Interstate 57 is an east-west transcontinental Interstate Highway that spans through the Midwestern United States. Starting at the junction with Interstate 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, and ending at the border with Illinois near Waltonville, it covers a total length of approximately 403 miles (648 kilometers). The highway serves as a major transportation route connecting cities such as St. Louis, Effingham, Champaign-Urbana, Kankakee, and Joliet in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It is part of the National Highway System, ensuring its significance in terms of national defense, emergency response, energy supply, and economic efficiency. The route also offers access to other important transportation networks like Interstates 70, 72, 80, and 94. Construction on I-57 began in the mid-1950s as part of the larger Interstate Highway System.