I-49 in Arkansas

[bassoon1986]

I know all about LADOTD's Facebook, Twitter and YT pages...my problem is with their website, and the lack of any real access to any general construction plan or study.

Agreed.  You can barely find information even about current construction, unless it is a major project with its own page.  Do you remember the map you could click on to see current construction by parish?  I emailed DOTD to ask what had happened to it, and they said that they were deciding how best to "rebuild" that page and would probably have IT write a new software application.  This was over 3 months ago.

Also, is there anywhere on LA DOTD's website showing an updated list of State Highways? The list we have on AAroads is great but is getting outdated as more LA 12xx roads appear, and more are getting discontinued. I've heard that we can go by the parish maps now but even still they miss out a lot on the tiny spur routes and there's no mileage shown. Is there a list at the building itself in Baton Rouge?

I wonder, too, whether we can find or put together DOTD news articles and updates as new highways are added/discontinued. We've had discussions and I think even shown DOTD wrong posted signs compared to their news release for the old LA 10 number change when the Audubon bridge was opened near New Roads.



Fixed quote. - rmf67

[cenlaroads]

To my knowledge, there is no such list on the DOTD website.  The maps provide the only route information on the site.  Alex said that he had received the 2003 route log on AARoads by emailing LADOTD, so I'm sure that an updated list could be obtained.  As far as I know, only the highways numbered in the range 1255-1263 and LA 1138-1 have been added since that log was created, but a number of routes have been decommissioned.

[apjung]

Google Maps now has updated aerials of a completed I-49 on the Arkansas/Louisiana border.
http://goo.gl/maps/p63Rz

[Grzrd]

This article reports that the Bella Vista Bypass would be southwest Missouri's top priority if Missouri voters approve the transportation sales tax and that Arkansas Highway Commissioner Dick Trammel is strongly hinting that Arkansas would then be able to come up with the extra $50 million to complete the Arkansas section of the BVB as a four-lane facility

As recently posted in the I-49 Coming to Missouri thread, Missouri indicates that, if Congress enacts a long-term transportation reauthorization, completion of its section of the Bella Vista Bypass is a "critical project" that would be addressed at some time during the term of the reauthorization. Arkansas does not list construction of the currently unfunded additional two lanes of the BVB as one of its "critical projects", but I suspect that AHTD has to wait for Missouri to officially "green light" its section before it can identify construction of the additional two lanes as "critical".  Given Trammel's comment in the above quote, I think that there is a good chance that they will scrounge up the additional $50 million and build the BVB as a four-lane facility if MoDOT proceeds with its section during the term of a long-term reauthorization.

[O Tamandua]

First the Bypass.  Then the Bridge.  Then the Big one.

[Grzrd]

This article reports that the Bella Vista Bypass would be southwest Missouri's top priority if Missouri voters approve the transportation sales tax and that Arkansas Highway Commissioner Dick Trammel is strongly hinting that Arkansas would then be able to come up with the extra $50 million to complete the Arkansas section of the BVB as a four-lane facility

Given Trammel's comment in the above quote, I think that there is a good chance that they will scrounge up the additional $50 million and build the BVB as a four-lane facility if MoDOT proceeds with its section during the term of a long-term reauthorization.

In this article, Trammel expresses hope that work on the Bella Vista Bypass from County 34 to the Missouri state line could begin in mid-2016:

Northwest Arkansas is in the middle of a road building boom to ease congestion on the region's crowded highway system.
"I tell everybody when you see orange barrels, you know it's going to get better. They're not there because it's going to get worse," said Dick Trammel of Rogers, Arkansas Highway Commission chairman ....
"If you look at the I-49 corridor, you'll see that it's quite the jigsaw puzzle of funding mechanisms to get this corridor widened to three lanes all the way from Fayetteville up to Bentonville where the Bella Vista bypass is going to be, which is the ultimate goal," said Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department ....
"The traffic projections for that corridor are such that in order to increase the capacity and reduce congestion, we're going to three lanes in each direction. That's not just origin or destination traffic, it also includes projections for through traffic that comes from Missouri when the Bella Vista bypass is completed and Missouri is able to meet us at the state line," Straessle said ....
The Bella Vista bypass construction is under way. Two lanes are planned initially, but right of way is being acquired for four lanes. The first section, around Hiwasse, was built using federal highway money. Sales tax money will pay for most of the remainder of the $100 million project.
A four-mile section between Benton County 34 and the Missouri line is on hold until Missouri finds the money to meet at the state line. Trammel said Missouri is looking at ways to raise the money, and he's hopeful it will be ready to finish its portion by the time the bypass is connected at I-49 in Bentonville. The new interchange has not been put out for bid, but the eastern most, six-mile section between I-49 and Arkansas 72 is expected to be completed in mid-2016.

