I-49 One Step Closer to Being Realized

[Mith242]

That was my reaction... I'm pretty sure we have them all over Arkansas.....unless I'm totally confused on the topic...which may be the case..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe I just haven't been around the right areas of the state but I have rarely seen open access divided four lane highways in Arkansas. The only example I can think of is Some of Hwy 412 in northwest Arkansas. Now I'm not talking about closed access as in interstates or expressways. Almost all the four lanes roads I have seen are not divided. Now like I said this isn't including interstates and such that have overpasses and exit ramps and so on. Perhaps I just haven't been to the right areas of the state to see this.

[Arkansawyer]

They may re-sign it to I-49, but that road has existed for years as a freeway--Hwy 90--through Houma, Morgan City, and New Iberia.  In New Orleans, it's called the WestBank Expressway.  And it certainly won't be used as a route connecting New Orleans to Arkansas, unless you want to go 100 miles out of your way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No need to be miffed, but Mith asked if I-49 would extend to New Orleans, and if US 90 is upgraded to meet the status of an interstate highway, then it will. As you pointed out, it will not be a new route, and would not be the route taken from I-49 out of Arkansas. Coming from Little Rock, the best route is probably to take I-55 South from Jackson, MS.

[Mith242]

No need to be miffed, but Mith asked if I-49 would extend to New Orleans, and if US 90 is upgraded to meet the status of an interstate highway, then it will. As you pointed out, it will not be a new route, and would not be the route taken from I-49 out of Arkansas. Coming from Little Rock, the best route is probably to take I-55 South from Jackson, MS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

After I finally looked at an atlas I saw what he meant. There is a Hwy 90 that extends past I-10 that seems almost and extension of I-49. But it also takes a very roundabout route over towards New Orleans. You'd be better off just getting onto I-10 and heading towards New Orleans on it. So unless you wanted to do something trivial like resign that section of I-10 to I-10/I-49 there's not really any need to extend I-49 towards New Orleans. Now maybe if you wanted to head another direction, then again you're already pretty far south. Any other major area you wanted to go you'd probably be better off just getting on I-10 from that point on.

[sleepy]

[Mith242]

Yeah, I-10's a major interstate--it connects Florida, Texas, and California.

If you're coming from Arkansas down I-49, you still wouldn't go all the way south to Lafayette to get on I-10 if you were going to New Orleans.  You'd get off on Hwy 169 at Opelousas which is a four lane expressway all the way to Baton Rouge where it connects to I-10.  It would be about 30 or 40 miles nearer.

That southern section of I-49/Hwy 90 is basically to connect Lafayette with New Iberia, Morgan City, and Houma.  If you were going from Lafayette to New Orleans you would take I-10.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess I was looking at it more of a perspective of if I-49 could potentially become a major interstate or if it will remain just a interstate in this particular area of the country. It's easier to say something like it extends from New Orleans to Kansas City (okay one day in the future).

[NCB]

Just giving you guys an update; construction is about to start on I-49 from Lafayette to New Orleans.

I am hoping it would also help to relieve the traffic in Baton Rouge from everyone going to New Orleans and further westward, it would allow people coming west on I-10 to contunue on through Baton Rouge to New Orleans or get onto I-12 and skip N.O., and people coming south on I-49 to continue down through Lafayette and through Houma towards New Orleans instead of going through B.R. Anyone who travels on I-49 or I-10 frequently knows BR rush hour+heavy traffic on I-10 means little or no movement for a long time... so the new area of I-49 would allow for much of the traffic on I-10 from Lafayette to N.O. to clear up. I-49 is supposed to either connect directly to I-10 near the north side of downtown N.O. near the superdome, or connect to I-610 allowing for less traffic along I-10 in downtown New Orleans.

