I-49 One Step Closer to Being Realized

[TRB]

Not I 49 related but I-69.

 

Checking up on a project that caught my eye that's basically a pet project of the family that owns the Kirkland's retail chain over in Union City, TN, I noticed the some of the future I-69 taking shape that will eventually cross the river from MS and go across southern Arkansas. The pic is of the Discovery Park of America.

 

[KJW]

TRB, wow.  That's amazing...shows what a key Interstate corridor will do, and IMO that segment is almost less necessary than this one.

JMO, but...given what NWA and Fort Smith are becoming, it would not surprise me to see a very, VERY nice Arkansas visitor's center (much like the one just east of Texarkana, AR on I-35) pop up either at this future west Bella Vista interchange below that I was discussing earlier or to the north of it.  (BTW, the photo at the very bottom below is confusing...the "N" at the upper right corner designates "North", pointing north toward the Highlands golf course):

 

 

Texarkana, AR, USA



Texarkana, AR, USA

 

[KJW]

They're getting closer and closer to completing the bridge over Highway 72 between Gravette and (what was) Hiwasse, west of Hiwasse over this (future) I-49 section.  There's a "berm" that's been temporarily created by moving earth near the old highway.  Once this bridge is complete traffic will be routed over it (as it has been on the new bridge east/southeast of Hiwasse) and the two sections in west Benton County that have been being graded will be able to be linked as they'll destroy that section of the old highway that crosses over where the future Interstate will be.  Then, driving west through Hiwasse we'll get a taste of just how massive this project is when we can see where that berm/mound of earth is currently blocking the view.

 

I think the sales tax money for this project starts flowing in August, so this will be interesting to see if it ramps up construction activity (of which there's quite a bit now).

 

Also, there are new water lines being laid east of Gravette along and just south of Highway 72.  Not sure if this will be to support commercial growth at this future interchange or just housing developments along the way.  (There are some nice developments in this area, but they're mainly just a line of very nice houses along one road, or with long driveways emanating from one road.)

[KJW]

 

TIMELINE

The Projects

Bid schedules for the first six half-cent sales tax projects are:

• Bella Vista Bypass (I-540 interchange): Late 2013

• Bella Vista Bypass (U.S. 71 to Arkansas 72):Late 2013

• Bella Vista Bypass (Benton County 34 to Missouri line): Early 2014

• Springdale Northern Bypass (I-540 to Arkansas 112): Late 2014

• I-540 Widening (Southeast 14th Street to East Central Avenue): Early 2015

• I-540 Widening (Fulbright Expressway to Sunset Avenue): Mid-2015

Source: Arkansas Highway And Transportation Department

 

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2013/jul/25/i-540-widening-tap/

 

[Julles]

Thanks KJV. Forgive my ignorance, but does anyone have an idea, based on this information, of when we can expect completion of the BV bypass? A couple of years? A decade? The bypass will run 800 feet behind my back deck. We have 8 acres, and for the last 11 years have been disturbed only by our neighbor's horses .

[KJW]

Thanks KJV. Forgive my ignorance, but does anyone have an idea, based on this information, of when we can expect completion of the BV bypass? A couple of years? A decade? The bypass will run 800 feet behind my back deck. We have 8 acres, and for the last 11 years have been disturbed only by our neighbor's horses .

 

 

No problem, Julles.  I'd suggest following this thread on AARoads (a roads and highways forum) as the people here correspond with the state and seem to be as "on top of" timing information as anyone, though given that some of these haven't been "let" yet I'm guessing this is still indeterminate:

 

http://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3324.400

 

West Bella Vista/the Highlands, I think, is in for an even bigger change as they're the last of the big NWA cities on I-540 (future I-49, which the Benton County Record story officially called it) not to have a direct interchange, but will when Rocky Dell Hollow Road becomes the exit for BV off future I-49.  I empathize with you as I think the next big wave of building is going to happen around I-49 Bella Vista/Gravette and west of Bentonville when they build (as I expect) the new high school out there.

 

EDIT: not that this is a surprise, but they definitely expect it to be finished within 10 years according to this (free) article:  

 

 

The six projects are all part of the three primary highway construction projects in the area – $150 million estimated for construction of a U.S. 412 northern bypass, $125 million to complete six-lane widening of Interstate 540 between Fayetteville and Rogers, and $100 million for the Bella Vista Bypass.

