An interesting note related to this case, both interchanges between I-40 and I-240 were originally built for the park routing, and once this was cancelled, the result was that I-40 traffic had to use one lane ramps with sharp curves in both interchanges before they were rebuilt. The western interchange actually had a bunch of ghost ramps and bridges that were never used. It was also the site of one of probably the worst accidents in state history in 1988 where a tanker truck hauling propane crashed and exploded on one of these ramps and the tank was launched into a nearby apartment complex. Also, another interesting fact, mile markers on all of I-40 in Tennessee are still numbered according to the cancelled routing, although the actual length is about 3.5 miles longer. The first four mile markers are 1, 1A, 1B, and 1C, and then mile marker 2 should be 5 and so on.
I noticed the mile markers way back in 2001, but just assumed that since MO was the "Show me" state, that must have meant that TN was the "I'm the bullshit that MO was talking about" state.
I lived on North Parkway when I was a kid with my parents then, I distinctly remember being hurriedly shoved into the house and having to sneaky listen about what had happened. We lived on the north side of N Parkway on the first uncut block just west of the interstate. I was about 7 or 8 years old when it happened so I can't really recall much else in detail but seeing your post brought back the memory of that day. When I say uncut block you can see where the residential housing block was cut in half for the interstate and on North Parkway and a lot of streets down there - there are several half blocks up right against the interstate. You can see the how they were laid out originally if you look them up on historic maps
@@mrflamewars Interesting. I wasn't alive when that happened, but I've read about it. I seem to remember hearing that something like 100 buildings had to be torn down. One picture I saw looked like the aftermath of a bombing raid. Hearing about that bridge collapse in Philadelphia reminded me of this; that accident looks like it also occurred on a similar kind of ramp with a sharp curve.
I wouldn't say no to more Cancelled Freeway videos. I myself live not too far from DC and am very familiar with how The Mixing Bowl (I-95/I-395/I-495) in Springfield, Virginia had to undergo a massive reconstruction because the original plan was to send I-95 through DC (today's I-395 that abruptly ends part of the way through DC).
I was a resident of Memphis in the 90s and drove Sam Cooper Blvd out of Midtown Memphis often. Even then were blank house lots west of Overton park that were vacant after being cleared for I-40 decades before. Thanks for sharing the full history.
Figured Sam Cooper Blvd was an classic story of an cancelled freeway. But I didn’t know that it became an Supreme Court case though. Thanks for the information.
The Stone Mountain Expressway in Atlanta is a simlar story. The SME on the Atlanta side now only exists as an interchange on the Downtown Connector to Boulevard NE. It was at a dead end there for decades before the short John Lewis Freedom Parkway was constructed /around the Jimmy Carter center. That road was to have been connected with the SME about 3 miles to the northeast where the current western terminus of the SME is at Scott Blvd. and N. Druid Hills Road.
Yes, if I'm not mistaken, the Carter Center is located on what would have been the interchange between this freeway and cancelled I-485. In fact I think the state actually acquired the right of way for this interchange.
From what I remember, most of the right of way for the SME inside 285 had already been cleared (houses and businesses torn down) well before the court ruling that stopped construction. The people who commute thru east and NE ATL are the ones who lost on that one.
It also included Georgia 400 going through the east part of Atlanta and ending with an interchange with I-75 in Stockbridge. Instead Georgia 400 ends an interchange with I-85, and the portion of Georgia 400 that was supposed to end at I-75 is now I-675 that ends at I-285. If you look at a map of Atlanta, you can draw an almost straight line linking Georgia 400 and I-675.
@@mocowan6642 Even the GA 400 extension that was built starting in the late 1980's wiped out some nice areas of Buckhead, mostly along Stanford Drive and up into Dunwoody to where GA 400 terminated at the Perimeter near Pill Hill. The completion of the GA 400 extension however too a lot of through traffic off of Peachtree Dunwoody Road.
