and from vice versa. Photo by Brian Dowd (09/27/02).

West End  ‐ Wichita Falls, TX

West South

The final confirming marker for IH 44 west stands just south of the Central Freeway bridge across the Wichita River. 09/06/09

North at

U.S. 82 west separates with U.S. 281/287 north ahead of the Central Freeway viaducts and IH 44 to join U.S. 277 southbound along the Kell Freeway. First proposed in 1964, the Kell Freeway was completed with the opening of a 3.5 mile segment west from Fairway Boulevard to FM 369. Work on the $28 million final section ran from January 2008 to September 24, 2009.¹² 09/06/09

West End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

at

U.S. 281/287 transitioned onto the Central Freeway viaduct above Holliday Street while U.S. 277 shifted onto the surface street south to Kell Boulevard and U.S. 82. Photo by Justin Cozart (09/02).

References

1. "Section of I-44 in Tulsa set to open over a month early." Oklahoma DOT Public Affairs Media Advisory, August 01, 2003.
2. Texas Department of Transportation. INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NO. 44, Highway Designation File. Retrieved from http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ih/ih0044.htm
3. From Anywhere to Everywhere: The Development of the Interstate Highway System in Texas by Penny Beaumont, Rhonda Brinkmann, David Ellis, Chris Pourteau, and Brandon V. Webb, Texas Transportation Institute, page 34. Retrieved from http://tti.tamu.edu/interstate_anniversary/white_paper/
4. Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Celebrate the Interstate: America's Interstate Highway System Turns 50! Retrieved from http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/okinterstate50/
5. OK Turnpike Authority shutting down McDonald's over I-44 for remodel, likely open in 2013. KJRH, March 26, 2013.<
6. "Iconic McDonald's Set To Reopen Along Will Rogers Turnpike." NewsOn6.com, December 17, 2014.
7. Oklahoma Department of Transportation. (2014, March 10). Minutes For The Special Transportation Commission Meeting. Retrieved from https://www.odot.org/tcomm/minutes14/tc_minutes-20140310.pdf
8. "There's no such thing as a 'free highway'" Tulsa World (OK), September 16, 2002.
9. "Only in Oklahoma: City bypass spawned suit, investigations." Tulsa World, October 18, 2007.
10. "Pike-bound lanes revised." Tulsa World, July 11, 2002.
11. "Central Freeway ready Road project comes to end seven months early." Wichita Falls Times Record News (TX), May 10, 2002.
12. "Kell job near done." Wichita Falls Times Record News (TX), September 25, 2009.
13. Darrell Brunson, email: "The H.E. Bailey Turnpike & I-44 at OKC," August 13, 2017.