Transportation Projects, Roads, Light Rail, etc

[TRB]

7 hours ago, IronScott said:

I would much rather see toll roads than more taxes. Pay for what you use seems to be fair. Don't you think we are taxed enough?

With your plan will taxes go down when gas prices skyrocket? I'm guessing not.

 

Yes they would, that's the point. If gas increases, the fuel tax per gallon is decreased downward. For example, if gas reaches 3.00 a gallon it's at today's current tax but if it's 1.75. it's more. Gas is still much cheaper at 1.75 and the tax is baked into the cake. It's just an idea. We have to find a way to fund the roads better. I've never understood the backlash on toll roads. Say if I-49 from Alma to Fayetteville was a Turnpike, there's nothing stopping those that don't want to pay by using a much busy old US71 that's still there. That goes for locals and travel throughs. This is what I would do for US 412 . I'd have two turnpikes. They would between Harrison and Mt. Home and Mountain Home to the intersection US 67 with a small segment that's free to connect to the existing bypass. Ditto for I-49, two toll segments Texarkana to Mena, a free use Mena bypass, and Mena to Ft. Smith. Don't want to pay, there's old US 71 that has much less traffic, less maintenance  and reducing es speeds. Tolled sections would have a 75 or 80 mph speed limit. You pay for higher speed privilege. 

 

Here's the current rates for Arkansas:

Gasoline .215 per gallon Clear Diesel .225 per gallon Biodiesel Mixture* .225 per gallon Gasohol .215 per gallon Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) .165 per gallon Natural Gas (CNG) .05 per gallon Ethanol/Methanol .215 per gallon Petroleum Environmental Fee ** .003 per gallon Arkansas Excise Tax Rate Dyed Diesel .06 per gallon
 

Now say at a gasoline wholesale price of 1.50 it's raised to .265, at 2.25 it's at .240 and at 3.00 it's back down to .215. 

 

[IronScott]

That's nice in theory but no government is going to lower tax rates and if it makes too much sense it won't happen. I'm a bit cynical when it comes to taxes.

[aerotive]

Saw this linked on Twitter, overheard/drone view of the Rupple construction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sS_c7Hy2Y

[Snaple4]

Hear reports that i-49 near Lowell flooded. Any idea how and where?

[Mith242]

On 12/27/2015 at 6:47 PM, Snaple4 said:

Hear reports that i-49 near Lowell flooded. Any idea how and where?

I'd heard the northbound lanes.  But no idea of how long.

[Snaple4]

 4029 has a thing about exit 88 (central) being updated along with expanding to 6 lanes going south. Does anyone have more info?

[aerotive]

Do big shows at the AMP usually cause severe traffic backups?  Got caught up in Weezer traffic yesterday, exit 82 was really bad. 
Not sure if southbound exits were as bad.

 

Edited July 18, 2016 by aerotive
direction correction

[comreguy]

2 hours ago, aerotive said:

Do big shows at the AMP usually cause severe traffic backups?  Got caught up in Weezer traffic yesterday, exit 82 was really bad. 
Not sure if northbound exits were as bad.

Yes, but usually clears up quickly after peak. 

[galador]

13 hours ago, aerotive said:

Do big shows at the AMP usually cause severe traffic backups?  Got caught up in Weezer traffic yesterday, exit 82 was really bad. 
Not sure if southbound exits were as bad.

 

The whole thing was a cluster. The line to get into the AMP was backed up to Chuy's (maybe two-ish blocks?), and the opener was going on while there were still probably thousands of people trying to get in. I've been to a lot of shows (including big festivals), and that one was probably the worst-managed one I've ever been to.

[comreguy]

30 minutes ago, galador said:

The whole thing was a cluster. The line to get into the AMP was backed up to Chuy's (maybe two-ish blocks?), and the opener was going on while there were still probably thousands of people trying to get in. I've been to a lot of shows (including big festivals), and that one was probably the worst-managed one I've ever been to.

In fairness to the amp, they delayed the start time of the headline acts to allow the crowd to enter. 

[wmr]

The plan for I-49 at Walton/Walnut interchange is a SPUI.

 

http://talkbusiness.net/2016/10/ahtd-reveals-plans-for-23-million-rogers-interchange-on-interstate-49/

 

[IronScott]

Some of the new lanes on I-49 are finally opening tomorrow in the Springdale and Johnson areas. I don't know what their criteria for opening is but it has been a ridiculous amount of time since the paving and striping has been completed. The new asphalt is already faded and they are just now opening. This project is a nightmare for motorists but the highway dept would buy some goodwill by opening more of the completed lanes. It would also help if they didn't shrink existing lanes and put the barriers so close to make it a danger zone to drive through but that's another story.

 

[UrbanArkie]

how will this help the johnson to porter nightmare?

[comreguy]

2 hours ago, UrbanArkie said:

how will this help the johnson to porter nightmare?