Great work as always Mike. I travel from OH to Austin, TX twice a year & when I take I-69S to I-40W through Nashville to Memphis, I always wondered why I-40 veered north of Memphis. It really sucked when the DeSoto bridge was closed for repairs and I-40 traffic was routed on the dilapidated I-55 bridge. Keep up the great work & fingers crossed I-42 in eastern Carolina gets done quickly.
The I-55 bridge is NOT dilapidated. It is just old. It was completed in 1949 as the first bridge constructed for auto traffic. Before 1949, auto traffic travelled on added pavements on the Harahan bridge which is actually a railroad bridge. The north side of this bridge is now a pedestrian path across the river Called Big River Crossing.
@@swinde I’ve spent years in and around the rust belt, the I-55 bridge in Memphis looks like a transplanted Youngstown, OH bridge. Time for a facelift Volunteer State. Now, about the falling apart I-40 bridge lol.
I love your content and the information you provide. This is one of the weird quirks that I fell in love with when having Aspergers Syndrome. So this fascinates me so much. Anything you provide informationally about roads, highways, etc... will always keep me coming back.
Thank you for the explanation. I have driven that route many times and always wondered why I had to bypass around the city when the highway appeared to continue on. Keep up the great content.
I don't know if it was brought up at the time, I was nine years old. But the original route through Overton park would have involved bulldozing all of the remaining primordial forest remaining in Tennessee. A tiny wedge at the East end of the park.
Not True. This forest is on the southeast side of the park and the interstate was to go across the park at the old "Bus Lane" on the north side of the park. At for it being the "last remaining primordial forest in Tennessee", you must be joking. It is the only such forest in the city and it is a wonderful foresight that the planners of the park included this part in the plan. There are a couple of paved roads that cut through it, but the trees and undergrowth are left to grow naturally with out human intervention. It would not have been affected b the interstate. There is a huge forest in northwest Shelby county called "Shelby Forest". It has trails and some pavilions, but otherwise it is a natural forest.
I was a student at Rhodes College (then known as Southwestern at Memphis) right across the street from the zoo. I attended from 1968 to 1972 when all of this kicked off. One of the drivers of the movement to save this gem of an urban park was my biology professor Dr. Arlo Smith. This fight was close to my heart. One other terrific local success for urban parks was Shelby Farms Park. This huge park was originally the Shelby County Penal Farm. It is now a gigantic multi-purpose park with 4500 acres of woods, lakes, fields, trails and even some experimental farms. I go there many times a week and love taking out of town guests there. These parks make Shelby County much more livable. I really don’t miss having more freeways.
Memphis, to me, seems to have a good system of freeways but it also has a good system of arterial highways which help fill the void. So, as far as cancelled freeways, I think the discussion is a good one to have. Milwaukee is a similar sized city to Memphis and has a couple of very short, partially built freeways which get used but not to the extent that they would have been used had they been built to completion.
They could've built the original I-40 under Overton Park and the Memphis Zoo as a Tunnel for an alternative plan, but that would've been too expensive for the City of Memphis, TN to afford.
I was under the impression that the original design of the interstate highways was supposed to bypass cities because they were built to move military vehicles quickly and that the change to build through cities was late.
Add MO 755 in St. Louis, designed to loop around downtown and connect I-70 and I-44-55. NIMBYs killed it in the late 60's. Only two fragments were built, and the only one left is at the 44-55 interchange; what's now the exit to Truman Blvd. from 55 and the Lafayette exit off 44 were designed to connect to 755. Also MO 725 (now I-170), south of US 40/I-64; it was orignally planned to end at I-55 along the River Des Peres, but NIMBYs killed it as well, building a large shopping center in it's way. But back in 1931, the south edge of the city's Forest Park was sheared off to create the Express Highway, today's US 40/I-64.
