Yep. Started as a rebuild of the Pississippi portion of US 78. Which was upgraded at that time to Interstate standards for the most part with proper interchanges and signage. If memory serves, Congress did not give clearance for I-22 until somewhere around 2006. Of course Alabama US78 was still in full 1940 standards until Congressional approval, so it is just now being finished.
Me, I am sad to see another motorcycle friendly highway gone the way of the Dodo bird. I hope both states will continue to maintain US 78. Nice ride from Memphis through Tupelo to Birmingham in order to go to Barber Motorcycle Museum and Motorsports park.
Pississippi = Mississippi.
I have no idea how that happened
Ah, thanks for your post. I am familiar with 78 since I traveled it many hours. Did not realize that was the core of the project. BTW, Florence, Alabama is one of the neatest cities in the South. I wanted to retire there, but alas, circumstances did not permit it. I would have taken a few classes of topical interest at U of N. AL in retirement.
Where I-22 passes by Jasper, it passes within 2 miles of where I grew up. At one time, they actually had it running up the same little valley our house was in. It would have ran about 300 yards from the house I grew up in. They ended up slightly east. The City of Jasper was the last section to be planned, mostly because the crooks in Jasper kept trying to make the land deals to control the money made off of interstate access.