I-49 in Arkansas

[TravelingBethelite]

Building Interstates, and even just roads, is more than just luck. It's all a matter of [very x3] hard work and applying themselves. That, and a lot of bureaucracy & bills to get through. A lot. But once that's taken care of, there's no stoppin' (road) progress(o). 

[noelbotevera]

Building Interstates, and even just roads, is more than just luck. It's all a matter of [very x3] hard work and applying themselves. That, and a lot of bureaucracy & bills to get through. A lot. But once that's taken care of, there's no stoppin' (road) progress(o). 

It's luck and time. Luck to get bills signed. Luck to get work done. Luck to even believe that this road can be built. Luck it is even finished early or on time.

[US71]

Building Interstates, and even just roads, is more than just luck. It's all a matter of [very x3] hard work and applying themselves. That, and a lot of bureaucracy & bills to get through. A lot. But once that's taken care of, there's no stoppin' (road) progress(o). 

Bankruptcy

[ATLRedSoxFan]

Just an observation..Arkansas seems to be kind of hush-hush when it comes to their interstate duplex's. I drove Memphis to Ft.Smith ,AR and coming out of Memphis, I-55 isn't even acknowledged until the split North/West, and it's like, BTW, I-55 next right. Same is true with the I-540 concurrency, on overheads, once again, btw. Now I-49 is signed northbound, but they might as well sign it southbound by Ft. Smith.

[US71]

Just an observation..Arkansas seems to be kind of hush-hush when it comes to their interstate duplex's. I drove Memphis to Ft.Smith ,AR and coming out of Memphis, I-55 isn't even acknowledged until the split North/West, and it's like, BTW, I-55 next right. Same is true with the I-540 concurrency, on overheads, once again, btw. Now I-49 is signed northbound, but they might as well sign it southbound by Ft. Smith.

540 is no longer concurrent with I-40 anyway, though US 71 is concurrent with 40 from Exit 13 to Exit 7, but isn't posted. Nor is it posted along I-540.

Nor is 71 (or US 62) posted with I-49 in NW Arkansas.  AHTD explained this once...something about only the highest priority route is posted (?).


As far as I-49, I am guessing AASHTO won't allow AHTD to post AR 549 as I-49 at Gravette or Barling (it doesn't follow I-540).

[razorback0308]

When are they going to start the bridge expansion at exit 85? The road expansion is complete on both sides of the bridge.

[Grzrd]

When are they going to start the bridge expansion at exit 85?

AHTD's August 12, 2015 presentation to the Bella Vista Rotary Club indicates Mid 2016 (p. 10/41 of pdf):

[robbones]

I've drove in Fayetteville the other day and looks like they should have the third lane completed from Wedington Drive (exit 64) to Porter Drive (exit 65) within a few weeks

[robbones]

http://5newsonline.com/2015/10/21/28-miles-of-interstate-49-to-undergo-construction-in-2-4-weeks/

Construction from south of Mountainburg (exit 29) up to Fayetteville

HTC Desire 610

[US71]

http://5newsonline.com/2015/10/21/28-miles-of-interstate-49-to-undergo-construction-in-2-4-weeks/

Construction from south of Mountainburg (exit 29) up to Fayetteville

Not really needed, IMO. I wonder if I-40 will ever be finished?

[Gordon]

Maybe they will work on the shoulders, a lot of the pavement on the shoulders is breaking up.

[Grzrd]

One of the articles incorrectly states that AHTD has launched its "build the bridge campaign." This is not correct. That campaign is a local effort.

This article reports that Gov. Hutchinson has tasked his Working Group on Highway Funding to find out a way to finance the I-49 Arkansas River bridge section between Alma and Chaffee Crossing:

Despite the recent economic growth and progress in the state, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says there is more work to be done.
Hutchinson, speaking during Thursday's annual meeting of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, touted the state's recent economic accomplishments and his goals to continue that progress ....
Another long-term goal and factor in economic development in the state is improving transportation, and Hutchinson said he has tasked his newly established Working Group on Highway Funding to hash out a number of issues, including how to secure funding to build a 13-mile stretch of Interstate 49 south of Alma that will connect at Chaffee Crossing, including a new bridge across the Arkansas River.
"We have to figure a way to make that move forward quicker than what we are doing right now,"  Hutchinson said, as he was met with applause from the crowd of about 1,000 in attendance. "We have to get that done to benefit western Arkansas."

