Drive America’s Highways for 41 miles north along Interstate 57 from Marion to Mount Vernon, Illinois.
The video starts as we merge on to I-57 from IL-13 just west of Marion, Illinois. Driving north, we pass through West Frankfort and an interchange with IL-149 before reaching the Benton / Rend Lake area. (The southbound lanes get a really neat and scenic rest stop around this area).
Continuing on Interstate 57, we pass the Wayne Fitzgerell State Park before reaching an interchange with Interstate 64 east (Louisville) and the southern fringes of the Mt Vernon area. Bypassing Mt Vernon to the west, we end the video just after the Interstate 64 west (St. Louis) junction, northwest of town.
Now THIS is a stretch I've used often. Soon it will be six lanes all the way from 24 to 64. You can see some of the preliminary work to make it happen, and in a few stretches, some of it already complete. And you can also see why it needs to be six lanes through the whole video. The reason why this particular stretch is so crowded and needs six is because the same roadbed serves for Chicago-to-Memphis traffic (and eventually Chicago-to-Dallas once I-57 is extended to Little Rock), and also St. Louis-to-Nashville traffic.
Exactly. I'm honestly surprised it wasn't developed that way in the beginning. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised 🙂
I about died on this road mm 78
@Sarah Leach Sorry to hear that 🙁 Glad you are still around to comment about it 🙂
My Dad's family is from Marion Illinois and surrounding areas. Joppa