IL HR0891

Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) maintains over 2,248 miles of interstate highways, with Interstate 57 being the longest at 359 miles (94% of the 381-mile total length in the United States).

Interstate 57 southbound directional signs currently point to Memphis, Tennessee, but the highway does not reach Memphis—traffic must travel 22 miles into Missouri, then switch to Interstate 55 and drive an additional 138 miles through Missouri and Arkansas to reach Memphis.

Interstate 57 passes through Illinois cities including Champaign-Urbana (home to the University of Illinois) and Cairo (located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers), which are more accessible and notable destinations than Memphis.

House urges IDOT to change Interstate 57's southbound directional signage to point to an Illinois city or town actually located on Interstate 57, based on a "truth in signage" principle.

Requests IDOT negotiate with the federal Department of Transportation if necessary and apply the same truth-in-signage principle to other Illinois interstate highways.