But....Louisiana doesnt seem to be working on I-49 from Shreveport to Texarkana, I drove up HW 71 recently to visit some family near Texarkana, and nothing is really happening on the LA side. Once you get across the border however, AR is really working on it and the construction came down to Fouke. I cant see Louisiana having I-49 going from New Orleans and just stopping in Shreveport, espesially if it is completed on the AR side..

[Mith242]

Just giving you guys an update; construction is about to start on I-49 from Lafayette to New Orleans.

I am hoping it would also help to relieve the traffic in Baton Rouge from everyone going to New Orleans and further westward, it would allow people coming west on I-10 to contunue on through Baton Rouge to New Orleans or get onto I-12 and skip N.O., and people coming south on I-49 to continue down through Lafayette and through Houma towards New Orleans instead of going through B.R. Anyone who travels on I-49 or I-10 frequently knows BR rush hour+heavy traffic on I-10 means little or no movement for a long time... so the new area of I-49 would allow for much of the traffic on I-10 from Lafayette to N.O. to clear up.   I-49 is supposed to either connect directly to I-10 near the north side of downtown N.O. near the superdome, or connect to I-610 allowing for less traffic along I-10 in downtown New Orleans.

But....Louisiana doesnt seem to be working on I-49 from Shreveport to Texarkana, I drove up HW 71 recently to visit some family near Texarkana, and nothing is really happening on the LA side. Once you get across the border however, AR is really working on it and the construction came down to Fouke. I cant see Louisiana having I-49 going from New Orleans and just stopping in Shreveport, espesially if it is completed on the AR side..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the update NCB. Hearing about the traffic problems also provides a reason as to why you'd continue I-49 to New Orleans even if it doesn't look to be the most direct route. I'd think Louisiana will eventually work on the section between Shreveport and the border.

[NCB]

GOOD NEWS!

Louisiana was just granted $200 million by congress under the highway bill...and the first thing on the list is to complete I-49 from Shreveport to Arkansas..some of the money will also be used for I-49 south(most of the funding for I-49 south is already complete)

So it seems I-49 is one step closer to being complete in Louisiana....finally

[Mith242]

Great, so sometime in the near future I-49 will pretty much be finished in Lousiana going from New Orleans to the border near Texarkana. I guess the next big hurdle will be getting it done between Texarkana to Ft Smith, through the Ouachita Mtns. Sounds like there are plans set to eventually get the last small section in northwest Arkansas done. Also sounds like there are plans for I-540 (the eventual I-49 when it gets up here) to connect to I-44 or get pretty close to it. Possibly even getting it connected to Kansas City.

[Mith242]

As far as the big highway bill that was passed in the house I have learned that $37 Mil is earmarked for I-540/'I-49' around Bella Vista. I haven't seen where all the money is going throughout the state. But as far as northwest Arkansas is concerned that is the biggest share of the money for road projects up here.

[Aporkalypse]

Great, so sometime in the near future I-49 will pretty much be finished in Lousiana going from New Orleans to the border near Texarkana.  I guess the next big hurdle will be getting it done between Texarkana to Ft Smith, through the Ouachita Mtns.  Sounds like there are plans set to eventually get the last small section in northwest Arkansas done.  Also sounds like there are plans for I-540 (the eventual I-49 when it gets up here) to connect to I-44 or get pretty close to it.  Possibly even getting it connected to Kansas City.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The I-49 corridor supposedly will replace US 71 which runs all the way to KC already. Only a short portion near the AR border hasn't already been converted to quality 4-lane highway but unlike the construction of 4-lane U.S. Highways running from LR to Pine Bluff (now I-530) and LR to Newport (US 67/167), this road was not made "interstate ready" meaning it has roads cross it without true exits. It's also pretty desolate until you reach KC. I'm not sure that Missouri is too excited about forking up the dough to convert it right after they spent quite a bit to finish out converting it to 4 lanes.

