I-49 One Step Closer to Being Realized

[KJW]

That's a good map, it just doesn't seem that we have enough traffic in our region for much notice. Looking at the east it looks a lot worse.

Cowbreath, that map is a bit dated. The interstate between Texarkana and Shreveport isn't shown (the Louisiana portion isn't started but they're working on the final part of the Arkansas side), nor does it show the interstate-quality portions between Jane and Joplin and Joplin and Kansas City. If those were shown the Canada-New Orleans(/Texas) corridor here taking shape would be a lot more evident (as would the gaps in same).

[itk]

itk, do you know what the daily traffic count on U.S. 71 within the BV city limits is? Even if its only 10,000 vehicles at 33% alleviation that's still 3,300 the tollway would see, which in an average day would translate to 2.29 vehicles per minute every minute every hour of the day.

Roughly 30,000 average.... at the northern end, ~20,000 I think, and at the very southern end near Lowe's, about ~45,000.

[Mith242]

More bad news for the section around Bella Vista, the future Bella Vista bypass. Since Arkansas is lacking in funds to do anything about the bypass. Missouri has decided to use the funding it had set aside for the section that would have been in their state for other purposes. This looks like a road project that's not going to be started for a while.

[KJW]

Roughly 30,000 average.... at the northern end, ~20,000 I think, and at the very southern end near Lowe's, about ~45,000.

(These were numbers from itk for traffic on U.S. 71 in Bella Vista. As a comparison, here's traffic on the two current Interstate bridges between West Memphis, AR and Memphis per an article today.)

The Highway Department counts indicate that 54, 420 vehicles traveled across the I-40 bridge daily last year. An additional 49, 800 crossed the I-55 span each day in 2006. Those numbers reflect a 10 percent increase in traffic flow over the past 10 years.

http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/207907/

[jdevers]

(These were numbers from itk for traffic on U.S. 71 in Bella Vista. As a comparison, here's traffic on the two current Interstate bridges between West Memphis, AR and Memphis per an article today.)

For another comparison, I540 in north Fayetteville had 56,000 cars per day in 2001 which was over a 100% increase over 1991 (27,880). The 2011 estimate for the same spot is 84,000. That spot is also very poorly designed for that level of traffic flow.

NWARPC

[thewizard16]

For another comparison, I540 in north Fayetteville had 56,000 cars per day in 2001 which was over a 100% increase over 1991 (27,880). The 2011 estimate for the same spot is 84,000. That spot is also very poorly designed for that level of traffic flow.

NWARPC

Yes it is. I'm amazed there aren't more side-swipe accidents considering how strangely 540 runs through north Fayetteville.

[KJW]

A brief aside...

I mentioned the News (Of Bentonville/Springdale/Rogers/Fayetteville) quoting a study back in 2002 saying Fort Smith would grow as big as NWA someday if I-49 is finished between Canada and New Orleans (not to mention the proposed Houston/Rio Grande interstate connection at Shreveport).

This is small enough at this time but...developers have been literally moving a small mountain for a new shopping center in Fort Smith, and in this article is a quote that if one wanted to put their finger on the "dead center of (ostensibly, Fort Smith) town" this mall, on Rogers avenue at least a mile or two east of the bypass, would be that spot.

Interesting choice of words. I'm not reading that he believes I-49 will be constructed soon, but if it ever is the proposed route will run east of that new shopping center. And that location is FAR east of where the center of Fort Smith used to be and geographically still is...

[Mith242]

Being at the junction of two interstates can be helpful. But I think Ft Smith will have to find a way to benefit from it. I think some have tried to rely on an interstate to solve all their problems about job growth. I think an interstate gives you more opportunities but you still have to find a way to take advantage of the situation. Either way I still think it's going to be quite a while before I-49 is completed.

[beaux30]

I-49 in Louisiana has been finished for years and, no, there are no plans to connect it to New Orleans nor would there be any reason to. It ends in Lafayette which is already connected to New Orleans by I-10. Anyone traveling south on 49 and wanting to go to New Orleans from Shreveport would get off on Hwy 169 which is a freeway from Opelousas to Baton Rouge which connects to I-10.