Being a lifelong Memphis resident, I can assure you that even 50 years later there are still strong opinions about I-40 here, although they are starting to wane as people who were here when this happened and and for the freeway have started to move on and new people have moved in/been born. I have my opinions and see both sides of it, but you still have those who wish it were built (and even today, could still be built some way, some how) and others freak out if you do anything to Overton Park besides walk on the grass...and this is including the expansion of the Memphis Zoo...an Overton Park tenant. I tended to be in the pro-freeway camp, but even I agree that Overton Park is probably one of the crown jewels of the City and fine just the way it is. But even if the City or TDOT suddenly got $10 billion for a freeway (tunneled or not) no questions asked, it would never be built today. Too much affluence surrounds the park so it wouldn't be at/above-grade on an alternate route (even if it were along Poplar Avenue to the south in the existing footprint of that road), the old corridor that was cleared has since been rebuilt with new homes, the interchanges have been redone at well over $200 million, and anything underground is basically going to be fought due to potential affects with our aquifer system. Like I said, I wish it could've been put through back in the day but even I know it was probably for the best that it wasn't. I just wish that the stub that is Sam Cooper Blvd weren't built having known this now since it does kind of point traffic towards Midtown roadways like a firehose.
Upon doing some Google Maps investigating myself, I came across Forest Avenue. Seems to run parallel to Sam Cooper and you can see parts where it was likely connected before the Highway was put in. Just when I think it only has maybe 3 broken pieces it just keeps going, even at strange angles I wouldnt expect. There are even portions Google Maps has had mislabeled as other roads but it's Forest Avenue in a 2022 Street View. Farthest East of a start I can see is at Berclair Road, it says its Estridge Dr there but I fixed it. There's a decent gap going west until the good part; theres a portion at the interchange with Graham St but then jumps a block south to continue west. That portion eventually stops and then there a very very small piece of a dead end... and then it just keeps showing up. Just when you think it's done there's yet another Forest Avenue. I think I counted 12 disconnected part but there may be more. Upon this I noticed Galloway Av just south of that which I swear I saw similarly farther east... yep, this one does the same thing. Seems theres a lot of roads that do this, as long as the line looks similar it will be named that. Similar to 134th street or whatever those numbered streets are.
There were overpasses already built across North Bellevue Blvd just East of I-240 aligned with the interchange. These can be seen in the Google Earth view if you select the "history icon. It had two poorly designed flyover ramps that were tp connect I-40 to I-240. The flyover from I-40 west was operational connecting to I-240 north. In December , 1989 a tank truck experienced a load shift on this ramp and crashed into a overpass support on the edge of I-240 below. The LP gas escaped the and settled in the intersection below and was at some point ignited and caused a flash fire that engulfed the intersection and the fire came back to the tank truck and launched into the air and landed in a house above the highway on the east side. A young girl play inside her house was killed along with seven or eight people caught in the flash fire below. I think it was Christmas Eve in the afternoon. At some time in the early 2000s the interchange was rebuilt to connect I 40 into a "T" arrangement with I-440 and the north segment that was renamed I-40 around the north perimeter of the city
you should do more cancelled highways (or spurs) videos. for example interchange between i-84 and route 9 by farmington, CT or the cancelled spur of i-95 just outside Boston..
I never thought I’d hear about _Volpe_ outside my Administrative Law class! It’s important beyond relevance to federal infrastructure law. For better or worse, the Court confirmed in the case that almost all agency decisions are subject to judicial review.
If you ever drive to the I-70 part inside of Baltimore, it looks like you're heading for a giant cavern. It gives me Back to the Future Part 3 vibes every time I drive on it.
There is a somewhat similar story from Indianapolis. I-69 was originally slated to continued into downtown Indy but protesters got that stopped, and what's left became Binford Blvd.
Sam Cooper is a major convenience when driving into Memphis. It would've been kind of cool if they had tunneled under Overton Park, but truthfully had they put the interstate across the north side of the park it would've really only effected the zoo. And honestly, the zoo could've been put in a better location for expansion reasons.