As for Arkansas, it will be very expensive to go through these mountains and really won't connect any important communities other than Ft Smith and allowing Texarkanans to get to Fayetteville for games. The river bridge in Ft Smith alone will cost $100 million. The cost to build the whole section in AR is projected to be $25,000 for every taxpayer in Arkansas. A lot of thought has gone into making this a toll road and it's really not a bad idea if they really end up building it. For a while there was consideration given to making the last piece of loop left around LR (which is fully federally funded) into a toll road to help pay for I-49 but this had central Arkansans up in arms as most of them will never use I-49.

Hey, I live in Dallas and go to Razorback games often so I'm all for it, there are just a ton of obstacles.

[Mith242]

The I-49 corridor supposedly will replace US 71 which runs all the way to KC already.  Only a short portion near the AR border hasn't already been converted to quality 4-lane highway but unlike the construction of 4-lane U.S. Highways running from LR to Pine Bluff (now I-530) and LR to Newport (US 67/167), this road was not made "interstate ready" meaning it has roads cross it without true exits.  It's also pretty desolate until you reach KC.  I'm not sure that Missouri is too excited about forking up the dough to convert it right after they spent quite a bit to finish out converting it to 4 lanes.

As for Arkansas, it will be very expensive to go through these mountains and really won't connect any important communities other than Ft Smith and allowing Texarkanans to get to Fayetteville for games.  The river bridge in Ft Smith alone will cost $100 million.  The cost to build the whole section in AR is projected to be $25,000 for every taxpayer in Arkansas.  A lot of thought has gone into making this a toll road and it's really not a bad idea if they really end up building it.  For a while there was consideration given to making the last piece of loop left around LR (which is fully federally funded) into a toll road to help pay for I-49 but this had central Arkansans up in arms as most of them will never use I-49.

Hey, I live in Dallas and go to Razorback games often so I'm all for it, there are just a ton of obstacles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do see your point about it going through many sizeable cities. I also didn't realize Missouri had built it as an 'open' instead of 'closed' interstate road. But Arkansas wouldn't have to build a bridge over the Arkansas River at Ft Smith. I-540/I-49 already exists and has already gone over the river connecting to I-40 for a while before it heads north again near Alma. It sounds like the section around Bella Vista near the Missouri border will probably end up a toll road. But I'm pretty sure it's to pay for that particular section of road itself, not pay for any future sections of I-49. I also don't see them making the section of I-49 through the Ouachitas a toll road because I'm not sure if there would be enough traffic, at least for a while, to pay much of anything off. But yes the biggest obstacle is still left between Texarkana to Ft Smith through the Ouachitas. I-540 through the Ozarks cost a lot of money because of the rough terrain. The Ouachitas may not be as bad but it's still not going to come cheap through there either.

[Aporkalypse]

I do see your point about it going through many sizeable cities.  I also didn't realize Missouri had built it as an 'open' instead of 'closed' interstate road.  But Arkansas wouldn't have to build a bridge over the Arkansas River at Ft Smith.  I-540/I-49 already exists and has already gone over the river connecting to I-40 for a while before it heads north again near Alma.  It sounds like the section around Bella Vista near the Missouri border will probably end up a toll road.  But I'm pretty sure it's to pay for that particular section of road itself, not pay for any future sections of I-49.  I also don't see them making the section of I-49 through the Ouachitas a toll road because I'm not sure if there would be enough traffic, at least for a while, to pay much of anything off.  But yes the biggest obstacle is still left between Texarkana to Ft Smith through the Ouachitas.  I-540 through the Ozarks cost a lot of money because of the rough terrain.  The Ouachitas may not be as bad but it's still not going to come cheap through there either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Take a trip up to KC sometime, it's an easy 3 hr drive from NWA and it's great town to visit if you've never been there. It's 4 lane divided for all but the first county north of AR (McDonald Co). The talk is of making all of the stretch from Texarkana to Ft Smith a toll road though counts as you said will be low (which also is an argument not to build it as it is so cost prohibitive). Terrain is rough but not as rough as the Ozarks, I guess, but it has to go much further. Missouri's contribution is only for the Bella Vista part, which I think AR should ante up for and keep from being a toll road. I don't see any of us paying a toll to bypass that short, and very scenic, segment.