There's no reason to take I-49 north of Kansas City. Where would it go? There's already I-29 which goes through Omaha, Fargo, and up to Canada, and I-35 which goes to Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Duluth.

I-49 is not completely finished south of Lafayette, LA. There are plans currently to extend it to New Orleans in the path for the most part that Highway 90 takes between Lafayette and NO.

[KJW]

Had to dig for this but...anyone remember how the Obama administration awarded a handsome (giggle) total of $8 million for the finishing of I-49 in NWA?

Well, I have to hand it to whatever local government entity took the lead...if anyone's driven between Bentonville and Gravette lately through Hiwasse (in the news mainly now for choosing to be annexed by Gravette rather than Bella Vista) you are not only seeing dirt moved but PAVEMENT LAID for this project. There's a strange-looking structure (a series of metal pipe stuck vertically into the ground marking something) to the right of the highway as you cross what will obviously be an interchange (they're digging the lanes) but asphalt/concrete/whatever has been poured and flattened what looks at least a 1/2 mile or more to the west. The future road appears to dip down out of Missouri just west of the western Bella Vista boundary, and cross the existing highway about 1-2 miles of Hiwasse before curving to the east where the aformentioned pavement is being put in place. The "Stimulus project" signs are up also marking where this money came from.

I won't forget how Missouri was ready to go but we in Arkansas couldn't get our plans together so the Show-me state funds went somewhere else. I hope this doesn't become a "highway to nowhere"...as a Bella Vista resident I'm so happy to see this FINALLY being started on. As an NWA resident I think it will mean incredible things if ("IF") indeed we can have a seamless Interstate-quality four-lane all the way south from I-44 to I-40 when this would be finished.

[Mith242]

Had to dig for this but...anyone remember how the Obama administration awarded a handsome (giggle) total of $8 million for the finishing of I-49 in NWA?

Well, I have to hand it to whatever local government entity took the lead...if anyone's driven between Bentonville and Gravette lately through Hiwasse (in the news mainly now for choosing to be annexed by Gravette rather than Bella Vista) you are not only seeing dirt moved but PAVEMENT LAID for this project. There's a strange-looking structure (a series of metal pipe stuck vertically into the ground marking something) to the right of the highway as you cross what will obviously be an interchange (they're digging the lanes) but asphalt/concrete/whatever has been poured and flattened what looks at least a 1/2 mile or more to the west. The future road appears to dip down out of Missouri just west of the western Bella Vista boundary, and cross the existing highway about 1-2 miles of Hiwasse before curving to the east where the aformentioned pavement is being put in place. The "Stimulus project" signs are up also marking where this money came from.

I won't forget how Missouri was ready to go but we in Arkansas couldn't get our plans together so the Show-me state funds went somewhere else. I hope this doesn't become a "highway to nowhere"...as a Bella Vista resident I'm so happy to see this FINALLY being started on. As an NWA resident I think it will mean incredible things if ("IF") indeed we can have a seamless Interstate-quality four-lane all the way south from I-44 to I-40 when this would be finished.

Yeah having I-540 run from I-40 to I-44 would be great. It is a shame that because we couldn't get that section just around Bella Vista now who knows how long we'll have to wait. I guess it's one of the unfortunate things of being off in a corner of the state.

[KJW]

FWIW, on U.S. 71 not far north of the Missouri line Interstate signs have gone up in Newton (Neosho) and McDonald Counties. The only thing that's missing is the official red-white-and-blue "shield" insignia with the actual Interstate number, but all the rest of the signage is up at access points, plus there's a sign that says "(where said "shield" will be)" ends (with a "" begins sign in the opposite lanes) at the future BV bypass turnoff south of Pineville. I don't know how far north the interstate signs will go as there are some not-fully-limited access points on U.S. 71 between Carthage and Kansas City, but Interstate 49 looks like its about to get a little bigger.