However, this time, Trammel does not mention the possibility of going ahead and building the Bella Vista Bypass as a four-lane facility.  That said, having traffic go from six lanes to two lanes could get pretty ugly ...

[O Tamandua]

From today's NWA area paper (and it's maddening because it's right next, literally, to a story about growth in Springdale's Elm Springs area, directly on NWA's I-49).

Bella Vista Bypass Not a Priority as Missouri Searches for Highway Money
Missouri officials look for funds to tie in to Bella Vista highway


Missouri highway officials are looking for money for roads but even if their latest proposal is successful, finishing the Bella Vista bypass doesn't appear to be on the state's list of priority projects, regional planners were told Wednesday.

"It doesn't look like there'll be enough money to do that," Andrew Seiler with the Missouri Department of Transportation told regional planners. "It will likely be pushed back."

Seiler's comment came in response to a question from Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Dick Trammel about highway priorities in the region. Trammel said he was "deeply concerned" about getting the connection finished in a timely manner.

"I can't be critical if it's a financial problem because we're having those ourselves," Trammel said Friday. "But if it's a priority problem, I just hope they can see the expenditure and what we're doing, and then when they get in a position to they will include the Bella Vista bypass in their priorities because it's important to Missouri and Arkansas."

The Bella Vista bypass is being built as a two lane, divided highway initially but is expected to eventually be four lanes in each direction. It will be part of Interstate 49 when complete. The project has been a priority in Northwest Arkansas for years. Money to build Arkansas' side became available when voters approved Issue 1, a 10-year, half-percent sales tax for new construction of highways in 2012.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2015/mar/30/bella-vista-bypass-not-a-priority-as-mi/

[intelati49]

From today's NWA area paper (and it's maddening because it's right next, literally, to a story about growth in Springdale's Elm Springs area, directly on NWA's I-49).

Bella Vista Bypass Not a Priority as Missouri Searches for Highway Money
Missouri officials look for funds to tie in to Bella Vista highway

Now, to be fair. It's kind of hard to justify building a new terrain road when you can't maintain your existing network.

Then again, I wish they would have built it in 2012 when they had the chance.

[Grzrd]

IDriveArkansas is now indicating another delay and projecting a Mid 2015 completion date

This TV video has some footage of the construction of Future I-49 from Greenwood to Barling and projects that the project should wrap up by mid-July:

After some weather delays, construction on future Interstate 49 from Greenwood to Barling is almost done. The $98 million project is just a small fragment of an interstate that will one day run from Northwest Arkansas to Louisiana.
"Right now the concrete pavement is down, so that's the driving surface,"  Chad Adams, district engineer with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department said. "The contractors are working on putting gravel down for the shoulders. They've actually starting placing asphalt on some of the shoulders on the south end of the project."
Adams said the construction project got underway about seven years ago. Once the 5.5 mile stretch is complete, the drive from Greenwood to Highway 22 in the Barling and Fort Chaffee area will be a lot quicker ....
"For now the funding is just to complete this section,"  Adams said. "There's another section to be built between here and across the Arkansas River and to tie into 49 and the Alma area."
The project is expected to wrap up by mid-July.

[robbones]

It's going to take a lot of fill dirt to make a road bed high enough to prevent the road from flooding in the "Bottoms" of Crawford County

[US71]

It's going to take a lot of fill dirt to make a road bed high enough to prevent the road from flooding in the "Bottoms" of Crawford County

Well, unless they've used it up, there was a lot of fill taken from Howard Hill Rd where the hillside had to be scooped out to lower the grade on 49.

[bjrush]

That fill may not be suitable

[O Tamandua]

I'm living in metro Springfield, MO now.  This morning on KWTO-AM there was a state senator on who was discussing that this would be a contentious few final weeks in that body up in Jefferson City.  He also said that, while he was normally against new taxes he was thinking that Missouri is reaching a point where it has to consider that, especially given the federal uncertainty that AHTD speaks of in another post.