Maybe the effort to build the bridge will proceed from the local level and the gubernatorial level to the AHTD level in the the not-too-distant future.

[Scott5114]

Building Interstates, and even just roads, is more than just luck. It's all a matter of [very x3] hard work and applying themselves. That, and a lot of bureaucracy & bills to get through. A lot. But once that's taken care of, there's no stoppin' (road) progress(o). 

It's luck and time. Luck to get bills signed. Luck to get work done. Luck to even believe that this road can be built. Luck it is even finished early or on time.

It's not luck, it's politics. It would be a very bad legislator that left things like this up to chance.

Here's what happens behind the scenes. Let's say you and I are both legislators in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. I am the chairman of the Transportation Committee and therefore have a lot of power in determining what projects the DOT will build. You are a representative from the city of Lawton and want to have an Interstate 644 built in Lawton.

I have the ability to help your project, so it would be a good idea for you to get me to support your project. So you need to convince me somehow. This can take many forms: you can visit me and tell me why Lawton needs a new interstate, you can help support my re-election campaign somehow, you can write a bill that funds both Interstate 644 and an Interstate 935 in Norman, where I am from and therefore will probably like a lot. Once you get my support, then we get the bill out of committee and now we have to convince the Speaker of the House to bring it to a floor vote. And then we have to get votes for the bill. This repeats over and over until we are convincing the Governor to sign the bill.

How successful we are will depend on how persuadable people are at each step, if we have anything we can offer them to secure their support, and so on. This will be affected by things like how much money the government has to spend and if there is something more important happening that will be seen as a higher priority. If the Governor is concentrating on, say, improving the school system, they might oppose expensive freeway projects that would take money away from that.

It's not just blind chance. It takes a lot of work that most people don't even know is going on.

[US71]

It's not luck, it's politics. It would be a very bad legislator that left things like this up to chance.

John Paul Hammerschmidt pushed a lot of pork to get 49 built north of Alma.  Prissy Hickerson did the same for the Texarkana Loop.

[Wayward Memphian]

I've drove in Fayetteville the other day and looks like they should have the third lane completed from Wedington Drive (exit 64) to Porter Drive (exit 65) within a few weeks

Here's a description of what is increasing becoming nearly continously backups somewhere on I-49 in Benton and Washington Counties. Traffic backs up.from the first light where it ends in Bella Vista to the Ark 72/Pea Ridge exit regularly.  Any on ramp causes a backup as the amount feeding into I-49 basically forces everyone to merge left the Fayetteville curve and 112 exit is a daily nighmare. A side effect is happening, more and more, folks in Fayetteville are using the recently widened Crossover as a quasi freeway to go north and then cut across via Don Tyson. Traffic isn't insane yet but it's going to get there. Houses are continuing to go up along Ark 16 to Elkins, Ark 45 to Goshen and areas north. They need to be planning an extension of the US412 bypass south of where it reconnects with the existing road and get those corridors on paper for planning purposes. We are at 550,000 now, with 800,000 easily possible in 15 years and we are still in  reactionary mode to pre recession growth. Even with the growth of Benton Co. Fayetteville is still adding more residents than anyone. I know from driving 49 enough to know when the Bella Vista Bypass is done and connected with Missouri the already increasing amount of thru traffic will explode. I'm continously seeing Kansas plates using it to connect to I-40.  One stop at Cabelas in Rogers and glancing at plates there shows this as well. I can't imagine what it would be like if it actually was already connected to Texarkana.

Sadly I'm seeing the first blunder of the current widening construction on I-49 up here. They should at least be doing the bridge rebuilds wide enough for 4 lanes even if three is all the road bed is getting at the moment. I liken it to them doing it right between Conway and NLR on I-40 and actually rebuilding the bridges to handle three when the actual widening was still a decade off.