We had a similar situation outside of Detroit with I-696 running through the northern suburbs. The western leg and eastern leg were built in the 1960s but it took 25 years to get the sections to connect due to opposition. One of the causes was the freeway was running through a heavily Jewish neighborhood. As a result, three parks were built over the freeway. I mention this now because one of the parks is in early talks to be replaced due to the structure failing causing ice dams on the freeway. I-375 in Downtown Detroit was originally slated to be I-75 but the federal government decided at the last minute not to have an interstate run so close to the Canadian border. The route would have taken current Jefferson Avenue downtown. This is why I-75 currently runs north of Downtown. In the process, the freeway construction destroyed two historic black neighborhoods; Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. There are plans to convert I-375 into a boulevard. As much as I like traveling on highways and interstates, marveling at their feat, knowing their history and evolution of their routing along with what it took is even ore fascinating to me.
There was a cloverleaf at the 40-240 interchange, with the eastbound part blocked off and all traffic forced onto the cloverleaf onto 240. You could see the rest of the interchange going off into the trees. Not all the highway was six lanes, and traffic in Memphis has never really been that good. What is now TN 300 off I-40 was to have connected to a third Mississippi River bridge that was never built, and Hell may freeze over before the I-69 bridge south of town gets built. The 1949 Merchants Bridge, which carries I-55 and US 61/64/70/79 is functionally obsolete and in need of major repair or replacement. (think if US 63, 72 and 78 used it as well).
Actually TN 300 was supposed to be part of the Mud Island expressway, which would have connected to the Hernando de Soto Bridge. That's what the ghost ramps on the end of that bridge are for. I think it may have been planned to extend south to the Crump interchange, hence that interchange's original terrible configuration.
@@jakkew5753 The original plan included a "riverfront freeway" which would have been along the riverside drive corridor. As much as i love the freeways, a riverfront freeway passing by the downtown area would have destroyed the riverfront. There was also a "southern freeway" planned the Southern railroad and one of the overpasses was actually built at southern avenue and Lamar. The freeway was never built.
Looks all too familiar! Back in the 80s I used to deliver home health equipment to various nursing homes throughout the city. Had to go into Arkansas and Mississippi as well. As with most cities, rush hour was rough!😢.
I worked for a lawfirm in Memphis where one of they attorneys argued this at the Supreme Court. He had a large photo of himself doing so. I’m glad the interstate doesn’t go through the park. I’ve metal detected it many times.
the thing that gets me is that they couldn't see that the Memphis zoo, which has been there in overturn park for as long as i can remember (and based on the screenshots of the old maps, was there even when the project was proposed), they couldn't understand that the freeway traffic would've made the animals unnecessarily nervous? i think part of the reasoning for canceling I-40 was based on the argument that the citizens to preserve overturn park was making was a through highway would've probably made the zoo animals nervous. something tells me if the highway was built, the zoo would've had to been moved to the outskirts or even to the Shelby farms, which honestly would've been a better place for it than its current placement because they could have more animals and more exhibits but i guess the city wanted the zoo close to downtown because "muh centralized tourism".
@@leechjim8023 a tunnel under the majority of the city is better, because then you won't have the problems with plowing through minority neighborhoods. hell i would set a tax as president just for building freeway tunnels and bridges, sunken freeways with caps, and removing low traffic count interstates and freeways if i was one, just so bridge and tunnel projects could be done.
You need to watch the WNKO series on Memphis that talks about the history here. It was canceled for environmental reasons by a group of old ladies that sued to have it stopped. It was an unprecedented case and they won. Had they not did that, the U.S. would be more of an environmental wasteland than it is today. And Memphis city limits didn't extend near Shelby Farms like it does today. If you drove the area back then, you'd know why you're totally off the mark. I remember Germantown Road before it was Germantown Parkway. Two lanes, no street lights, no Wolfchase Mall and the useless businesses. Your comment reads like someone that only visited exchanging personal biases for history to seem knowledgeable and interesting. Staphit 🤦🏿♂️
In those days the state and city were looking for the cheapest land possible and both the north loop and the south loop are built in a river bottom and a creek bottom land. The park had a right of way which was an old city "Bus lane".