(EDIT:

Whoaski...this highway is going to be Interstate 49 ALL THE WAY TO GRANDVIEW, MO (south Kansas City suburb) by the end of this year! Which means that just south of the NWA suburb of Pineville one will now be able to drive Interstate highway from that point all the way to Winnipeg (taking into account the Kansas City beltway).

What's going to be goofy is, looking at that interstate map atop the page, we're going to have something perhaps unique in all America right now although we shouldn't. I'm guessing the powers that be on this are waiting to make a determination on what the number (temporary or permanent) will be before putting the final signs up, but when they do we're going to have a strange site on that map. Two separate interstate branches, one off of I-44 near Joplin heading south, the other off of I-40 at Fort Smith/Alma heading north, and they DON'T INTERSECT but rather have a gap in the middle, for awhile at least. Sigh. Thank you, Arkansas state legislature.)

[Mith242]

FWIW, on U.S. 71 not far north of the Missouri line Interstate signs have gone up in Newton (Neosho) and McDonald Counties. The only thing that's missing is the official red-white-and-blue "shield" insignia with the actual Interstate number, but all the rest of the signage is up at access points, plus there's a sign that says "(where said "shield" will be)" ends (with a "" begins sign in the opposite lanes) at the future BV bypass turnoff south of Pineville. I don't know how far north the interstate signs will go as there are some not-fully-limited access points on U.S. 71 between Carthage and Kansas City, but Interstate 49 looks like its about to get a little bigger.

(EDIT:

Whoaski...this highway is going to be Interstate 49 ALL THE WAY TO GRANDVIEW, MO (south Kansas City suburb) by the end of this year! Which means that just south of the NWA suburb of Pineville one will now be able to drive Interstate highway from that point all the way to Winnipeg (taking into account the Kansas City beltway).

What's going to be goofy is, looking at that interstate map atop the page, we're going to have something perhaps unique in all America right now although we shouldn't. I'm guessing the powers that be on this are waiting to make a determination on what the number (temporary or permanent) will be before putting the final signs up, but when they do we're going to have a strange site on that map. Two separate interstate branches, one off of I-44 near Joplin heading south, the other off of I-40 at Fort Smith/Alma heading north, and they DON'T INTERSECT but rather have a gap in the middle, for awhile at least. Sigh. Thank you, Arkansas state legislature.)

That's interesting. But while Missouri officially changes their section to I-49 I'm wondering whether Arkansas follow suite. As far as I know the only section of I-49 that officially exists and is signed at this moment is down in Lousiana.

[zman9810]

It sounds like Missouri may be trying a little political maneuver to encourage further movement on building I49. By adding the signage they hope to put pressure on the federal government to make I49 a top priority in future highway funding. It's an attempt to add an inevitabilty aura to an I49 that in reality may not ever be completed.

It is important to remember that there are many demands for highway and alternative transportation funds at a time when there is great pressure to reduce federal spending overall. Even within the demands for highway funding there is great debate on where to spend funds. A route for I69 across south Arkansas with it's probable $1,000,000,000 bridge over the Mississippi River has it's supporters in the state and elsewhere. The bottom line is that it is unlikely that the funding for the full Bella Vista bypass much less I49 between Fort Smith and Texarkana will be available any time soon if ever.

Just to be clear- the State of Arkansas by itself will never be able to fund I49 or I69 or much else- it is all federal money that makes large projects like that possible. Also to be clear- the Arkansas State Legislature does not control where transportation funding in the state goes- those decisions are made by the independent Arkansas Highway Commission. At this point neither the executive or legislative branches have direct control of where highway money is spent- only indirect and ineffective control. The legislature abdicated their role in transportation matters last session when they didn't rescind the sales tax exemption for large trucks that they had passed earlier. More about that can be foundin the transportation topic in this forum.

[KJW]

Zman,

Interesting thing about that article, near the bottom, was that the reporter said it was the Feds' decision to raise this section of highway (covering EIGHT COUNTIES - that's a significant chunk of this corridor) to interstate standards.