[Bobby5280]

I have the ability to help your project, so it would be a good idea for you to get me to support your project. So you need to convince me somehow. This can take many forms: you can visit me and tell me why Lawton needs a new interstate, you can help support my re-election campaign somehow, you can write a bill that funds both Interstate 644 and an Interstate 935 in Norman, where I am from and therefore will probably like a lot. Once you get my support, then we get the bill out of committee and now we have to convince the Speaker of the House to bring it to a floor vote. And then we have to get votes for the bill. This repeats over and over until we are convincing the Governor to sign the bill.

That's a good description of the political process. Another big part of that is if the representative from a certain area has enough clout to make that project dream come true. Southwest Oklahoma unfortunately is one of the least politically powerful areas of the state.

Lawton could certainly use a couple key highway improvements, such as upgrading Rogers Lane into a full fledged Interstate spur. All the ROW needed for such an upgrade is available (for now) on the North side of the highway. The old Artillery Village neighborhood on Fort Sill that used to border Rogers Lane on the other side of the sound barrier was demolished. That housing was replaced by new housing units a little farther north into the post. Rogers Lane is already treated like an Interstate by most of the people who drive on it. ODOT at least fixed the very dangerous interchanges at Fort Sill Blvd and Sheridan Road (removing some at grade left turns across the main lanes of Rogers Lane).

Rogers Lane has a lot of traffic on it, but it will soon have even more. Carmike is opening a new 13-screen multiplex, including an IMAX-branded premium screen in a couple weeks. That new complex is next to Rogers Lane near 67th Street. Other businesses are expected to open around it over the next year. More businesses are going into the new shopping center on 82nd Street. A lot of people already use Rogers Lane to bypass heavy traffic on Cache Road (or what some locals call "Crash Road").

I think some really serious car accidents that get a lot of media coverage would have to happen before any politicians in other parts of the state would bother even thinking about pushing legislation to upgrade Rogers Lane. I think they would fight such a project otherwise.

The very least thing ODOT and politicians in Oklahoma could do is preserve future freeway corridors. A complete Kilpatrick Turnpike loop around metro OKC was possible 15-20 years ago when the Northern section was under construction. But the short sighted people in power couldn't be bothered to copy the method used in Texas to secure corridors: build a divided street or highway with a wide median -or at least secure enough ROW. Nope. I think it's a miracle Oklahoma has any freeway exits with Texas style U-turns.

[rte66man]

I have the ability to help your project, so it would be a good idea for you to get me to support your project. So you need to convince me somehow. This can take many forms: you can visit me and tell me why Lawton needs a new interstate, you can help support my re-election campaign somehow, you can write a bill that funds both Interstate 644 and an Interstate 935 in Norman, where I am from and therefore will probably like a lot. Once you get my support, then we get the bill out of committee and now we have to convince the Speaker of the House to bring it to a floor vote. And then we have to get votes for the bill. This repeats over and over until we are convincing the Governor to sign the bill.

That's a good description of the political process. Another big part of that is if the representative from a certain area has enough clout to make that project dream come true. Southwest Oklahoma unfortunately is one of the least politically powerful areas of the state.

20 years ago that was the exact opposite.  With Loyd Benson as the Speaker, US183 was 4-laned from Snyder to Frederick.  Why?  Guess where Benson lives.  He was also responsible for 183 between Snyder and Clinton being "upgraded".  Another useless project as OK6 (appx 15 miles west) was already scheduled to be 4-laned from Altus to Elk City, mostly because of the AFB in Altus.  If he hadn't wasted so much money on 183, OK6 would have been done 10 years ago.  Same goes for MANY non-transportation projects (Hackberry Flats, Frederick Pioneer Musem, ad nauseum).  Benson was one the the biggest pork kings in the 90's.