 

AHTD Spokesman Randy Ort said the six projects made the top of the list because “they were much further along in the process.”

 

“It was a logical choice,” Ort said.

 

http://www.thecitywire.com/node/28743#.UfFzD404ujl

 

[KJW]

Thanks KJV. Forgive my ignorance, but does anyone have an idea, based on this information, of when we can expect completion of the BV bypass? A couple of years? A decade? The bypass will run 800 feet behind my back deck. We have 8 acres, and for the last 11 years have been disturbed only by our neighbor's horses .

 

Julles, a very knowledgeable poster on the aaroads forum placed this graphic after we'd corresponded here earlier.  If I'm reading this correctly, it appears that they're shooting to have this entire bypass completed near the end of 2016.  That means that NWA and Fort Smith will be opened up to the entire northern U.S. and Canada in three years via Interstate.  Page 47/61 on this AHTD .pdf ( http://www.arkansashighways.com/PowerPoints/2013/072413_Commission%20Meeting%20Powerpoint.pdf ).  Fascinating and sobering: 

 

[zman9810]

The plan is to build it as a two lane highway at first and come back later and finish it as a four lane.. I'm not sure how that is going to work- seems like the interchanges would require a lot of temporary structures and extra paving. As far as finishing it out, it will depend on where they can find the money. It seems the ten year sales tax money has been allocated for planned projects and the other two lanes don't seem to one of those projects.

[Julles]

Thanks so much, KJW. That's what I was looking for. If we had an interchange out here it would all be worth it, but there's none in the plans (Miller Church Road area).

[KJW]

The plan is to build it as a two lane highway at first and come back later and finish it as a four lane.. I'm not sure how that is going to work- seems like the interchanges would require a lot of temporary structures and extra paving. As far as finishing it out, it will depend on where they can find the money. It seems the ten year sales tax money has been allocated for planned projects and the other two lanes don't seem to one of those projects.

"...and the other two lanes don't seem to one of those projects."

 

Correct, but oh, zman9810, they will be.  OH, they will be (even if it's in the timely Arkansas "Crisis management!  We needed that highway 6 years ago!" fashion), especially given that this same project is six-laning multiple segments of highway just a few miles down...

 

[zman9810]

"...and the other two lanes don't seem to one of those projects."

 

Correct, but oh, zman9810, they will be.  OH, they will be (even if it's in the timely Arkansas "Crisis management!  We needed that highway 6 years ago!" fashion), especially given that this same project is six-laning multiple segments of highway just a few miles down...

 

I agree they should be. I wonder what it will take to get them sped up? It seems that the 2 lane approach will be wasteful and some way needs to be found now to build it the full 4 lanes.

[KJW]

zman9810, interesting thing about that map above from KTBS / 3 in Shreveport...it wasn't created by either the television station (whose market includes parts of Arkansas and Texas) or even the city of Shreveport for a Chamber of Commerce type ad campaign.  It was part of a Power Point presentation from the Texas Highway Department. Don't think they aren't salivating over the potential of this Canada/Mexico Interstate network.

 

(Maybe they'll lend Arkansas some money to finish I-49 between Fort Smith and Texarkana.  * chuckle * )

[zman9810]

zman9810, interesting thing about that map above from KTBS / 3 in Shreveport...it wasn't created by either the television station (whose market includes parts of Arkansas and Texas) or even the city of Shreveport for a Chamber of Commerce type ad campaign.  It was part of a Power Point presentation from the Texas Highway Department. Don't think they aren't salivating over the potential of this Canada/Mexico Interstate network.

 

(Maybe they'll lend Arkansas some money to finish I-49 between Fort Smith and Texarkana.  * chuckle * )

Well...I don't think anyone in Texas (or Oklahoma, for that matter) is going to support I49 between Ft Smith and Texarkana. They will want the route to be down the present US 69/75 corridor through the DFW metro and on to I35 South. That would give them the most economic impact and because they have much more population and political clout it is likely that that will be the route chosen. US 69/75 is already 4 lane divided much of the way and needs only some bypasses and interchange construction to be interstate quality. It would be much more bang for the buck to take that route. I'm just being realistic.