There's been a LOT done in NW Arkansas during my 10 years here, and driving through Bentonville and Fayetteville this week I see more coming. (For instance, it's amazing that a street intersection that didn't exist a couple of years ago, "Bright and Gator" looks set a year from next month to become one of Bentonville's busiest, because it's right between a new middle school and a new junior high school (the former opening next month(?), the latter next year(?)).

But I remember newspaper articles on how Missouri was set to go and had the funds to complete its section of the BV bypass from below Pineville to the state line, and how the state of Arkansas could not come up with a plan to do their end. When you drive U.S. 71 1 mile south of Pineville you not only see the future (blocked off) BV bypass turnoff but see a place where a bridge "hole" has been cut for a future flyover, plus signage that indicates a future junction. I remember a big discussion about it at a company lunch we had at the old Vineyard restaurant in Bentonville in 2004. Missouri, at the time, said "Well, we're going to spend the funds elsewhere. See you, maybe, when you all come up with a plan". Right now our plan is those valiant people building the "Hiwasse bypass". I feel assured that, 8 years later, Missouri would have had their section of the bypass finished by now. (Took them about 4-6 years to do the Anderson-Pineville section last decade.)

This is the only genuine "epic fail" I've seen in this area, but it's a big one. And again, when this I-49 designation happens this year we're going to be an interstate map curiousity, with two sections reaching out toward each other only to stop for about 10-15 miles apart. It will be interesting to see what happens here.

(EDIT: Texas, just this month, learned that it's going to apparently be able to rename 200-270 miles of highway "Interstate 69"...future "I-69" corridor signs have gone up from Texarkana southward. This, too, will take time...but when it does look at the "Winnie-New/Minnie-Hou" (Winnipeg - New Orleans/Minneapolis - Houston) corridor that will start to open up, with Mexico, not Houston, being the terminus of the latter. This will be like a giant hourglass of transportation in mid-America, and guess where the center of said "hourglass" is located? I'm a realist...this will still take time. But there's a reason why the Kansas City Southern railroad (a.k.a. "The NAFTA railroad") runs through west Benton County. KCS founder Arthur Stilwell had a vision of a railroad that was the shortest route from major agricultural shipping point Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico, and he saw it to fruition...in the 1990s, the railroad's president Mike Haverty engineered a deal to acquire a major Mexican railroad, and KCS (which should have fallen to the merger "axe" year ago) is a feisty independent competitor to this day because of that. This is a bad time to get funds, I know, but it will be interesting to see how much vision people have for this corridor, which will DRAMATICALLY affect northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith, the latter becoming a potential critical national Interstate junction.)

[Mith242]

The one good thing is now NWA is big enough to begin controlling it's own funding for transportation and having to totally rely in the AHTD. So in the long run I think this will help the Bella Vista Bypass. But that's not going to do anything for the stretch of I-49 needed between Ft Smith and Texarkana through the Ouachitas. I think that's where things are really going to hang up for a long time. And as zman stated Arkansas is never going to be able ti fund anything like that on it's own. It's going to take federal funds to get that section done.

[KJW]

The one good thing is now NWA is big enough to begin controlling it's own funding for transportation and having to totally rely in the AHTD. So in the long run I think this will help the Bella Vista Bypass. But that's not going to do anything for the stretch of I-49 needed between Ft Smith and Texarkana through the Ouachitas. I think that's where things are really going to hang up for a long time. And as zman stated Arkansas is never going to be able ti fund anything like that on it's own. It's going to take federal funds to get that section done.

Mith, when my blasted computer gets fixed I'll try to post a map. Either I or Cowbreath had posted a map of the then-existing interstate system, and the news from Missouri and Texas dramatically changes it. Eight counties in Missouri will be part of the continuous I-49 as of 2012's end. 14-15 counties from Brownsville, McAllen, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Houston, Lufkin to Nacogdoches will be apparently eligible to put up I-69 signage (6 miles of Corpus Christi area highway was so designated in a big "to-do" last year) immediately as well. According to news reports nearly 300 miles of Texas' 600+ mile stretch of I-69 will be interstate quality right now with more in the works, and (of course) those "Future I-69 Corridor" signs won't come down any time soon now. Thing with Texas is, it will be "stop, start, stop, start" on I-69 stretches along their segment of it, though at least 75 miles of Houston area road are ready to be designated I-69 right now.