[O Tamandua]

Here's a description of what is increasing becoming nearly continously backups somewhere on I-49 in Benton and Washington Counties. Traffic backs up.from the first light where it ends in Bella Vista to the Ark 72/Pea Ridge exit regularly.  Any on ramp causes a backup as the amount feeding into I-49 basically forces everyone to merge left the Fayetteville curve and 112 exit is a daily nighmare. A side effect is happening, more and more, folks in Fayetteville are using the recently widened Crossover as a quasi freeway to go north and then cut across via Don Tyson. Traffic isn't insane yet but it's going to get there. Houses are continuing to go up along Ark 16 to Elkins, Ark 45 to Goshen and areas north. They need to be planning an extension of the US412 bypass south of where it reconnects with the existing road and get those corridors on paper for planning purposes. We are at 550,000 now, with 800,000 easily possible in 15 years and we are still in  reactionary mode to pre recession growth. Even with the growth of Benton Co. Fayetteville is still adding more residents than anyone. I know from driving 49 enough to know when the Bella Vista Bypass is done and connected with Missouri the already increasing amount of thru traffic will explode. I'm continously seeing Kansas plates using it to connect to I-40.  One stop at Cabelas in Rogers and glancing at plates there shows this as well. I can't imagine what it would be like if it actually was already connected to Texarkana.

Sadly I'm seeing the first blunder of the current widening construction on I-49 up here. They should at least be doing the bridge rebuilds wide enough for 4 lanes even if three is all the road bed is getting at the moment. I liken it to them doing it right between Conway and NLR on I-40 and actually rebuilding the bridges to handle three when the actual widening was still a decade off.

I wonder if anyone has really thought through what volume of traffic a corridor like this will take through northwest Arkansas, which seems almost in the middle of this "Minnie-Winnie-New-Hou hourglass"?  (NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT...just thinking with wisdom guided by experience.)

[Henry]

I wonder if anyone has really thought through what volume of traffic a corridor like this will take through northwest Arkansas, which seems almost in the middle of this "Minnie-Winnie-New-Hou hourglass"?  (NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT...just thinking with wisdom guided by experience.)

Well, time will tell...not to mention that you also have that "LA Det-lanta fork" stuck through it!

[The Ghostbuster]

Are any more sections of Interstate 49 between Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 slated for construction in the near future?

[Wayward Memphian]

Are any more sections of Interstate 49 between Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 slated for construction in the near future?

After the Bella Vista section is done the next thing will be the Alma to Ft. Chaffee section and that will involve a  bridge over the Arkansas River and elevated road bed in the flood plain. We might see that done in a decade to decade and half. I figure a Mena bypass would be the next step.

Like I've said, If someone crafted a tax/bond proposal that addressed new roads only with federal fund matching and each area saw some action like major sections of I-69, I-49, and US 412 across the top of the state connecting Jonesboro to NWA with a 4 lane divided and it would pass.  I'm likely completely wrong but gosh it's a pain to navigate Arkansas. Take my nephew for example, lives in Springdale but goes to Quachita Baptist in Arkadelphia. The easiest and quickest way is to go to LR via 49 and 40 and then down 30. Completely insane and yet it is the way it is. Just like Fayetteville to Jonesboro, you go all  the way down on 49 and 40 and then cut across between Conway and Beebe on US64 to US67 and back up.  I could be wrong but an increase in the gas tax could actually save me money on reduced milage from common point to points I drive in the state many times over.

There's a little section of land  of land south of Memphis where both sides of Mississippi are Arkansas'. Hell, I'd be fine with a spur off I-40 near the intermodal facility west of West Memphis that would be a toll road/bridge that would connect with the current terminus of I-69 that would connect it with the new I-69 loop and I-55 and I-22 without going through congested Memphis. I guarantee you the most resistance to it would be because of cost or feasibility though those arguments would be made by funding from the Southland folks that would hate to see a direct route to the heart of the casinos in Tunica. That's why it would never happen.

[O Tamandua]

I wonder if anyone has really thought through what volume of traffic a corridor like this will take through northwest Arkansas, which seems almost in the middle of this "Minnie-Winnie-New-Hou hourglass"?  (NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT...just thinking with wisdom guided by experience.)

Well, time will tell...not to mention that you also have that "LA Det-lanta fork" stuck through it!