[vbfl85]

The Arkansas Highway Commission has apporved the Bella Vista Bypass to become a toll road. They said with a toll of $1.50 it could pay for the $211 million, 15 mile road. They said the first bond could be sold as soon as January and construction could be finished by 2010.

Toll Road Approved

[strmchsr77]

The Arkansas Highway Commission has apporved the Bella Vista Bypass to become a toll road. They said with a toll of $1.50 it could pay for the $211 million, 15 mile road. They said the first bond could be sold as soon as January and construction could be finished by 2010.

Toll Road Approved

Thanks for the update vbfl85, I wish they could have gotten this started years ago. At least it seems like it is going to become a reality finally.

[tim2462]

A lot of people are thinking 540 through Fort Smith is going to be used for I-49. However, this is not going to be the case. They are buiding a new section of freeway on the eastern side of Fort Smith to carry I-49.

A new bridge will be built across the AR River, south of Alma. They said that there is already a lot of traffic going through Fort Smith and that putting I-49 directly through the city would create traffic nightmares.

[masons_dad1]

A lot of people are thinking 540 through Fort Smith is going to be used for I-49. However, this is not going to be the case. They are buiding a new section of freeway on the eastern side of Fort Smith to carry I-49.

A new bridge will be built across the AR River, south of Alma. They said that there is already a lot of traffic going through Fort Smith and that putting I-49 directly through the city would create traffic nightmares.

That sounds like a good idea... the stretch of I-49 through Fort Smith will become I-549 or something of that nature. Somewhat like how I-540 is a branch of I-40.

[Mith242]

A lot of people are thinking 540 through Fort Smith is going to be used for I-49. However, this is not going to be the case. They are buiding a new section of freeway on the eastern side of Fort Smith to carry I-49.

A new bridge will be built across the AR River, south of Alma. They said that there is already a lot of traffic going through Fort Smith and that putting I-49 directly through the city would create traffic nightmares.

Yeah I've heard that. But that and especially the bridge is really going to make getting the rest of I-49 done very expensive project. It seems to me that it just makes it more likely that it will take even longer to ever get I-49 done in Arkansas. I'd have to think that if this is the case then you'd have to include the western bypass idea for NWA. How is traffic going to be so much worse at Ft Smith than NWA. There's a lot more population up here. It just seems to me that with that logic you'd also have to do something similar up here because of the existing traffic on I-540.

[vbfl85]

At least the Bella Vista Bypass and the work in the Texarkana area will be finished so the spotlight can turn solely on the section in western Arkansas between i40 and i30.

As far as the western bypass is concerned, i think it can wait, they need to complete the primary route through the whole state before they think about alternative routes.

Im also surprised they decided to make i49 a toll road around Bella Vista. Do you guys think the toll will be lifted once the road is paid off?

[Mith242]

Im also surprised they decided to make i49 a toll road around Bella Vista. Do you guys think the toll will be lifted once the road is paid off?

I think that's a big question there. I've heard of other toll roads where even after they had paid it off the went ahead and kept the toll anyway. Not sure how often that happens. I'm not too surprised about the bypass around Bella Vista being a bypass. To get the road projects done anytime in the near future will probably have to go this route. Otherwise everyone will have to wait decades like I-540. I imagine the same thing will end up happening with the Hwy 412 bypass as well. Maybe there will be a part of it that's not but I expect at least some of it to end up being a toll road.

[vbfl85]

Yes, I think only time will tell however the way NWA is growing they will need as much toll money as they can get. I think NWA could add an increase in sales tax to complete some of these projects in a more timely manner. If NLR can raise $30 million for a baseball stadium in 2 years(?) then Benton and Washington Counties can raise enough to build some of these $400 million projects in, i dont know.... 4 years, maybe less. And unlike the baseball stadium more people would benefit form the results.