[KJW]

Well...I don't think anyone in Texas (or Oklahoma, for that matter) is going to support I49 between Ft Smith and Texarkana. They will want the route to be down the present US 69/75 corridor through the DFW metro and on to I35 South. That would give them the most economic impact and because they have much more population and political clout it is likely that that will be the route chosen. US 69/75 is already 4 lane divided much of the way and needs only some bypasses and interchange construction to be interstate quality. It would be much more bang for the buck to take that route. I'm just being realistic.

 

Zman, understood.  That's why I said "chuckle" at the thought of them lending money to Arkansas.

 

But that being said...

 

Go back to that drawing that the Texas DOT furnished which was used by the Shreveport television station.  The individual who got that screen capture said it was as if the Tx DOT was trying to subtly "lean" on Shreveport a bit.  Thing is, why? Shreveport (and Louisiana) are very close to having their share of I-49 completely finished.  Yes, they're talking about an I-49 extension, a secondary interstate between Lafayette and New Orleans (running south of current I-10, bypassing Baton Rouge) but once they finish that small section (I think I put the map of Caddo Parish I-49 on this thread) to the Arkansas line then make the small section at I-20 in Shreveport (scheduled for completion very soon), for all intents and purposes you've got interstate all the way from the Louisiana/Arkansas line to New Orleans.

 

But that map relied, clearly and heavily, on Arkansas having their section of I-49 between Fort Smith and Texarkana finished (plus our share of I-69, for that matter).  I honestly think part of the answer is here in http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/07/houston_supplants_new_york.html'>this blog piece from two weeks ago in the American Thinker:

 

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/07/houston_supplants_new_york.html

 

Houston has now supplanted New York City as America's #1 goods export port (wow).  They cite a "pay" article from The Financial Times, which also says that NYC still has the lead in "services" exports.

 

But look at the KTBS/3 map again...the quickest way from central Canada (Winnipeg, BTW, is Canada's third largest city west of Toronto after Calgary and Edmonton), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Omaha, Kansas City and, now, NWA/FSM (though we're not a "goods" manufacturing market as much here) is going to be through this I-49 corridor to the port of Houston (when I-69 is finished), not through the geographically longer I-35, especially when you factor in going through Oklahoma City and Dallas / Fort Worth.  (The U.S. 69/75 corridor you also mentioned is great to go to Dallas/Fort Worth...lousy if you're trying to get to H-town.)  A full I-49 will also definitely be the fastest route of those cities (and others, when you study that KTBS map showing the Interstate highway system) to the port of New Orleans, which I believe is still the second biggest on the American gulf.

 

The Great State of Texas clearly wants this I-49 / I-69 corridor.  Arkansas will figure heavily into each one.  Just whether that leads us to get off our rear ends enough to build the south-of-the-Arkansas-River/north-of-the-Louisiana-line highways for each one and how fast it happens (especially if our President runs this economy into the reef) remains to be seen...

 

EDIT: Placing this map one last time...

[Julles]

Every weekday for weeks we've seen a large number of people digging with shovels along Sugar Creek in North Bentonville, just southwest of Lowe's on Peach Orchard Road. I finally stopped and asked what they were doing yesterday. The gentleman said it is an archeological dig for Native American artifacts, and they are digging because the BV Bypass will be coming right through there. A neighbor of mine seems to think the dig could stall the highway progress. My thoughts are that they are doing the digging now so that they can find what they need before it gets torn up. But I suppose if it were a burial ground.....who knows?

[KJW]

Every weekday for weeks we've seen a large number of people digging with shovels along Sugar Creek in North Bentonville, just southwest of Lowe's on Peach Orchard Road. I finally stopped and asked what they were doing yesterday. The gentleman said it is an archeological dig for Native American artifacts, and they are digging because the BV Bypass will be coming right through there. A neighbor of mine seems to think the dig could stall the highway progress. My thoughts are that they are doing the digging now so that they can find what they need before it gets torn up. But I suppose if it were a burial ground.....who knows?

 

Don't think it will slow it, Julles.  [url=http://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3324.msg235266#msg235266]This gentleman who's in contact with the AHTD and keeps up with these things does indeed believe that according to their schedule (obviously, things can happen, but...) this bypass is a "go" by 2016.

