Driver guides for I-57 in southern Illinois

Plain steps for the moments southern Illinois drivers call about most: a dead truck in the Shawnee Hills, a derate north of Rend Lake, a blown tire near Anna, or a first call to a provider from the Marion weigh station. This part of I-57 has its own habits. Truck services bunch up at Marion, Ina and Mount Vernon, while the miles from the Mounds exits up through Anna and Goreville are much thinner, with the Trail of Tears rest areas near mile 32 as the main place to pull off. Morning fog sits in the river bottoms and around Rend Lake, freezing rain glazes bridges in winter, and summer heat works on tires, batteries and cooling systems. Two interstate junctions, I-24 near Exit 44 and I-64 at Mount Vernon, mean drivers need to say which road they are on, not just the mile. Each guide below is short enough to read on a phone while you wait.

Quick reference for where to wait, south to north: K & K Auto/Truck Stop near Mounds at the bottom of the state, the Trail of Tears rest areas near mile 32, Marion Truck Plaza at Exits 53-54, West City Shell in Benton off Exit 71, the Rend Lake rest areas near miles 74 and 79, Love's and Lakeview BP at Ina's Exit 83, and the TA and Huck's at Mount Vernon's Exit 95. If a truck can still roll safely, any of these beats a narrow shoulder with traffic blowing past at highway speed.

A word on reading the map here. I-57 exits in Illinois carry the same number as the nearest mile post, so Exit 71 at Benton sits close to mile 71 and Exit 95 at Mount Vernon close to mile 95. That makes a mile number from the cab almost as good as a street address for a provider driving out from Marion. Where it gets tricky is the I-24 split near Exit 44 south of Marion, and the few miles where I-64 shares the road with I-57 around Mount Vernon. In both places, a mechanic needs the road name and your direction as well as the mile, or they may end up on the wrong ramp. Have that ready, then pick the guide that matches what the truck is doing.