Nice to see opposition to freeways directly in the middle of cities. It's terrible for neighborhoods, terrible for the environment and creates heavy traffic. The CBX and BQE in NYC are AWFUL, interstates(and national highways) should be mostly used to travel long distances while state highways and normal roads(and public transit) should be used to travel around cities. It creates an overdependency on cars in places where public transit is available and can be used, damaging the environment as well.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PARK LEFT AS THE PARK AS IT HOSTS SOME EVENTS AND MY SON LEARNED HOW TO RIDE A BIKE THERE 20 YEARS AGO....THE PARK SHOULD REMAIN TO STAY AS IT WAS INTENDED....JUST LIKE IT IS...
My only problem is the signing for I-40. While I agree with the north side semi circle being designated as I-40 ( proper) ; the south side known as I -240 is not proper. "2- 40" the two designates that it goes around a city and reconnects to the original main Interstate; which it does, but what it does not do is "go around" . Yes this is due to continued sprawl of suburban development; but even as far back as the early/mid 70's I recall the "240" as having City very well developed on both sides of it. THEREFORE; to be more descriptive of its route and what it serves ( mainly being the Memphis International Airport and the surrounding Industrial zones) the "I-240" should be redesignated as "BR-40" Business Route 40 with the "white outline" shield icon. Now that the I 269 from MM 24A on I 40, which leads south into MS, and around to I-55/ I69 (proposed), but even this is another mislable. Being that the I 269 terminates at I55/I 69 (proposed) and does not have a third bridge over the MS river, with a connecting stretch across AR fields, and back into the I40 system, at about MM 256 in AR. The portion of Interstate that runs west from the I55 /I 69/I269 Interchange which is only about 5 miles long should be signed as I-69SP being that it terminates it's Interstate properties at "old MS304" intersection. All of this is a moot point being that both Federal and State Govenments are essentially bankrupt and cannot afford to make improvements to the Eisenhower System in this area which furthers the car dependent model of suburbia to work/business anyway. In fact; I 55 N/S through Desoto Co. MS is in DIRE need of upgrade to 3 or 4 lane( fourth lane being designated as a "diamond" HOV lane) is being discussed, but not likely to be funded due to National and State DEBT which has crippled any hope of making things better.
The central north/south freeway in Memphis is an extension of I-55 that continues through the midtown interchange onto the north loop which became I-40. The segment between the I-240 on the southside was originally designated I-255. It was changed to I-240 at some point after the I-40 route through the park was canceled.
@@samanthaanne246 The midtown north south part was built in the late 1960s while the north loop was not completed until the mid 1970s. Prior to the north loop being constructed the midtown route was I-255. I-55 from the Crump Blvd interchange to the junction at I-255/ I-240 / I-55 south was completed around 1967. The I-40 bridge over the Mississippi River opened in 1973. I watched them build it. I have no idea why that segment was named I-255, but it was.
@@swinde The history is all good, but that is no reason to not resign the highways to more accurately reflect what they do. None of the Interstate stretches near MEM should be signed as a by pass at all. Because none of it go around MEM
It would have had to have been submitted as a request to the FHWA by TDOT before turning over to municipal management. Which apparently was never considered.
Actually the surface streets throughout Memphis are excellent. I lived there for 40 years and compared to other cities like Nashville, Indianapolis, Birmingham. Memphis has the best. It goes back to "Boss Crump" that made it a priority to build roads in the city. Most surface roads are built well ahead of development and are six lanes.
@@norfolksouthernrailfan2006 Yet it is well needed. Plus, it is sad to see incomplete Interstates. No local opposition the tunnel idea. I sure the Boston tunnels cost a whole lot more..
