[bigboyz05]

How much did it cost?

I'm not sure but I thought I remember hearing that it was around 100 million. That project took 10 years to complete. The northern loop will start construction sometime this year. I'm not sure about the cost of that section although it should be less than the southern portion.

[mcheiss]

I'm not sure but I thought I remember hearing that it was around 100 million. That project took 10 years to complete. The northern loop will start construction sometime this year. I'm not sure about the cost of that section although it should be less than the southern portion.

How was it payed for?

[bigboyz05]

How was it payed for?

I think it was from some highway bill. When it first opened traffic counts were at 20,000. Now it's at almost 40,000. That's not a lot but, I'm sure the numbers will increase over time. Is I-540 a real nightmare? Does it compare with any of L.R.'s freeways?

[mcheiss]

I think it was from some highway bill. When it first opened traffic counts were at 20,000. Now it's at almost 40,000. That's not a lot but, I'm sure the numbers will increase over time. Is I-540 a real nightmare? Does it compare with any of L.R.'s freeways?

Parts of I-540 get over 80,000 cars a day. I know one in LR gets about 100,000 cars a day.

I'd really like to see a loop in NWA, but I think most of us up here would rather see Improvements to Roads near I-540 and I-540 upgraded to 8 lanes. Then there's the Bella Vista Bypass and U.S. 412 Bypass that need to happen. It doesn't look like NWA is going to recieve that money anytime soon.

[bigboyz05]

Parts of I-540 get over 80,000 cars a day. I know one in LR gets about 100,000 cars a day.

I'd really like to see a loop in NWA, but I think most of us up here would rather see Improvements to Roads near I-540 and I-540 upgraded to 8 lanes. Then there's the Bella Vista Bypass and U.S. 412 Bypass that need to happen. It doesn't look like NWA is going to recieve that money anytime soon.

If a loop were to be constructed up there would it be built like a giant oval around Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers?

[masons_dad1]

That brings up something I'm more curious about-- how common is it for employers in NWA to allow flex time for employees? From what I can tell people still do the 8-5 thing for the most part in NWA (and the traffic data I've seen tends to verify this... but things are changing fast). As traffic gets worse, I imagine more and more people will take advantage of, if they have the option, of doing 7:30-4:30, or 8:30-5:30, etc.

I'd say it really depends on the employer, but I will say that from where I sit NWA employers aren't as concerned about traffic as they are with meeting the business needs. I work 3rd shift with about 10 other employees and pretty much every other Wal-Mart vendor has 2nd and 3rd shifts. I believe Tyson has 24 hour operations as does some other manufacturing compaines in NWA. I'd bet some money that many of Wal-Marts vendors that have relocated here from other metros do use flex-time as I'm sure they know what that term means.

[masons_dad1]

If a loop were to be constructed up there would it be built like a giant oval around Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers?

The only proposed loops for NWA would "loop" around Springdale in the middle. There are no plans that I'm aware of to loop around Fayetteville or any of the other cities in NWA. Springdale to Rogers is the biggest trouble spot on the I-540 bypass.

You can check out all of the proposed NWA loops or bypasses in PDF format HERE.

[bigboyz05]

Cool. Thanks for the link.

[Lady Celeste]

To me, working from home is better than flex time. All flex time seem to have done in other cities is make rush hour extend from 6:30 till 10:30 in the mornings and 2:30 till 7:00 in the evenings.

That brings up something I'm more curious about-- how common is it for employers in NWA to allow flex time for employees? From what I can tell people still do the 8-5 thing for the most part in NWA (and the traffic data I've seen tends to verify this... but things are changing fast). As traffic gets worse, I imagine more and more people will take advantage of, if they have the option, of doing 7:30-4:30, or 8:30-5:30, etc.

[KJW]

The only proposed loops for NWA would "loop" around Springdale in the middle. There are no plans that I'm aware of to loop around Fayetteville or any of the other cities in NWA. Springdale to Rogers is the biggest trouble spot on the I-540 bypass.

You can check out all of the proposed NWA loops or bypasses in PDF format HERE.

Thanks, MasonsDad1.

BTW, note on the first "Bella Vista" map on that link a town called "Lanagan" in McDonald County. I drove from Lanagan to U.S. 71, including over the bridge over the continuing construction of the interstate highway (I-540?) there. They're bulldozing the interchange now, but they've already got streetlights up on the bridge. It appears that there's now blacktop on all four lanes of the highway on either direction as far as the eye can see around that bridge, which is the first overpass south of where the four-lane highway from Kansas City south to Anderson, MO now ends. A nearby sign said that overpass will be ready by Fall 2007...might be sooner than that.

Missouri's working quite quickly on their portion, though they've got lots to do farther south towards the state line.

[mcheiss]

Has Arkansas even started on their portion?