I-57 Approved

[sprjus4]

None of the Google Earth imagery (dated 8/23/2021) that I see of US-69 in SE Kansas looks like "upgradeable expressway" -at least not the Texas style version of divided highways built with freeway-size medians. Most portions do look like they can be upgraded to limited access freeways maybe with or without frontage roads.

It's not Texas. They're not going to have continuous frontage roads on rural freeway portions.

The US-169 corridor is another wild card. Much of it in Southern Kansas is Super-2 with some limited access exits along the way. If an all-freeway Tulsa to Kansas City link were to be built US-169 would be the most logical route.

Given I-44 to I-49, and possibly a US-69 freeway all the way to I-44 as well, that would be a waste IMO.

[armadillo speedbump]

"Don't forget that saving 15 minutes on a Dallas-Kansas City drive is critical to national defense and hurricane evacuation!  Studies show the new freeway would save 30,000 lives a year!"


(*cough, Studies = Perryman Group, cough.  Lives saved include deer, possum, dogs, spiders, ants, crickets, snakes, turtles, brine shrimp, and baby alpacas)

Also:  Sir, this is a Wendy's I-57 thread.  And the Austin I-35 Rebuild thread is allegedly about Austin, not DFW.

[The Ghostbuster]

"Don't forget that saving 15 minutes on a Dallas-Kansas City drive is critical to national defense and hurricane evacuation!"

Is that like GEICO Insurance customers saving 15 minutes and 15% on their car insurance?

[Thegeet]

"Don't forget that saving 15 minutes on a Dallas-Kansas City drive is critical to national defense and hurricane evacuation!"

Is that like GEICO Insurance customers saving 15 minutes and 15% on their car insurance?

Oh great. Now I-57 is sponsored by GEICO.

[MikieTimT]

"Don't forget that saving 15 minutes on a Dallas-Kansas City drive is critical to national defense and hurricane evacuation!"

Is that like GEICO Insurance customers saving 15 minutes and 15% on their car insurance?

Oh great. Now I-57 is sponsored by GEICO.

I remember reading Car and Driver back in my teenage years when Geico was just going national, way before the gecko.  I also remember the writers back in the day railing on Geico, as they were donating radar guns to police departments that couldn't afford them.  Trying to entrap their very own clientele, essentially.  Probably a big reason I have never even considered patronizing them regardless of rate competitiveness.  Essentially a Geico sponsorship is akin to making I-57 into a toll road.

[Road Hog]

GEICO has bigger fish to fry than some pissant interstate.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/article262267902.html

[edwaleni]

GEICO has bigger fish to fry than some pissant interstate.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/article262267902.html

Look for new fine print in your policy renewal providing exceptions to these type of "injuries".

The policy wonks at the IIHS are all over this.

It opens up the liability area of your policy to all sorts of claims and they will want to stop it asap.

[MikieTimT]

Funny how corporations just love arbitration, until something like this bites them in the ass and they try to find ways to make it unbinding.

[mvak36]

https://www.modot.org/futureI57

Written under NEWS on the front page:

During the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission meeting on June 2, 2022, a $7,440,386 contract was awarded contingent on receiving the additional funding from the partnering entity to H.R. Quadri Contractors, LLC, for Phase 1A of the U.S. 67  project. The project will upgrade U.S. 67 from Route 160 to County Road 360 in Butler County. Phase 1A received $2,724,976 in funding through Governor Mike Parson's cost share program and will receive funding from the city of Poplar Bluff.

[Bobby5280]

The segment from US-160 to CR-360 is a one mile stretch. Better than nothing though.

Plenty of work needs to be done removing at-grade intersections on US-60 between Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

[The Ghostbuster]

I wonder if upgrading US 60 to freeway standards will wait until after the US 67 freeway is completed between Walnut Ridge and Poplar Bluff?

[ilpt4u]

I wonder if upgrading US 60 to freeway standards will wait until after the US 67 freeway is completed between Walnut Ridge and Poplar Bluff?

One MoDOT site I read before has upgrading US 60 between Sikeston and Poplar Bluff as "Phase 5"  ie the last phase for I-57 in Missouri, as upgrading US 67 between the Arkansas state line and US 160 are phases 1-4, with Phase 1 being at US 160 and Phase 4 meeting up with Arkansas

That said, I believe some work is starting in Sikeston for full grade separations, between the I-55 and US 61/62 exits

[sprjus4]

It's best that US-60 is last IMO, with US-67 coming first, it at least sets in place a minimum of a 4 lane divided highway for the whole corridor with the big improvements coming first. The last of the work will be fixing US-60 up to be freeway compliant.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would have upgraded US 60 first, but then again, I'm not the one calling the shots (probably a good thing).