I'm with you about money, and especially the Ft. S to TXK stretch. (I've seen dirt being moved on US 71 near DeQueen for what appear to be extra lanes, but I'm not sure what that's about.) East Texas newspapers are abuzz with "this Interstate 69 is REALLY going to happen" articles, but the Lufkin paper said that it may not be complete for "most of our lifetimes" as there will need to be a brand new highway built between Marshall and Longview between Nacogdoches and TXK for this. I don't know what Louisiana's doing on their side of I-49 north of Shreveport to the Arkansas line. (Bigboyz from Texarkana Urban Planet has done a good job of following this...Arkansas has done far more work - amazing that Texarkana is poised to become a hub of THREE interstates, regardless of whether I-69 is built northeastward from that city). And of course, the shape of our wonderful country may be such that this is never able to pass...that's a far greater concern to me than I-49/I-69 right now. (EDIT: Mith, you know how the circus people had the superstition about events happening in "3s". Well, as of the end of June, Louisiana procured funds to start its share of I-49 between Shreveport and the Arkansas line. They're slowpoking it, but are probably looking at Arkansas and saying..."if you think WE'RE taking our time...") BUT...

There WILL be jobs as a result of this. Again, a study 10 years ago predicted Fort Smith would become as big as Northwest Arkansas (it's not that far behind, actually) due to the growth it could see as a result of being a major junction. A major reason for this Texas upgrade is increased cargo from Texas ports when the Panama Canal widening project is finished in 2014. Think of it...all that gulf traffic coming through Fort Smith/NWA on the shortest route to Kansas City, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Omaha, Sioux Falls, Fargo and Winnipeg...and vice versa. My guess is there will be increased pressure on Arkansas to come through, and Mike Beebe and his successors will obviously look eastward toward the Potomac. At the very least...this year's quiet developments (I wouldn't have heard about the changes to I-49 from KC or I-69 from the Lower Rio Grande Valley had I not seen the interstate signs going up around Pineville and Neosho) has likely put a giant spotlight on this I-49-through-Arkansas project once again.

Time to break out the popcorn...

[KJW]

Our NWA friend Dick Trammell is traveling the state promoting a ballot initiative for November that would, among other things, affect I-540. He asked, according to the Benton County Record, an assembled group last week: "How many of you think we don't need six lanes between Rogers and Fayetteville?"

He might ought to have asked for eight. Or maybe 10. There may be a "perfect storm" brewing that, like a distant supercell in mid-May on a bright day, is just too far away to see coming right at us.

"Aaroads.com" is the "Urban Planet" of interstate and highway discussion; their "Mid South" (linked here) forum covers Arkansas, Texas and West Louisiana and has a lot of interesting discussions germain to us sooner or later. Interesting tidbit yesterday on a thread on Texarkana: Right now, there are only 46 cities in all of America that have 3 or more Interstate junctions either active or planned. Only about 11 of them are west of the Mississippi. And two of those are going to come online in the future at Shreveport and Texarkana. Again, I"m not sure how many of us will live to see that happen (though the completion of I-49 from Texarkana to Shreveport and points south is MUCH closer than I thought...links on this forum) but it's now apparently GOING to happen in the future.

Other points where three interstates cross each in a spot one county apart from the other one? Only a handful of them. And out-of-the-way places like New York City/Newark, NJ; Chicago/Gary, IN; Dallas/Fort Worth. (The comparison was made between SHV/TXK and the side-by-side tri-junction cities of Champaign, IL and Bloomington, IL, each a couple of counties downstate of the Chicago area.) There are very few of these but the ones there are feed a TON of traffic.