His words were (paraphrased by very little): "If we're telling people, 'Hey, we're in the middle of the country...2/3 of America is easily accessible from Missouri', then we really need to be investing more in our highways now."  Frankly, he could have been talking directly about the Missouri-side Bella Vista bypass with that statement given that this highway will be Missouri's quickest interstate to Texas with its 2nd-largest-state-population in America.  He probably had it as well as other things in mind.

Wish I'd taken notes but I heard this when my radio alarm went off.  Doesn't matter...as said before, we're (Arkansas and Missouri) at the point where it's now very foolish NOT to be thinking of a completed I-49.

[Grzrd]

as said before, we're (Arkansas and Missouri) at the point where it's now very foolish NOT to be thinking of a completed I-49.

Granted, it's only a small step toward a completed I-49 (and more specifically a completed Bella Vista Bypass), but this May 14, 2015 AHTD presentation to the Fayetteville Commerce District indicates that the section of the BVB from Hwy. 72 to Co. Rd. 34 should be completed in June (p. 11/38 of pdf):



Maybe Missouri will figure out a way to get their section done in the not-too-distant future.

[bugo]

Why are they building the least useful parts of the highway first? It looks like the part from I-49 to Hiwasee would be the most useful.

Are they still going to build that stupid temporary roundabout?

[US71]

Why are they building the least useful parts of the highway first? It looks like the part from I-49 to Hiwasee would be the most useful.

They are working on it. It appears the "blowing up the rocks" portion is about done at Bentonville, but I've been too busy to get any more photos.

[O Tamandua]

Article in today's Fort Smith paper about the I-49 stretch in Greenwood/Fort Smith/Barling opening "hopefully" in July, and the further expected boom in growth there:

As the opening of a 6.5-mile stretch of Interstate 49 through Chaffee Crossing draws closer, the trust's boss expects to field a growing number of land offers for medical-related clinics and retail.

The state will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the highway in July "hopefully,"  Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Ivy Owen said.

"That news is out there and people know it's going to happen,"  he said. "The people who have been waiting and holding back to make offers are now coming out of the woodwork to make offers on smaller, specialized pieces of property like medical clinics and physician's offices, that sort of thing."

The FCRA, formed in 1997, oversees redevelopment of land released by the U.S. Army from Fort Chaffee as part of a Base Realignment and Closure downsizing. Of the original 6,000 acres located in both Fort Smith and Barling, the FCRA has about 2,800 left to sell, Owen said. The remaining land is worth between $25 million-$27 million.

I-49 represents 1,700 miles of interstate highway between New Orleans and Winnipeg, Canada, with about 315 miles within Arkansas. A dedication ceremony was held a year ago when the U.S. Department of Transportation officially designating Interstate 540 from Alma north to the Missouri border as Interstate 49.

"It will just be a monumental accomplishment to get that done,"  Owen said

- See more at: http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom#sthash.Q5pWYKyp.dpuf

http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom

I believe him.  Arkansas is now big enough that a second med school was merited (similar population states like Iowa and slightly larger Oklahoma each have at least two, where Arkansas only had one) and it's being built now, rain permitting.    ArcBest transportation is thriving, too, and it's moving out there.  Fort Smith has always been much more industrial-based in its economy vs. Northwest Arkansas, but I think there will be a smaller though profound "NWA effect" as this interstate grows.

Just wait until it's completed (though we may be dead by then)...

[Avalanchez71]

What about the retirees that moved over there to get a mountain vista and now you are trying to put a highway on top of that view.

[Wayward Memphian]

Article in today's Fort Smith paper about the I-49 stretch in Greenwood/Fort Smith/Barling opening "hopefully" in July, and the further expected boom in growth there:

As the opening of a 6.5-mile stretch of Interstate 49 through Chaffee Crossing draws closer, the trust's boss expects to field a growing number of land offers for medical-related clinics and retail.

The state will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the highway in July "hopefully,"  Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Ivy Owen said.

"That news is out there and people know it's going to happen,"  he said. "The people who have been waiting and holding back to make offers are now coming out of the woodwork to make offers on smaller, specialized pieces of property like medical clinics and physician's offices, that sort of thing."