You have 2 more years of pain before help will be realized at the I-49 and Fulbright interchange

[Mith242]

On 11/2/2016 at 7:55 PM, IronScott said:

Some of the new lanes on I-49 are finally opening tomorrow in the Springdale and Johnson areas. I don't know what their criteria for opening is but it has been a ridiculous amount of time since the paving and striping has been completed. The new asphalt is already faded and they are just now opening. This project is a nightmare for motorists but the highway dept would buy some goodwill by opening more of the completed lanes. It would also help if they didn't shrink existing lanes and put the barriers so close to make it a danger zone to drive through but that's another story.

 

Yeah, I'm really not sure why it took so long to open some of these lanes.

On 11/3/2016 at 1:43 PM, comreguy said:

You have 2 more years of pain before help will be realized at the I-49 and Fulbright interchange

To be honest, I was surprised ground was broken as soon as it was on this project. It is nice that the area has more control over these projects and not having to rely so much on the rest if the state.

[TRB]

The lanes were closed because of the experience of the area around Lowell and and WagonWheel. Too many people were not merging down to two lanes and instead flying to end of the third lane and then cutting in to beat traffic. It was causing near daily multiple accidents and this will too. I wouldn't be shocked to see it reduced to two lanes again after a couple of weeks of mayham at the merges on each end just like it was Friday.  Shocked they did this after the Troopers experience before.

[Mith242]

On 11/6/2016 at 8:42 AM, TRB said:

The lanes were closed because of the experience of the area around Lowell and and WagonWheel. Too many people were not merging down to two lanes and instead flying to end of the third lane and then cutting in to beat traffic. It was causing near daily multiple accidents and this will too. I wouldn't be shocked to see it reduced to two lanes again after a couple of weeks of mayham at the merges on each end just like it was Friday.  Shocked they did this after the Troopers experience before.

Yeah, I've been seeing exactly what you're saying. But it's going to be quite a while before any additional lanes are added between Fayetteville and Johnson. 

[jm967]

Anyone know of plans to resurface Wallis in Rogers?  Was hoping they would take care of that when reconstructing Pinnacle Hills Parkway, but they stopped too soon!  It can be a bit dangerous on the curve by Faithful Friends Vet (hole/drop off on the curve), and it's frustrating that the road narrows, widens, narrows and widens. Traffic seems to be getting heavier on this route and it would be great to have a uniform road.

[jb1087]

On 12/7/2016 at 9:08 AM, jm967 said:

Anyone know of plans to resurface Wallis in Rogers?  Was hoping they would take care of that when reconstructing Pinnacle Hills Parkway, but they stopped too soon!  It can be a bit dangerous on the curve by Faithful Friends Vet (hole/drop off on the curve), and it's frustrating that the road narrows, widens, narrows and widens. Traffic seems to be getting heavier on this route and it would be great to have a uniform road.

They seem to only be patching it when absolutely necessary.  Noticed a few new square feet of pavement on it in the last week or two, though hardly doing anything to help the mess that the corner is.  Nearly all of it was submerged this evening with the quick and heavy rainfall.  

[jm967]

On 3/24/2017 at 7:29 PM, jb1087 said:

They seem to only be patching it when absolutely necessary.  Noticed a few new square feet of pavement on it in the last week or two, though hardly doing anything to help the mess that the corner is.  Nearly all of it was submerged this evening with the quick and heavy rainfall.  

True!  It continues to deteriorate... latest storms really tore it up.  I hope it's in the plans now, it is getting lots of traffic!  

[UrbanArkie]

Rogers Street Department could use some new blood.

[breadmaker1]

My experience is that Rogers is typically ahead of the other cities with transportation.  Wallis, while a problem, is technically outside of Rogers and in Cave Springs for the portion you're referring to.  

[zman9810]

The soon to be named Arkansas Transportation Department made a good call on the renovation of I49 between Mountainburg and Greenland. The road surface compares to driving on new construction. Its been a pain with the one lane driving at times but the end result is fantastic.

The choice to use asphalt on the big reconstruction project along I40 and other interstates in Arkansas is coming back to bite the department. The road surface is deteriorating in places as is to be expected with asphalt. Reconstruction with concrete would have lasted much longer. The choice to use asphalt was made because it was cheaper, quicker and more miles of interstate could be repaired. The downside is that the roads are going to need another major repair job when money is even tighter now than years ago. Hopefully some of the stretches of interstate most in need such as I40 between I49 and I540 can be redone with concrete the next time around. That stretch doubles as the E/W and N/S route in that area.  I'm sure there are other instances of interstate that do double duty that could use a more permanent fix, also.

[KJW]

"The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission will apply for a federal grant to help cash-strapped Missouri finish its part of Interstate 49 around Bella Vista." (Let's see whether this works) :  https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3324.msg2261941#msg2261941

[zman9810]

So, so ,so great that the 49/Fulbright/Hwy 112 exchange is open! Now, please open up the third lane at 49 and the 412 bypass before more people are hurt. The priorities need to be realized and construction contracts negotiated to reflect this.