Interstate 20
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Interstate20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs 1,539 miles (2,477km) beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Reeves County, Texas, 40 miles (64km) east of Van Horn, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between Texas and South Carolina, I-20 runs through northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The major cities that I-20 connects to include Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Columbia, South Carolina.
From its terminus at I-95, the highway continues about two miles (3.2km) eastward into the city of Florence as I-20 Business (I-20 Bus.).
Route description
| mi | km | |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 636.08 | 1,023.67 |
| LA | 189.87 | 305.57 |
| MS | 154.61 | 248.82 |
| AL | 214.70 | 345.53 |
| GA | 202.61 | 326.07 |
| SC | 141.51 | 227.74 |
| Total | 1,539.38 | 2,477.39 |
I-20 spans approximately 2/3 of the United States between Texas and South Carolina serving major southern economic hubs such as Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta.
Texas
I-20 begins in western Reeves County at a fork with I-10. From there, the highway travels east-northeastward through Odessa, Midland, and Abilene before turning eastward toward the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The La Entrada al Pacífico corridor runs along I-20 between US Route385 (US385) and Farm to Market Road 1788 (FM1788). Between Monahans and I-10, I-20 has an 80-mile-per-hour (130km/h) speed limit.
From the highway's opening in the 1960s through 1977, I-20 originally went through the heart of the metroplex via the Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike. This old route is now signed I-30 (Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike and from US80/I-30 intersection at Mesquite to Downtown Dallas), US80 (former stretch between I-635 and Terrell), and Spur557 (bypass around Terrell). In 1977, I-20 was rerouted to go through the southern sections of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Dallas, and Mesquite. It split off from the old route initially at I-820 in west Fort Worth the later on at its current junction near Aledo in Parker County. It rejoins the old route near Terrell. Part of I-20 in Dallas used to be signed as I-635 and shares the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway name with the remainder of I-635. Parts on the south side of Fort Worth were originally signed as I-820.
I-20 continues eastward from Terrell, bypassing Tyler, Kilgore, Longview, and Marshall before crossing the Louisiana border near Waskom.
Louisiana
In Louisiana, I-20 roughly parallels US80 through the northern part of the state.
Entering the state from near Waskom, Texas, the highway immediately enters the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, intersecting I-49 near downtown Shreveport and passing close to Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City.
I-20 traverses mainly rural, hilly terrain, bypassing Minden, Grambling, and Ruston before reaching Monroe.
From Monroe, I-20 enters flatter terrain as it approaches the Mississippi River. Before crossing the Mississippi, the highway passes Tallulah. At the Mississippi River, I-20 leaves Louisiana and enters Vicksburg.
Mississippi
Upon entering Mississippi by crossing the Mississippi River, I-20 immediately enters Vicksburg. Between Edwards and Clinton, the highway mostly follows the original two-lane routing of US80. In Jackson, I-20 sees a short concurrency with both I-55 and US49. Also in Jackson is an unusually expansive stack interchange, at the junction of I-20, I-55 north, and US49 south. The interchange replaces a former directional interchange at I-55 north and a cloverleaf interchange at US49. From the stack, I-20 continues eastward to Meridian, where it begins the nearly 160-mile (260km) overlap with I-59.
The route of the Mississippi section of I-20 is defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.
Alabama
I-20 (along with I-59) crosses the Alabama state line near York, and it stays conjoined as it passes through western Alabama and Tuscaloosa. At Birmingham, the two highways pass through downtown together before splitting at exit130 just east of Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. I-20 continues eastward through Oxford–Anniston and the Talladega National Forest, passing by Talladega Superspeedway in the process, which is visible from the highway.
Also in Birmingham, the intersection of I-20/I-59 and I-65 was known as a Malfunction Junction because of the interchange's somewhat-confusing design, and the number of traffic accidents that occurred there. This section of the Interstate and its interchanges have since been reconfigured.
Georgia
I-20 enters Georgia near Tallapoosa and after passing through western Georgia, it enters the Atlanta metropolitan area. On clear days, eastbound motorists get their first view of Downtown Atlanta as they come over the top of Six Flags Hill. The Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park is easily visible off exit46 eastbound. The highway then passes through the center of Atlanta, meeting with I-75 and I-85, which share a common expressway (the Downtown Connector). It continues through the Atlanta metropolitan area eastward and through the eastern half of Georgia until it exits the state, crossing the Savannah River at Augusta.
Throughout the state, I-20 is conjoined with unsigned State Route402 (SR402). Also, I-20 from the Alabama state line to I-285 in Atlanta is named the "Tom Murphy Freeway", but it is called the "Ralph David Abernathy Freeway" within I-285. The Interstate Highway is also named the Purple Heart Highway from I-285 in DeKalb County to US129/US441/SR24 in Madison, Georgia, and it is called the Carl Sanders Highway from US129/US441/SR24 to the South Carolina state line.
South Carolina
Upon leaving Augusta, I-20 crosses the Savannah River and enters the Palmetto State and heads northeastward, bypassing Aiken and Lexington before reaching the state capital of Columbia, which can be reached most directly by taking I-26 east at exit64 ("Malfunction Junction"), then, almost immediately, I-126/US76.