@@davestewart2067 I am happy to report that construction is underway on the improved interchange. It was supposed to be done in 2017, but people balked at the idea of closing the "old bridge" of I-55 for NINE months. The new plan only closes the bridge for a few weeks. The new construction will feature two "fly over" ramps to connect I-55 directly to the river bridge. Crump Boulevard and Riverside and the "French Fort Neighborhood will be connected via a large Roundabout. I am not sure the roundabout is a good idea, but that is what they will do for now and it will likely open fully by late 2024 or early 2025. The "north loop route" was built in the early 70s and was originally I-240 and was planned as part of the system, but when no suitable solution was found to complete I-40 through midtown, they just changed the numbers on this route to I-40.
at 4:03 , George, look at this kool picture of a freeway that my son drew in school today, thats pretty kool Ben, but what the f*ck is a freeway ??, this is 1797, not 1997, get with the TIMES George !
It makes me so angry that when a major roadway is planned and designed that some small minded Karen gets it stopped. I think thousands of cars a day is more important than someone having a picnic in the park. Lets finish our interstate system as planned.
That literally will NEVER happen now. It wouldn't pass the environmental studies phase. and would cost WAY MORE than the state could spend, and the feds would spend.
What’s amazing here is the fact that the road could have been planned to swing S around Overton. Instead the different fiefdoms argued until it was too late to build. Guessing the 40 alignment used a pre-existing bridge across the Mississippi. What if they had planned a route through the city further south? No park or zoo controversy.
@@davestewart2067 I-55 was the pre-existing bridge...I-40 had a new bridge. I think (if I had to guess) they wanted I-55 on the south side of downtown and I-40 on the north side of downtown. If they'd built I-40 slightly more south than they did, it would've cut through the heart of downtown and this would've cost too much...that's just my guess though.
in tennessee no. generally speaking I-69 will follow U.S. Route 51 to union city, wraping around union city tn in a new bypass, wraping around troy, following U.S. Route 51 southwest to dyersburg, then following U.S. Route 51 south to a stub in memphis, where it continues south to mississippi in mississippi, also no. current design is for I-69 to go past tunica casino resort down there to arkansas where it eventually would go south then west. in fact the majority of I-69 would only be one of two things: 1. I-69 would be build on existing freeway structures that would need only minimum upgrades to be a interstate freeway or 2. it would be built as new freeway. now I-40 yes basically
@@norfolksouthernrailfan2006 oh no if tennessee continues its current funding route, I-69 in tennessee will be to dyersburg tn only for a very long time. sooner or later, private sector investment funding should be utilized, along with I-40, I-65 and I-24, the states 3 major interstates, tolled at each county line you cross, along with creating a split between property taxes: 1. property tax 1: goes to roads, highways, power grid, schools and water/wastewater grid, along with their maintenance and upgrades. 2. property tax 2: goes to luxury services like mass transit, welfare funding, and other such luxuries that lower population counties simply cannot afford on their own.
Interstate 69’s central piece, from Memphis southward, is the section most likely never to be finished. Porky and it duplicates parallel routes that can be, or will be widened instead. I-57 has a greater chance of being completed NE of Jacksonville AR.
@@davestewart2067 to be fair, if tennessee really wanted to, they can fund a build for a new bridge over the mississippi while arkansas supervises, and it can be for I-269. as seen with the bridge repair job, memphis metro does need at least 2 more bridges across the mississippi to help with certain things. its needed for I-269 into west memphis and back around into mississippi. then once arkansas builds their portion of I-69 across to louisiana then it could be renamed I-69 for the south east portion of the loop. they wouldn't have made I-69 if it wasn't for the casino funding the portion to the casino, maybe they can help with funding a bridge? that way mississippi can get a loan out and toll the bridge across to arkansas. besides, mississippi has serious issues with poverty in the state, and for whatever reason people seem to not wanna bother with basic infrastructure.
