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Interstate 64

History Western Terminus Eastern Terminus

Routing

Interstate 64 connects the St. Louis metropolitan area east to the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of southeast Virginia. Along the way, Interstate 64 connects to East St. Louis, Illinois; Evansville, Indiana (via Interstate 164); Louisville, Kentucky; Charleston, West Virginia; and Richmond, Virginia. Interstate 64 overlays U.S. 40 in Missouri, replaced U.S. 460 in Illinois and Indiana, and parallels U.S. 60 through most of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.

In the Norfolk-Hampton Roads area, Interstate 64 forms half of the Tidewater's belt system, which causes Interstate 64 to curve south then westward, giving the eastbound direction a western orientation. The furthest east point along Interstate 64 is located near its eastern interchange with Interstate 264. At one time, a proposal was floated to renumber Interstate 64 south of Interstate 664 as Interstate 864, the Hampton Roads Beltway. However, this proposal was rejected by business leaders in the area who did not want to have a two-digit Interstate replaced with a three-digit Interstate. Had this proposal come to pass, Interstate 64 would have ended at its junction with Interstate 664. However, Interstate 64 south of Interstate 664 is signed as part of the Hampton Roads Beltway (Interstates 64 and 664), and it is easier to describe direction of travel as "inner" (clockwise) or "outer" (counterclockwise).

Also of interest in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia for Interstate 64 is the four lane Hampton-Roads Bridge Tunnel. This formerly tolled facility connects Norfolk near the Willoughy Spit community with the city of Hampton at Phoebus. The bridge-tunnel system features a four lane viaduct over the mouth of James River witha four lane tunnel. Opened in 1957, the bridge tunnel carried only two lanes originally. Revenue bonds for the crossing were paid off by 1976 and thus tolls removed. Coinciding with the toll removal is the opening of the parallel two-lane span, thus bringing the crossing up to its current capacity. Since this aspect of Interstate 64 was 90% covered by FHWA Interstate funds, the highway became a toll free affair. The U.S. 17 James River bridge to the west also saw its tolls removed in 1976 on the same day.1

Although the current western terminus of Interstate 64 is at its interchange with Route K in O'Fallon, Missouri, it will be extended to meet Interstate 70 at Wentzville via U.S. 40-61. For more, see the "Future Aspirations" section.