What really surprised me from the article was that the helena bridge was once a toll bridge, i couldnt see people in that area paying to cross the river. Then again the economy there was much better in the 70s than it is now.

[itk]

Im also surprised they decided to make i49 a toll road around Bella Vista. Do you guys think the toll will be lifted once the road is paid off?

Hmm... good question. I'm not aware of any toll major highways/freeways that were "un-tolled" in recent years, though I'm sure that's happened before in the US freeway system.

To be honest, the 2010 projection is pretty optimistic... I would bet 2011-2012 or thereabouts (or 'whenabouts' I suppose).

And the toll revenue, to my understanding (I wasn't involved in it, though I did read the study today but it's so long I just skimmed the financial aspects of it), would only help cover a part of the projected $210 million cost, not all of it. It already has some federal funds dedicated to it after all.

Plus, just to be clear since the news articles I've read today weren't, the toll section of the Bella Vista Bypass will in the Arkansas section only, not in Missouri.

[masons_dad1]

Yes, I think only time will tell however the way NWA is growing they will need as much toll money as they can get. I think NWA could add an increase in sales tax to complete some of these projects in a more timely manner. If NLR can raise $30 million for a baseball stadium in 2 years(?) then Benton and Washington Counties can raise enough to build some of these $400 million projects in, i dont know.... 4 years, maybe less. And unlike the baseball stadium more people would benefit form the results.

What really surprised me from the article was that the helena bridge was once a toll bridge, i couldnt see people in that area paying to cross the river. Then again the economy there was much better in the 70s than it is now.

We're already paying 9% sales tax for everything including groceries up here and it's just barely getting any projects done. I don't think people are going to be willing to pay 10% sales tax to pay for more projects that won't be enough. Maybe if they would realize that many areas that are growing just as fast don't put all their sources of revenue into sales tax and they don't have a grocery tax in many of these areas. Currently all the cities in NWA combined are receiving around $40 million in sales tax revenue and this is much more than a couple years ago. In a couple years sales tax revenue in NWA is expected to increase to around $50-60 million without an increase in sales tax. If you ask me they need to start considering lowering taxes, especially grocery taxes.

[Mith242]

Hmm... good question. I'm not aware of any toll major highways/freeways that were "un-tolled" in recent years, though I'm sure that's happened before in the US freeway system.

To be honest, the 2010 projection is pretty optimistic... I would bet 2011-2012 or thereabouts (or 'whenabouts' I suppose).

And the toll revenue, to my understanding (I wasn't involved in it, though I did read the study today but it's so long I just skimmed the financial aspects of it), would only help cover a part of the projected $210 million cost, not all of it. It already has some federal funds dedicated to it after all.

Plus, just to be clear since the news articles I've read today weren't, the toll section of the Bella Vista Bypass will in the Arkansas section only, not in Missouri.

I thought the Missouri section wouldn't be a toll road but thanks for pointing that out. As you said most articles I've seen didn't really mention that.

[Mith242]

We're already paying 9% sales tax for everything including groceries up here and it's just barely getting any projects done. I don't think people are going to be willing to pay 10% sales tax to pay for more projects that won't be enough. Maybe if they would realize that many areas that are growing just as fast don't put all their sources of revenue into sales tax and they don't have a grocery tax in many of these areas. Currently all the cities in NWA combined are receiving around $40 million in sales tax revenue and this is much more than a couple years ago. In a couple years sales tax revenue in NWA is expected to increase to around $50-60 million without an increase in sales tax. If you ask me they need to start considering lowering taxes, especially grocery taxes.

I don't want to turn this into an 'us' against 'them' type of thing but I've wondered how much of the tax money generated in NWA makes it's way back up here. But I think some of this stems from the fact that we live in a rather poor state.