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Interstate 40

Intended Construction Along the Interstate

Although thorough planning went into the road system early on, a series of projects were underway that never panned out.

In August 1957, the numbering sequence for the highway was established, along with most of the system. Initially, the eastern end of the roadway was planned to be in the Greensboro, North Carolina area.

However, the Federal Highway Administration later approved the extension of the route to its current ending location. As a result, the last segment of the interstate was not completed until 1990, when the existing road was dedicated to I-40 and renamed.

In 1956, the California state government requested that the California State Route 58 segment between Barstow and Bakersfield be renamed I-40. However, the proposal was rejected. A second request was made in 1968, but it was rejected once again.

In Memphis, the interstate was initially intended to run through the Overton Park section of town, but environmentalists opposed the plans, forcing the government officials to abandon the plans for more than twenty years. Eventually, the northern segment of the Interstate 240 loop was redesignated as I-40 within the state.

Rear-end Collisions:

This type of accident occurs when a vehicle hits the vehicle in front of it on the roadway. There are many reasons why this type of accident takes place, often due to driver error while on the interstate.

Truck Accidents:

Roughly 50% of truck accidents on the interstate take over four hours to clean up. Extensive delays along these narrow roadways make traveling on the interstate even more hazardous.

Motorcycle Accidents:

When a motorcycle accident occurs the results can be severe for a rider. That's because motorcycles & their riders have little protection when involved in an accident with a larger car or truck.

Major Construction Projects

Between 1980 and 1982, I-40 in Knoxville underwent a major construction project, widening several lanes of travel, adding frontage roads, and eliminating several interchanges along the stretch of highway.

In 1992, the urban bypass route was completed in downtown Winston-Salem, which provided a new path through the city. The existing highway was then redesignated as Interstate 40 Business, providing an expressway that ran the entire length of the city.

Between 2000 and 2002, a project was underway on the Big I interchange in Albuquerque. This project removed the left-hand entrance in the area and added more travel lanes. This project received national recognition and was honored by the United States Department of Transportation for excellence in urban highway design. Between May 2002 and October 20112, the Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway was entirely relocated and replaced by Oklahoma City Boulevard.

Between May 2008 and June 2009, a major two-phase project called the "SmartFix 40" went underway in the Knoxville area. This project made several improvements to the roadway and earned America's Transportation Award in 2008 and 2010 from AASHTO.

Construction Begins

In 1956, planning for I-40 was established in the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The first stretch of I-40 was renamed in the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Transportation officials reused a short segment of the freeway in the Knoxville area, called the Magnolia Avenue Expressway, which opened in 1952 and 1955 after officials implemented a name change to redesignate the stretch of roadway as I-40. The route between Memphis and Nashville became the first major stretch of I-40, completed in July 1966. By 1975, the highway was extended east of Knoxville and open for traffic.

As major projects were heavily underway in Tennessee, the North Carolina State Highway Commission approved the extension of I-40 from the Research Triangle Park to Interstate 95 in 1971. Although most of the highway was four lanes wide, the Raleigh area maintained six lanes of travel through Beltline. Construction continued just north of Smithfield on the road. In 1990, the final stretch of the highway was finished between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Raleigh after the highway commission rededicated the existing road.

States Along Interstate 40

The entire length of Interstate 40 measures just over 2,556 miles, making it the third-longest interstate highway system in the United States. The roadway passes through eight states across the southern half of the country. These states include:

California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Tennessee
North Carolina

The highway provides access to major cities across the country, enabling motorists to easily travel to several major interstate highway systems that intersect I-40 along the route.

Interstate 40 in California

In California, I-40 runs a total of 155 miles in length. The western end of I-40 is located in Barstow, California, where it is known as the Needles Freeway. From Barstow, I-40 continues across the Mojave Desert in the San Bernardino County area. It passes through Needles, California, before crossing the state line into Arizona southwest of Kingman. At this point, travelers can continue on I-40 or turn west to travel to Las Vegas.

Interstate 40 in Arizona

In the state of Arizona, I-40 runs a total of 359 miles in length. I-40 plays a role as the main route on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Several exits along the interstate lead to the Grand Canyon National Park in Williams and Flagstaff, Arizona. Just west of Flagstaff, Interstate 40 crosses over the highest elevation point, coming in at around 7320 feet. Interstate 40 continues through the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the United States. The highway splits into four lanes while traveling through the entire state of Arizona. The interstate then exits Arizona and impasses to the state line into New Mexico.

