The Arkansas Department of Transportation has extended Interstate 555 to cover more of state Highway 63 in western Jonesboro.
AR-DOT announced on Tuesday that I-555 now covers highway 63 from the Southwest Drive exit to the Dan Avenue exit. The redesignation came after approval from he American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Work to convert a portion highway 63 from state highway 91 in Jonesboro to I-55 near Terrell into an interstate began in 1987 with Congress allocating $2 million toward the project.
“I want to express my appreciation to Arkansas’ past and present Congressional delegation, my fellow Highway Commissioners and ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor and her staff for their work on this very important corridor,” said Alec Farmer, Vice Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission. “And, of course, I want to thank our local area leaders who over the last five decades worked so hard on improving Highway 63 to bring us to this point.”
Since then, over $300 million, including more than $65 million, have been invested into the project that connects Jonesboro to the Memphis metropolitan area.
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