Heh, too true.  But there are other ways from Winnipeg, Houston, etc. to Los Angeles, Atlanta, etc.  The I-49 corridor will link the busiest ports in America (those on the coast from the Houston Area to the New Orleans area) to the busiest port on the Great Lakes (Duluth/Superior).  I know the problem with studies is that researchers can often make them say anything they want, but I'd love to see some honest traffic projections on a completed I-49 and I-69 (Texas from Texarkana/Shreveport to Houston to Laredo/McAllen/Brownsville).  Like Wayward Memphian said, the traffic backups in rush hour for Bella Vista are getting worse and predictable, and much of that is out-of-state bound.  The completed corridor may help keep traffic moving but with only two lanes on either side...

(BTW, may have said it here before, but west Bella Vista has heretofore been the "quiet" side of town where more of the retirees have settled, but I predict that far east BV, toward Pea Ridge with only a couple of two-lane roads heading east, will see an explosion of development when the BV Bypass is someday complete...with all the traffic I suspect will traverse that road west BV will see some "character change".)

[Bobby5280]

20 years ago that was the exact opposite.  With Loyd Benson as the Speaker, US183 was 4-laned from Snyder to Frederick.  Why?  Guess where Benson lives.  He was also responsible for 183 between Snyder and Clinton being "upgraded".  Another useless project as OK6 (appx 15 miles west) was already scheduled to be 4-laned from Altus to Elk City, mostly because of the AFB in Altus.  If he hadn't wasted so much money on 183, OK6 would have been done 10 years ago.  Same goes for MANY non-transportation projects (Hackberry Flats, Frederick Pioneer Musem, ad nauseum).  Benson was one the the biggest pork kings in the 90's.

Here's the really funny thing. That four lane project on US-183 was a downgrade from what they really wanted: two turnpikes serving very few people. One running parallel with US-183 from Snyder to Clinton and another going from Duncan to Davis. I remember hearing one sales pitch for the Clinton to Snyder turnpike being the start of a Mexico to Canada corridor to bypass all the busy I-35 traffic. The problem with that pitch: that corridor wouldn't direct traffic to any major destinations. Ultimately the road has to go somewhere.

Looking at the "big picture" view of the entire Interstate highway system, the most logical turnpike to build in Oklahoma would be Oklahoma City to Woodward. Then, with cooperation from Kansas, Colorado and the federal government, that diagonal route could be extended towards Denver. It's basically an equivalent of I-44 between OKC and St. Louis, but going to Denver instead. It's currently a huge, very obvious hole in the Interstate system. Tying this back into the I-49 discussion, if this kind of diagonal Interstate route already existed it would be good if it was a Denver to Texarkana route, going through Oklahoma City. That would actually be a better Ports to Plains Corridor, but very little of it would be in Texas.

Anyway, some roads to get built as pork barrel projects while other more logical parts of the system go un-built or not built properly.

[Wayward Memphian]

Yep, they are in the process of widening I-49 from Fayetteville to Bentonville yet building a key future component too small. Common sense would seem to be to build it at three lanes per side now or at the very minimum make the bridges and supporting structures wide enough for three lanes lime they should be doing on the current widening for 4 lanes.

[Rothman]

Heh, too true.  But there are other ways from Winnipeg, Houston, etc. to Los Angeles, Atlanta, etc.  The I-49 corridor will link the busiest ports in America (those on the coast from the Houston Area to the New Orleans area) to the busiest port on the Great Lakes (Duluth/Superior). 

Pfft.  Duluth/Superior's port traffic (most of which is intra-Great Lakes) has basically plateaued, as far as I'm aware.  Back when I lived there, I was with a group that lobbied for the renovation of the Soo Locks and I'm not sure if that was even done after I left (hopefully, by now).  Given the limitations of the Welland Canal, you're not going to be seeing PANAMAX ships come in there any time soon (not that they could even accommodate them with the current port facilities, anyway).  If there was any true demand for traffic between the two ports, you would have seen measures taken long ago -- the real heyday of the Twin Ports was decades ago.

Also, given the lack of traffic in the Twin Ports to the point where it feels overbuilt as is infrastructure-wise, calling it a traffic generator or attractor is a real stretch.

Nice place to visit in the summer, though, as long as you're headed up the North Shore.