I-40 in Arkansas to I-55 in Mississippi connector proposed

[bugo]

http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=508872&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

[bassoon1986]

So this proposed interstate would cross right about the point of the Future I-69 crossing of the MS River (Great River Bridge)?

[Grzrd]

So this proposed interstate would cross right about the point of the Future I-69 crossing of the MS River (Great River Bridge)?

I don't think it is intended to be an interstate; I think it will be similar to the Corridor V expressway in Mississippi from Oxford to Pontotoc.  I believe the five corridors discussed at the meetings will be near the current US 49 crossing near Helena and West Helena, Arkansas.  Here's a pdf of the Draft Study Purpose and Needs from 2010.

Also, here's some prior discussion from the Mississippi thread.

[rte66man]

I don't think it is intended to be an interstate; I think it will be similar to the Corridor V expressway in Mississippi from Oxford to Pontotoc.  I believe the five corridors discussed at the meetings will be near the current US 49 crossing near Helena and West Helena, Arkansas.

Is there really a need for this other than the usual "economic development" canard?  Arkansas would be better served widening 40 from West Memphis to Little Rock.

rte66man

[cbalducc]

Something needs to be done about the interchange of I-55, Crump Boulevard, and Riverside Drive in Memphis, which is terribly inadequate:

http://g.co/maps/wdkqv

As you can see, all I-55 traffic crossing the Mississippi river from Memphis west into Arkansas has to get onto the upper-right quadrant of the cloverleaf ramp.  The interchange is woefully inadequate but there is a proposal to build a new interchange.   The Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge was built before the Interstate system was created, so it is obsolete as well.  If the bridge were widened and the interchange rebuilt, perhaps that would eliminate the dream of a third bridge and highway near Memphis.  God bless.

[UptownRoadGeek]

Something needs to be done about the interchange of I-55, Crump Boulevard, and Riverside Drive in Memphis, which is terribly inadequate:

http://g.co/maps/wdkqv

As you can see, all I-55 traffic crossing the Mississippi river from Memphis west into Arkansas has to get onto the upper-right quadrant of the cloverleaf ramp.  The interchange is woefully inadequate but there is a proposal to build a new interchange.   The Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge was built before the Interstate system was created, so it is obsolete as well.  If the bridge were widened and the interchange rebuilt, perhaps that would eliminate the dream of a third bridge and highway near Memphis.  God bless.

Already in progress. http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/i55/docs/SH055Crump_Layout_Alt_Z-1.PDF

[RoadWarrior56]

The I-55 bridge over the Mississippi will likely never be seriously upgraded, since it has been placed on the National Register of Historic Resources.

[Grzrd]

Is there really a need for this other than the usual "economic development" canard?
rte66man

Since it is a DDHS Corridor that will connect to ARC Corridor V at the Batesville I-55 interchange, I think "economic development" is the primary justification for it, earthquakes and Memphis traffic congestion notwithstanding.

Above said, I do like how the corridor from Brinkley to Batesville, then MS 6 from Batesville to Pontotoc, and then MS 9 to I-22 would provide a nice southern bypass of Memphis.

[Grzrd]

Here are the Proposed Corridor Summaries for the five corridors that are being presented at the public meetings.

EDIT

As a Birmingham to Little Rock "Memphis bypass", I like Corridor 2 unless Helena-West Helena REALLY needs a new terrain bypass.