[Bobby5280]

Considering the trend line of inflation (not counting all the recent cost spikes for materials) it's probably a better idea to get the harder, more expensive projects built first and then save the easier, cheaper stuff for later.

[ChimpOnTheWheel]

Does anyone have any idea when ARDOT plans on signing I-57 between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge?

[MikieTimT]

Does anyone have any idea when ARDOT plans on signing I-57 between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge?

Not likely until Connecting Arkansas Program Job CA0604 is completed in late 2024.

Highway 67: Pulaski/Lonoke County

[I-39]

Does anyone have any idea when ARDOT plans on signing I-57 between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge?

Not likely until Connecting Arkansas Program Job CA0604 is completed in late 2024.

Highway 67: Pulaski/Lonoke County

Has this even started yet? This keeps getting delayed.

[mvak36]

Does anyone have any idea when ARDOT plans on signing I-57 between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge?

Not likely until Connecting Arkansas Program Job CA0604 is completed in late 2024.

Highway 67: Pulaski/Lonoke County

Has this even started yet? This keeps getting delayed.

It's scheduled to be let this September according to this (see page 12 of pdf): https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/60_0_Pulaski.pdf

[MikieTimT]

Some forward progress scheduled according to the 2023-2026 Draft STIP ARDOT released last Friday.  Looks like $100M for 9.25 miles of US-67 from Missouri line to Corning in 2026.  Also see $78M for 3.24 miles of US-67 in Cabot in 2023 and $105M in interchange improvements in Cabot in 2024.  Nothing else for Future I-57 other than $100K for project development between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri line.

https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2023-2026_STIP_Draft_General_Electronic.pdf Pg. 22 (Slide 53)

[ilpt4u]

Some forward progress scheduled according to the 2023-2026 Draft STIP ARDOT released last Friday.  Looks like $100M for 9.25 miles of US-67 from Missouri line to Corning in 2026.  Also see $78M for 3.24 miles of US-67 in Cabot in 2023 and $105M in interchange improvements in Cabot in 2024.  Nothing else for Future I-57 other than $100K for project development between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri line.

https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2023-2026_STIP_Draft_General_Electronic.pdf Pg. 22 (Slide 53)

Pocahontas Bypass/14.5 million. 2.6 miles. FFY 2026. I assume that is part of I-57?

[abqtraveler]

Some forward progress scheduled according to the 2023-2026 Draft STIP ARDOT released last Friday.  Looks like $100M for 9.25 miles of US-67 from Missouri line to Corning in 2026.  Also see $78M for 3.24 miles of US-67 in Cabot in 2023 and $105M in interchange improvements in Cabot in 2024.  Nothing else for Future I-57 other than $100K for project development between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri line.

https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2023-2026_STIP_Draft_General_Electronic.pdf Pg. 22 (Slide 53)

Pocahontas Bypass/14.5 million. 2.6 miles. FFY 2026. I assume that is part of I-57?

Would that be for a full buildout to interstate standards, or just the first two lanes like what's being done with I-49 and I-69?

[ilpt4u]

Some forward progress scheduled according to the 2023-2026 Draft STIP ARDOT released last Friday.  Looks like $100M for 9.25 miles of US-67 from Missouri line to Corning in 2026.  Also see $78M for 3.24 miles of US-67 in Cabot in 2023 and $105M in interchange improvements in Cabot in 2024.  Nothing else for Future I-57 other than $100K for project development between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri line.

https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2023-2026_STIP_Draft_General_Electronic.pdf Pg. 22 (Slide 53)

Pocahontas Bypass/14.5 million. 2.6 miles. FFY 2026. I assume that is part of I-57?

Would that be for a full buildout to interstate standards, or just the first two lanes like what's being done with I-49 and I-69?

No idea. It is listed on page 42. Not a whole lot of info provided. But surely Pocahontas isn't getting a separate new bypass apart from I-57?

[Avalanchez71]

Does anyone have any idea when ARDOT plans on signing I-57 between Little Rock and Walnut Ridge?

Why is the road illegitimate now that it doesn't have the mighty I shield?

[sprjus4]

^ Took you 3 months to come up with that response.