Interstate 44
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 633.79 mi (1,019.99 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: |
   US 277 / US 281 / US 287 in Wichita Falls, TX
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 I‑40 in Oklahoma City, OK I‑35 in Oklahoma City, OK  I-49 / US 71 near Joplin, MO  I-55 / I-64 in St. Louis, MO
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| East end: |
 I-70 in St. Louis, MO
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| Location | |
| States: | Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Nominally an east-west road as it has an even number, it follows a more southwest-northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with U.S. Route 277 (US 277), US 281, and U.S. Route 287 in Texas; its eastern terminus is at I-70 in St. Louis, Missouri. I-44 is one of five interstates built to bypass U.S. Route 66; this highway covers the section between Oklahoma City and St. Louis.
Virtually the entire length of I-44 east of Springfield, Missouri was once US 66, which was upgraded from two to four lanes from 1949 to 1955. The section of I-44 west of Springfield was built farther south than US 66 in order to connect Missouri's section with the already completed Will Rogers Turnpike, which Oklahoma wished to carry their part of I-44.
In the U.S. state of Texas, I-44 has a short, but regionally important, 14.77 miles (23.77 km) stretch, connecting Wichita Falls with Oklahoma. The route runs almost due north to the Texas–Oklahoma state line at the Red River. In Wichita Falls, I-44 runs concurrent with US 277, US 281, and US 287, and is known locally as the "Central Freeway". I-44 provides access to downtown Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base.
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Wikipedia