Interstate 40 in New Mexico

In New Mexico, I-40 runs a total of 374 miles in length. From the border of Arizona, I-40 continues through several notable cities along the route. Some of these towns include:

Gallup
Grants
Albuquerque
Santa Rosa
Tucumcari

I-40 passes through several Indian reservations along the western end of the state. While in New Mexico, I 40 passes its highest elevation point, at around 7275 feet, while crossing the Continental Divide, in the area between Gallup and Grants. Interstate 40 then leaves New Mexico and enters Texas.

Interstate 40 in Texas

In Texas, I-40 runs a total of 177.1 miles in length. I-40 crosses into the state near the Texas Panhandle area. From this location, I-40 passes several ranch roads directly connecting to the interstate. Along its route in Texas, the only major city that I-40 passes through is Amarillo. in Amarillo, I-40 provides a direct way to the Rick Hubbard Amarillo International Airport. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Interstate 40 connects with US Highway 287. Interstate 40 then continues forward just north of Dumas's and then into the state of Oklahoma.

Interstate 40 in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, I-40 runs a total of 331 miles in length. The interstate highway passes through the heart of Oklahoma. While running east to west through Oklahoma, I 40 passes through multiple cities in the Oklahoma City area. These include:

Erick
Sayre
Elk City
Clinton
Weatherford
El Reno
Yukon
Oklahoma City
Del City
Midwest City
Shawnee
Okemah
Henryetta
Checotah
Sallisaw
Roland

While traveling through downtown Oklahoma City, I 40 was rerouted just one mile south. The former Interstate 40 crosstown bridge was then replaced with a 10-lane facility near Oklahoma City Boulevard, providing five eastbound traffic lanes and five westbound traffic. I 40 then continues across the Oklahoma state line into Arkansas.

Interstate 40 in Arkansas

In Arkansas, I-40 runs a total of 285 miles in length. While in Arkansas, Interstate 40 passes through several major areas in the state. I-40 enters Arkansas at the west-central part of the state and continues through the intersection of Interstate 540 for Fort Smith. I-40 continues east to Alma and runs through the Ozark Mountains. After the city of Conway, I 40 turns south and enters North Little Rock. This shift significantly changes the volume of traffic along Interstate 430 and the Interstate 440 Highway. I 40 then continues through the cities of Lonoke, Brinkley, and West Memphis, where it briefly overlaps with Interstate 55 before crossing over the Mississippi River along the Hernando DeSoto bridge.

Interstate 40 in Tennessee

In Tennessee, I-40 runs a total of 455 miles in length. Tennessee has the largest interstate segment within any of the crossing states' borders. In Tennessee, the interstate runs through all three Grand Divisions of Tennessee. It runs through the three largest cities in the state, Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, while providing a pathway for traffic to several other major towns, including:

Lebanon
Jackson
Cookeville
Newport
Crossville

I-40 leaves Tennessee at the Great Smoky Mountains before entering North Carolina.

Interstate 40 in North Carolina

In North Carolina, I-40 runs a total of 420 miles in length. Upon entering North Carolina, I-40 is known as a winding mountain freeway that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains. The interstate enters the state while mainly traveling at a north-to-south alignment. Once the road merges with US Highway 74, it shifts to an east-west alignment. The highway continues through several major towns, including:

Asheville
Hickory
Statesville

The roadway then approaches the Piedmont Triad before continuing east toward Greensboro, North Carolina. In this area, the road merges with Interstate 85. It then split near the Research Triangle area before passing through Durhan and Raleigh. The eastern end of the roadway finalizes in the Wilmington area.

Major Junctions Along Interstate 40

There are several significant junctions along Interstate 40 in seven of the states that the interstate highway passes through. These include:

California

Interstate 15 in the Barstow area

New Mexico

Interstate 25 in the Albuquerque area

Texas

Interstate 27 in the Amarillo area

Oklahoma

Interstate 35 in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area

Arkansas

Interstate 30 in North Little Rock
Interstate 55 in West Memphis

Tennessee

Interstate 69 in Memphis
Interstate 65/Interstate 24 in Nashville
Interstate 75 between Farragut and Knoxville

North Carolina

Interstate 85 in Hillsborough

Major Cities Along Interstate 40

I-40 provides access to major cities in several states along its path. These include:

Amarillo, TX
Flagstaff, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Amarillo, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Little Rock, AR
Memphis, TN
Nashville, TN
Knoxville, TN
Winston-Salem, NC
Greensboro, NC
Durham, NC
Raleigh, NC

Although I-40 is a reliable route for transportation across the nation, there are several trouble areas along the road.