[KJW]

From yesterday's Joplin (MO) Globe:

 

 

“The design of the highway is complete,” he said. “The acquisition of property is complete. All we have been waiting on is the funding. It is basically ready to go.’’

 

Rob Smith, communications and policy specialist for the Northwest Arkansas Council, which supported the Connecting Arkansas Program, said, “The importance of the Bella Vista bypass project and the other two major highway projects in Northwest Arkansas that will occur because voters approved Issue No. 1 cannot be overstated.

 

“Research commissioned by the NAC and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute last year showed our two-county area of Northwest Arkansas loses $103 million annually due to traffic congestion,’’ he said in an email statement. “The researchers told us major projects, such as the Bella Vista bypass, will help reduce that figure.”

 

The council is a private, nonprofit organization that was founded in 1990 to work on issues, such as infrastructure, education, economic development and community vitality. The council has about 100 members.

 

Said Smith: “For Northwest Arkansas and for Southwest Missouri, there’s no highway project more important than the Bella Vista bypass.’’

 

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1664877140/Arkansas-to-seek-bids-for-initial-two-lanes-of-Bella-Vista-bypass/?state=taberU

 

 

Well, this cinches it: 

[KJW]

Fascinatin' stats, one of which could go on the "population trends" in NWA.

 

1. Wikipedia says stats show the ports of South Louisiana and Houston were ranked #1 and 2, with the NYC/NJ port #3, and Beaumont, TX #4. Meanwhile, Duluth/Superior (#18 in the US) Port's website says this port is the #1 volume port on the Great lakes.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_ports#United_States

 

2.  If you add up U.S. census bureau stats at the most recent rate of growth (or decline) in the NWA/Fort Smith counties, the 9 counties of this combined area now likely have, in 2013 before I-49 is linked at Bella Vista, 815,000 people.

 

Amazingly, that's almost as big as the Allentown, PA metro area, which is the first metro area immediately west of New York City (and isn't that far away at all from the larger city).

 

Puts the previously cited map below in a different light, makes sense of the flurry of building around a stretch of interstate in Barling/Fort Smith that doesn't connect to anything north or south yet, and illustrates why the Texas Department of Transportation, not the City of Shreveport or anyone else, created this map:

 

[KJW]

http://bvwv.nwaonline.com/news/2013/aug/07/interchange-first-list-20130807/

 

The link above is pay, so I'll type in part of the story, by Cassi Lapp:

 

Interchange first on list

 

Bids to be let by end of year for first of three projects

 

 

Construction of the bypass around Hiwasse began March 2011 and connects a portion of Arkansas Highway 72 back on itself, creating a bypass of the Hiwasse area of Gravette.  Two interchanges are being constructed, on the southeast and northwest sides of Hiwasse. The interchanges and roadway connecting the two is epxected to be completed next spring.

 

The price of that project is $19.8 million, (Danny) Straessle (of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department) said.

 

The second project already in the works is an interchange at Rocky Del (sic) Hollow Road, west of the Highlands in Bella Vista.

 

Construction on the interchange and the road to connect to the Arkansas 72 interchange began in the summer of 2012.  Straessle said the project should wrap up late in the summer of 2014.  This will create a continuous two-lane state highway from Hiwasse nearing the Missouri state line.

 

 

and;

 

 

A third project will also go to bid early next year to complete the highway from Rocky Del (sic) Hollow Road to the state line.

 

"The Bella Vista Bypass project has been ready to go for some time; we just needed the money.  Overpasses at interchanges are being built to full interchanges, they just won't have southbound lanes," Straessle said.

 

There is a plan for a future four-land highway to become I-49 running from Louisiana to Canada.  But the money isn't there yet, Straessle said, and the completion date for that is an unknown at this time.

 

"Ideas are being kicked around.  One is a toll study, but that is in its infancy," he said.  A toll-road study was completed once before, he added, but at the time was not feasible to support the bypass.

 

"We're taking a look at that again," he said.

 

 

Takeaways?

 

1.  I still say the state of Arkansas runs the risk of looking foolish for not having thought to build I-49 between Greenwood and Texarkana.  Our second largest risk of looking foolish is going to be having the BV bypass two lane, during the time it is two-lane.