Not saying Shreveport/Texarkana will be like NYC, Chicagoland or D/FW. What I do see is an eventual flood of traffic straight north from those two (and straight down I-49 from the "Winnie/Minnie" corridors as well to us and "those two")...and the next big place "straight north" of both cities is Fort Smith, then NWA. It's GONNA affect us, some day, big time.

[KJW]

Fayetteville, you're "on the road" (no pun intended) to getting six lanes (toward the bottom of the thread). Wish it was that way all the way for a lot farther north.

[Mith242]

Fayetteville, you're "on the road" (no pun intended) to getting six lanes (toward the bottom of the thread). Wish it was that way all the way for a lot farther north.

Yeah it's been mentioned on here. It's just a small section of I-540 that's being widened though. Considering the exit/entrance ramps I don't think it will even end up being quite a mile. I think the AHTD picked that section because it's short and relatively easy to do compared to sections up in Benton County.

[zman9810]

Fayetteville, you're "on the road" (no pun intended) to getting six lanes (toward the bottom of the thread). Wish it was that way all the way for a lot farther north.

Thanks for that link- I never had seen that site before.

It is good to know that the money is already in place to redo the I540 interchanges in NWA thanks to the bond issue passing- now we need the sales tax increase to pass in November so that the widening can continue.

[KJW]

As of today, I-49's northern end from Kansas City stops about 6 miles from the Arkansas line at Bella Vista.  Since they're building the BV bypass starting at Hiwasse now Missouri has now agreed to start building their end of the bypass as well.  Don't know when it will be finished.

 

EDIT: here's another article.

 

Plus another one from the Kansas City Star.

[Mith242]

As of today, I-49's northern end from Kansas City stops about 6 miles from the Arkansas line at Bella Vista.  Since they're building the BV bypass starting at Hiwasse now Missouri has now agreed to start building their end of the bypass as well.  Don't know when it will be finished.

 

EDIT: here's another article.

 

Plus another one from the Kansas City Star.

If it's being renamed I-49 in Missouri, I wonder why they just don't rename I-540 in Arkansas as well.  Maybe there are certain rules in place for something like that and for now the sections in Arkansas don't fit those rules. 

[KJW]

If it's being renamed I-49 in Missouri, I wonder why they just don't rename I-540 in Arkansas as well.  Maybe there are certain rules in place for something like that and for now the sections in Arkansas don't fit those rules. 

Ask and ye shall receive, friend Mith! (Middle of the page).

 

(EDIT: Seriously, this is making our neighbor Joplin into a key crossroads.  We'll have to wait and see what happens in Arkansas (unfortunately the Fort Smith to Texarkana stretch is going to be the worst wait) but seamless interstate transportation to Canada starting just north of Bella Vista is a significant thing for many businesses, let alone having the same ease to Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux Falls, Fargo, Des Moines and Minneapolis.  Between remote country and lake borders, there simply aren't that many interstates straight into Canada.)

[Mith242]

 

Ask and ye shall receive, friend Mith! (Middle of the page).

 

(EDIT: Seriously, this is making our neighbor Joplin into a key crossroads.  We'll have to wait and see what happens in Arkansas (unfortunately the Fort Smith to Texarkana stretch is going to be the worst wait) but seamless interstate transportation to Canada starting just north of Bella Vista is a significant thing for many businesses, let alone having the same ease to Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux Falls, Fargo, Des Moines and Minneapolis.  Between remote country and lake borders, there simply aren't that many interstates straight into Canada.)

 

Ah, thanks for the link.  I had wondered about that for a while.  So Hwy 49 in southeast Arkansas is the problem.  Also a bit weird because of the situation in Mississippi with Hwy 49 as well.  Considering how long it's going to take to get I-49 through the Ouachitas I wonder if they'll just drag their feet on trying to do something about renaming I-540.  I've really also wondered just how expensive it's going to be to go through the Ouachitas.  With the east-west topography of the mountains a north-south interstate is going to be a real pain.  In the past they might have just blown entire mountainsides away to put in an interstate.  But today seems like they might have to consider some tunnels in some areas.