At Columbia, I-20 bypasses the city to the north and again turns northeastward, bypassing Fort Jackson and Camden. After crossing the Wateree River, it turns due east and passes by tiny Bishopville, before reaching the Florence area. It is near Florence where I-20 sees its eastern terminus at I-95. However, for about two miles (3.2km), the highway continues into Florence as I-20 Bus.
I-20 in the Palmetto State is known as either the J. Strom Thurmond Freeway or John C. West Freeway. The first section to be completed was the bridge over the Savannah River in 1965; the last, the section between US401 and I-95 (including the business spur), opened in August1975.
History
I-20 was built in 1957 connecting Texas to the east coast running through Shreveport, Ruston, and Monroe making it their first Interstate.[citation needed]
I-20's exit numbers in Georgia were changed in 2000.
In 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposed extending I-20 eastward from Florence, South Carolina to Wilmington, North Carolina at the behest of North Carolina Governor Mike Easley and his 'Strategic Transportation Plan' for the southeast portion of the state. The proposed route would follow US76 east from Florence to Whiteville, North Carolina, then parallel US74/US76 into Wilmington. Part of this route is already designated the future eastern extension of I-74. As part of the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users transportation legislation, North Carolina received $5million (equivalent to $7.69million in 2024) for a feasibility study for this extension. While this extension has considerable support among towns in southeastern North Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has stated that they have no interest in upgrading their portion of US76 to an Interstate. Instead, South Carolina is concentrating their efforts on plans to build I-73 (and possibly I-74) that will terminate near Myrtle Beach.
Junction list
Texas
US87 in Big Spring
US84 east of Roscoe. The highways travel concurrently to the Tye–Abilene city line.
US281 south-southeast of Brazos
US180 in Hudson Oaks
I-820 in Fort Worth
Chisholm Trail Parkway in Fort Worth
I-35W in Fort Worth
I-820/US287 in Fort Worth. I-20/US287 travels concurrently to Arlington.
Pres. George Bush Turnpike in Grand Prairie
I-35E on the Dallas–Lancaster city line
I-45 on the Dallas–Hutchins city line
US175 on the Dallas–Balch Springs city line
I-635 in Balch Springs
US271 south-southeast of Winona
US259 northeast of Kilgore. The highways travel concurrently to Longview.
US80 west-southwest of Jonesville. The highways travel concurrently to west of Waskom.
Louisiana
US80 in Shreveport
I-220 in Shreveport
US171 in Shreveport
I-49 in Shreveport
US71 in Shreveport. The highways travel concurrently to Bossier City.
I-220 in Bossier City
Future I-69 near Haughton
US371 in Dixie Inn. The highways travel concurrently to Minden.
US80 southeast of Minden
US80 east-northeast of Calhoun
US80 in Delta. The highways travel concurrently to Clinton, Mississippi.
Mississippi
US61 in Vicksburg. The highways travel concurrently through Vicksburg.
I-220/US49 in Jackson. I-20/US49 travels concurrently to Pearl.
I-55/US51 in Jackson. I-20/I-55 travels concurrently to Richland
US80 in Brandon
US80 west-southwest of Meridian. The highways travel concurrently to Meridian.
I-59 in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently to Birmingham, Alabama.
US11 in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently through Meridian.
US45 in Meridian
US11/US80 west-northwest of Kewanee
Alabama
Future I-85 near Cuba
I-359/US11 in Tuscaloosa
US82 in Tuscaloosa
US11 in Tuscaloosa
US11 in Tuscaloosa
US11 south of Lake View. The highways travel concurrently to Bessemer.
US78 in Birmingham
I-65 in Birmingham
US11 in Birmingham
US78 northwest of Cooks Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Pell City.
US231 in Pell City
Georgia
US23 in Atlanta
I-285 on the Panthersville–Candler-McAfee CDP line
US278 southeast of Lithonia. The highways travel concurrently to Covington.
South Carolina
I-520 in North Augusta
US178 southeast of Batesburg-Leesville
I-26/US76 on the Seven Oaks–St. Andrews CDP line
US176 in St. Andrews
US21 in Columbia
US1 in Dentsville
I-77 on the Dentsville–Woodfield CDP line
US15 southwest of Bishopville
Auxiliary routes
Two I-420s were planned but never completed or built. One was to be a bypass around Monroe, Louisiana, but was never built. The other I-420 was planned as a bypass to the south of Downtown Atlanta. Due to anti-freeway sentiments, this I-420 was never completed, and the already-built portion has been signed as State Route154 (SR154)/SR166, named the Langford Parkway (formerly the Lakewood Freeway).
- Shreveport, Louisiana: I-220
- Jackson, Mississippi: I-220
- Augusta, Georgia: I-520
- Fort Worth, Texas: I-820
See also
- U.S. Roadsportal
- Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Transportation Data (2003), (PDF), archived from (PDF) on February 18, 2006
External links
- Geographic data related toatOpenStreetMap