Interstate 64, Interstate highway in Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia
Interstate 64 is a long-distance highway in the mid-eastern United States, running 963 miles (1,550 km) from Wentzville, Missouri to Chesapeake, Virginia. It passes through urban centers such as St. Louis, Louisville, and Richmond, as well as rural regions across Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Construction of this highway began in 1957 in Cabell County, West Virginia, with the first segment opening in 1960 between US Route 60 and Ona. The complete connection through all four states was completed gradually over several decades.
The naming after Cecil H. Underwood honors a former West Virginia governor, with signs bearing his name appearing along the route. Additional markers recognize nurses who served in the military, particularly on the segment through Charleston.
Emergency truck escape ramps at Sandstone Mountain help drivers of heavy vehicles on a steep seven percent downgrade that requires extra attention. Motorists should watch for changing road conditions and weather in the mountainous terrain of West Virginia.
This road crosses the Kanawha River four times and the New River once, requiring extensive engineering work for bridge construction and maintenance. The multiple river crossings over a short distance are uncommon for a highway of this type.
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