 

2.  According to this article, Mr. Straessle is predicting the aforementioned Rocky Dell Hollow interchange (west Bella Vista) to the east Highway 72 interchange will be fully complete, in two-lane form, next summer, which means,

 

3.  The Rocky Dell Hollow-to-Missouri line section and (the BIG one, IMO) the east Highway 72 interchange-to-I-540's-current-end section will be the two areas which take from 2014 (or this year, if they're started*) to 2016 per the AHTD schedule posted here earlier.

[KJW]

Did you all know that Fort Smith is getting its own "Pinnacle Hills Promenade"?

 

I didn't either, until a veteran Dillard's employee told me about it yesterday, saying it would be like the Rogers mall.  (And I visited Chaffee Crossing with its "Interstate to nowhere".  By golly, they're still working on it and were grading it yesterday.  It's no longer an "interstate of weeds".)  Honestly, I discounted it, even though I saw they're still building things right and left at this place (which is really nowhere near either I-540 or the existing Fort Smith bypass right now).

 

Well, I was wrong...they are planning on building it!

[KJW]

...and here's the story in the Fort Smith Southwest Times Record about the project.  (Note how there aren't even any comments, pro or con, by readers on this story.  I've never seen such an "in plain sight" big secret at I-49 in my life.)  Those of you who know Fort Smith know there is nothing here at this location (save a convenience store and a sparkling new Interstate bridge that leads currently to nowhere) right now...and, frankly, the only reason that a "Dallas developer" would do this is because of the big $$$ a future I-49 will bring (though only God Himself knows whether or not this will actually happen between north Texarkana and south Alma).

[comreguy]

...and here's the story in the Fort Smith Southwest Times Record about the project.  (Note how there aren't even any comments, pro or con, by readers on this story.  I've never seen such an "in plain sight" big secret at I-49 in my life.)  Those of you who know Fort Smith know there is nothing here at this location (save a convenience store and a sparkling new Interstate bridge that leads currently to nowhere) right now...and, frankly, the only reason that a "Dallas developer" would do this is because of the big $$$ a future I-49 will bring (though only God Himself knows whether or not this will actually happen between north Texarkana and south Alma).

I'm in the industry, and I have not heard anything other than the articles in the papers nor have I seen any plans. They are not contacting any retailers for pre-leasing. I've spoken to several of my colleagues and counterparts, and they've not seen anything either. A "secret project" just doesn't work in the retail development game. I'm not putting much faith in this project.

 

[KJW]

Comreguy, I'd tend to agree, but...if this Interstate gets fully built, Fort Smith is going to be a natural stop, eat, take a break location for all those Texans and Louisianans heading north to wherever (after driving that stretch along Little River, Sevier, Polk, Scott and south/middle Sebastian Counties - I'd expect Mena to put some restaurants up too along the "Ruby Tuesday's" variety, given that restaurant has a location in south Pryor, Oklahoma along U.S. 76(?))...I wouldn't expect the truckers to pull over for this.  

 

 

Still, someone's trying to gin up interest with this story, even to the point of the "beetle study"?  (BTW, there still are apartments, industry (many already in operation) firehouses going up there along the "interstate-to-nowhere" already, plus some other government buildings of some type.)

[comreguy]

Comreguy, I tend to agree.  Someone's trying to gin up interest?  (BTW, there still are apartments, industry (many already in operation) firehouses going up there already, plus some other government buildings of some type.)

 

I'm clueless on what is going on. I believe the developers have closed on the purchase, but there is no market now for that type of large scale retail development in Barling. Maybe in 5-10 years?

[KJW]

I'm clueless on what is going on. I believe the developers have closed on the purchase, but there is no market now for that type of large scale retail development in Barling. Maybe in 5-10 years?

 

Comreguy, again...this whole thing is bizarre, or would be were there not other evidence such as the PowerPoint map from the Texas Highway and Transportation Department...looking at the current American Interstate map, it's honestly surprising that this wasn't done years ago...as if no one saw that Texas was going to be the nation's second biggest state in terms of population.  

 

Otherwise, would our old Razorback Dick Trammell and his ATHD boys put their names on plaques over bridges that, if this highway isn't built, will seem like monuments to stupidity?  Right now, for example, the Massard Road bridge crosses over to a dead end on the east.  Like I'd said elsewhere, I've never seen speculation like this before in my life.