The FCRA, formed in 1997, oversees redevelopment of land released by the U.S. Army from Fort Chaffee as part of a Base Realignment and Closure downsizing. Of the original 6,000 acres located in both Fort Smith and Barling, the FCRA has about 2,800 left to sell, Owen said. The remaining land is worth between $25 million-$27 million.

I-49 represents 1,700 miles of interstate highway between New Orleans and Winnipeg, Canada, with about 315 miles within Arkansas. A dedication ceremony was held a year ago when the U.S. Department of Transportation officially designating Interstate 540 from Alma north to the Missouri border as Interstate 49.

"It will just be a monumental accomplishment to get that done,"  Owen said

- See more at: http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom#sthash.Q5pWYKyp.dpuf

http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom

I believe him.  Arkansas is now big enough that a second med school was merited (similar population states like Iowa and slightly larger Oklahoma each have at least two, where Arkansas only had one) and it's being built now, rain permitting.    ArcBest transportation is thriving, too, and it's moving out there.  Fort Smith has always been much more industrial-based in its economy vs. Northwest Arkansas, but I think there will be a smaller though profound "NWA effect" as this interstate grows.

Just wait until it's completed (though we may be dead by then)...

Ft. Smith screams auto. assembly plant. In turn, that would feed supplier based growth in the region.

[Anthony_JK]

I-49 represents 1,700 miles of interstate highway between New Orleans and Winnipeg, Canada [...]

Really?? I-49 South, the segment of I-49 between Texarkana and Chaffee's Crossing, the BVB, and Bruce Watkins Drive have been built or converted?? And, I-29 is now converted to I-49? Or...are they converting I-35 north of Kansas City to "I-49E"??

I know, not the point of the article itself....but such glaring misjournalism deserves to be called out.

[The Ghostbuster]

Have the exits on old 540 been renumbered yet?

[bugo]

What about the retirees that moved over there to get a mountain vista and now you are trying to put a highway on top of that view.

They shouldn't have bought a house near a freeway corridor.

[O Tamandua]

Article in today's Fort Smith paper about the I-49 stretch in Greenwood/Fort Smith/Barling opening "hopefully" in July, and the further expected boom in growth there:

As the opening of a 6.5-mile stretch of Interstate 49 through Chaffee Crossing draws closer, the trust's boss expects to field a growing number of land offers for medical-related clinics and retail.

The state will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the highway in July "hopefully,"  Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Ivy Owen said.

"That news is out there and people know it's going to happen,"  he said. "The people who have been waiting and holding back to make offers are now coming out of the woodwork to make offers on smaller, specialized pieces of property like medical clinics and physician's offices, that sort of thing."

The FCRA, formed in 1997, oversees redevelopment of land released by the U.S. Army from Fort Chaffee as part of a Base Realignment and Closure downsizing. Of the original 6,000 acres located in both Fort Smith and Barling, the FCRA has about 2,800 left to sell, Owen said. The remaining land is worth between $25 million-$27 million.

I-49 represents 1,700 miles of interstate highway between New Orleans and Winnipeg, Canada, with about 315 miles within Arkansas. A dedication ceremony was held a year ago when the U.S. Department of Transportation officially designating Interstate 540 from Alma north to the Missouri border as Interstate 49.

"It will just be a monumental accomplishment to get that done,"  Owen said

- See more at: http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom#sthash.Q5pWYKyp.dpuf

http://swtimes.com/news/chaffee-crossing-boss-braces-boom

I believe him.  Arkansas is now big enough that a second med school was merited (similar population states like Iowa and slightly larger Oklahoma each have at least two, where Arkansas only had one) and it's being built now, rain permitting.    ArcBest transportation is thriving, too, and it's moving out there.  Fort Smith has always been much more industrial-based in its economy vs. Northwest Arkansas, but I think there will be a smaller though profound "NWA effect" as this interstate grows.

Just wait until it's completed (though we may be dead by then)...

Ft. Smith screams auto. assembly plant. In turn, that would feed supplier based growth in the region.

One doesn't ship auto products by barge, but I've thought the same thing, mainly about Van Buren, across the river from FSM on a very key Union Pacific railroad line between the west/midwest/northwest and southeast.  Arkansas would likely be right-to-work, though, so we couldn't have that.

[US71]

Arkansas would likely be right-to-work, though, so we couldn't have that.

Likely? Arkansas IS "Right to work"

[Avalanchez71]

I think the term that is used by the AR General Assembly is work-at-will.