Dangers of I-40

In North Carolina, the stretch of I-40 that runs through the mountain region is particularly dangerous. The area is frequently closed due to landslides and inclement weather conditions.

The Pigeon River Gorge area along the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina is particularly dangerous. This area is prone to landslides, which can make it extremely difficult to navigate the area. There are several winding roads along the steep mountains, which can be dangerous during bad weather. Unsurprisingly, Tennessee ranks I-40 as one of the most dangerous roadways in the country, with a fatality rate of 0.7.

Why is I-40 So Dangerous?

Year after year, I-40 continually ranks as one of the deadliest roadways in the country. Several factors contribute to the dangers of the interstate highway system.

One of the most dangerous aspects of driving on the interstate is the weather. I-40 is located in many rural areas along the route, where the weather can be unpredictable. This can lead to dangerous driving conditions, such as ice and snow on the road.

In major cities, I-40 can be very congested, especially during rush hour. This can make it difficult for drivers to maintain a safe distance from other cars. Also, if there is an accident, it can cause a massive traffic jam.

Year after year, I-40 is ranked as the deadliest road in the state of North Carolina as well. Over a ten-year period, more than 515 fatalities were reported on the interstate within the state's borders.

Interstate highways can be dangerous for several reasons. One of the most dangerous aspects of I-40 is its winding design, particularly in the Tennessee area. These twisting, turning roads can be challenging to navigate, even for experienced drivers. They can also be treacherous in bad weather conditions, such as high winds or ice. Navigating the hills and windy roads can be extremely challenging, especially in inclement weather.

Taking Action to Stay Safe

I-40 is one of the busiest highways in the United States. Every day, millions of people travel on I-40 to get to their destination. While I-40 is a great way to get around, it can also be dangerous if you are not careful. You can do several things to stay safe while navigating the interstate. These include:

Limit distractions: This includes anything that takes your attention away from the road, such as talking on the phone, texting, or eating.
Maintain a safe distance from other cars: This gives you more time to react if someone cuts you off or if there is an accident ahead.
Do not speed: Speeding increases the chances of an accident. Obey the posted speed limits and drive at a speed that is comfortable for you.
Slow down in bad weather: Slow down and allow for extra space between you and other vehicles. Braking distances increase on slippery roads, so giving yourself plenty of time to stop is important.
Remain alert: Fatigue can lead to accidents. If you feel tired, take a break and rest before continuing your journey.
Drive defensively: This means always being prepared for the worst-case scenario and not taking unnecessary risks.
Check the weather conditions before your journey: If the forecast calls for snow or ice, consider postponing your trip or taking another route.
Do not drive while impaired: This includes not only alcohol but also medications that can make you drowsy.
Stay alert and be prepared for changing conditions: Pay attention to the road and be ready to adjust your driving if necessary.

To safely navigate the interstate, you must become familiar with the roadway before entering. Be sure to check the weather, track current road conditions, and take various other precautions to ensure you can get to your destination safely and on time.

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Interstate 40 Injury Accident FAQ

Interstate 40 is a major east-west highway in the United States, with most of its length crossing through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. The highway crosses through Arkansas and Oklahoma, connecting the cities of Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Fort Smith. It spans a total of 2,559 miles. It is also one of the most accident-ridden routes, with over 9,000 car accidents happening every year.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Interstate 40 Injury Accidents?

There are a lot of things that can cause an interstate 40 injury accident. But some of the most common causes are:

Speeding
Tailgating
Drunk driving
Speeding
Inexperience
Road rage
Distracted driving

Why Do I Need a Lawyer After My Interstate 40 Accident?

Interstate 40 accidents can be very serious and can result in a variety of injuries. If you are injured in an interstate accident, it is important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible.

If you were involved in an interstate accident, your rights may be affected. A lawyer can help you figure out what steps to take next based on your unique situation. In some cases, you may be able to file a claim with the other party’s insurance company. A lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and what you can do to maximize your recovery.

A lawyer can help you to understand your rights and options following an interstate accident. They can also help you to negotiate settlements with the other party involved in your accident.