Interstate 55 is one of the major north-south transportation corridors in the United States. The I-55 Interchange at E.H. Crump Boulevard and South Riverside Drive in Memphis, Shelby County, is utilized by high volumes of a combination of local commuter and through-traffic, including large volumes of commercial truck traffic. The existing interchange cannot handle the current and projected traffic volumes in the area. The purpose of the proposed project is to improve the I-55 / Crump Boulevard interchange by replacing the existing cloverleaf design with a new configuration that reduces crashes, relieves congestion, and provides route continuity for I-55.

The improvements to the I-55 / Crump Boulevard interchange will be accomplished by constructing new through travel lanes for mainline I-55 traffic, which will eliminate the requirement for interstate traffic to use single-lane, low-speed ramps in order to continue on I-55. A new multi-lane roundabout intersection will be constructed to replace the existing cloverleaf interchange and provide improved access to and from I-55 and existing local roadways.