9 replies to this topic

[RemusCal]

Ok...Here Goes...

Every morning driving from Fayetteville to Rogers there are several times we have to literally stop on I-540.  Almost every morning there is a wreck.  Or there are road crews on the side of the road.  It is really getting ridiculous.  I want to see them start work on this right now.  I think they have already done the study on I-540.  I don't understand why they can't start construction now and pay for it later.  It will take 2 or 3 years before the interstate can be widened to 3 or 4 lanes in each direction.  I say they hire road crews from other big cities and pay them well and they can work night and day until it is finished promptly.  I really do want to see something done about I-540.  There are people dying every week because of the awful traffic on the interstate.

[Aporkalypse]

RemusCal, on Nov 30 2005, 09:14 PM, said:

Ok...Here Goes...

Every morning driving from Fayetteville to Rogers there are several times we have to literally stop on I-540.  Almost every morning there is a wreck.  Or there are road crews on the side of the road.  It is really getting ridiculous.  I want to see them start work on this right now.  I think they have already done the study on I-540.  I don't understand why they can't start construction now and pay for it later.  It will take 2 or 3 years before the interstate can be widened to 3 or 4 lanes in each direction.  I say they hire road crews from other big cities and pay them well and they can work night and day until it is finished promptly.  I really do want to see something done about I-540.  There are people dying every week because of the awful traffic on the interstate.

I don't think it's nearly as bad as I-630 or the 630/430 interchange in LR but it's not good. Traffic counts there are twice the peak of 540 but there are 6 lanes instead of 4. I think it will be easier to do now than later when closing a lane temporarily will be a real problem and everyone knows it needs to be done.  I guess the issue is funding right now.  To me, this is a much higher priority than the whole I-49 corridor or Bella Vista bypass and it would be my next big Arkansas project.

[mcheiss]

RemusCal, on Nov 30 2005, 09:14 PM, said:

Ok...Here Goes...

Every morning driving from Fayetteville to Rogers there are several times we have to literally stop on I-540.  Almost every morning there is a wreck.  Or there are road crews on the side of the road.  It is really getting ridiculous.  I want to see them start work on this right now.  I think they have already done the study on I-540.  I don't understand why they can't start construction now and pay for it later.  It will take 2 or 3 years before the interstate can be widened to 3 or 4 lanes in each direction.  I say they hire road crews from other big cities and pay them well and they can work night and day until it is finished promptly.  I really do want to see something done about I-540.  There are people dying every week because of the awful traffic on the interstate.

I avoid I-540, it's too bad for me to even attempt in the mornings. I do think that it should be widend immediately, however, it would take years for the highway department to complete the infastructure necessary to widen an Interstate. An then once Construction starts, your drive will be even slower.

But I-540 isn't the worst in the state, I know that I-40 between Conway and Little Rock is pretty bad. If anything that should be widend before I-540.

[Mith242]

I think this also gets into the issue of the road bonds I've been hearing about.  I'm sure we'll all hear more about it as it comes up in the next election.  I haven't studied the whole thing closely, but basically they want to be able to reissuing bonds that are now existing without it having to go to a vote.  I'm not sure if theis has become a huge deal in the rest of the state but I know it's been focused on a lot in northwest Arkansas.  So if a bond finally gets paid off the commision can simply reapply it to another project.  I thinhk this is another thing that Arkansas is going to have to look more into.  Instead of the current attitude of most of the road projects need to be paid up front with money we have at the moment.  I-540 is bad, I can't really compare it to other parts of the state because I don't travel on those areas of road on a regular basis.  But hopefully they will seriously start looking inot it now.  Now wait several more years to decide hey we need to do something one of these days.  Even if they started now it's going to take a while for this to be done.  I've almost thought of starting a topic with people labeling which projects they thought needed to be done first in order.  I'm not sure if I'd consider widening I-540 above the Bella Vista bypass or the Springdale 412 bypass.  I think all of those are needed to be done as soon as possible.

[bigboyz05]

Aporkalypse, on Nov 30 2005, 10:58 PM, said:

I don't think it's nearly as bad as I-630 or the 630/430 interchange in LR but it's not good. Traffic counts there are twice the peak of 540 but there are 6 lanes instead of 4. I think it will be easier to do now than later when closing a lane temporarily will be a real problem and everyone knows it needs to be done.  I guess the issue is funding right now.  To me, this is a much higher priority than the whole I-49 corridor or Bella Vista bypass and it would be my next big Arkansas project.

I know what you mean about I-630. I lived in L.R. back in 1992 and 630 would be backed up from downtown almost all the way out to the Chenal Parkway. Since L.R. has grown so much since then, I can't imagine what the traffic is like now.

[mcheiss]

Wait.. I thought we were talking about NWA here .

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Dec 9 2005, 01:54 PM, said:

Wait.. I thought we were talking about NWA here .

Now now Matt, I'm sure we've gotten on NWA tangents in other topics referring more to central Arkansas and such.  I noticed also but didn't think I should complain because I'm sure I've done it before.  

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Dec 9 2005, 02:00 PM, said:

Now now Matt, I'm sure we've gotten on NWA tangents in other topics referring more to central Arkansas and such.  I noticed also but didn't think I should complain because I'm sure I've done it before.  

I'm Kidding  

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Dec 9 2005, 01:54 PM, said:

Wait.. I thought we were talking about NWA here .

Sorry.

Do you want to talk about McDonald's, Taco Bueno, or Quizno's?

[mcheiss]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 9 2005, 04:13 PM, said:

Sorry.

Do you want to talk about McDonald's, Taco Bueno, or Quizno's?

Yes