I-49 in Arkansas

[O Tamandua]

FWIW, the unofficial combined population of the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith areas as of this Monday, 2/2/15: 804,000.

I'll probably get laughed at for this but...sometimes I wonder why backers of the I-49 corridor don't call it "The Two-in-One Highway".  (Perhap too many "CAPS" there, but... ) .  There are likely to be few if any new major interstate corridors in the future (though I like the idea of a Denver-to-D/FW one, another thread), but this highway, when completed, will open up essentially not one but TWO North American overland shipping lanes.  The more I think of the potential of this, the more amazed I become.

(Frankly, I can't get too mad at Dick Trammel above, because at least he's trying to help do SOMETHING in an area where A) 30 years ago (when I first moved to Arkansas) there was virtually no true interstate highway between Kansas City and Shreveport, and; B) where an interstate highway between Texarkana, Houston, and south Texas/Mexico was barely even a dream.)

[NE2]

Which "overland shipping lanes" will it open? Kansas City to Houston, Lerado[sic], and the Rio Grande Valley? There's this road called I-35, as well as US 69 in Oklahoma. Kansas City to New Orleans? Going via Springfield and Jonesboro is shorter.

[yakra]

I-20 is "cross continental" now too, huh?

[O Tamandua]

Which "overland shipping lanes" will it open? Kansas City to Houston, Lerado[sic], and the Rio Grande Valley? There's this road called I-35, as well as US 69 in Oklahoma. Kansas City to New Orleans? Going via Springfield and Jonesboro is shorter.

Not bad.  As far as Kansas City to Memphis, are you talking I-49 to I-44 to Springfield, then Jonesboro?  Even when they finally make the Payneway area interstate-quality that's a LOT of at-grade crossings on that route.  Right now, U.S. 71 to Texarkana to 59 (Houston) to the LRGV is slightly longer, but my guess is some of that mileage may go away when the I-49 corridor is finally complete.  Plus, drivers from KC to Houston will go from three major metro areas of traffic congestion (Wichita, OKC, D/FW) to two (NWA/FSM, then Shreveport/Texarkana)...if they're going from Kansas City (via D/FW) to the lower Rio Grande Valley they'll also lose the Austin/San Antonio part of the drive when going I-49/I-69, so that's two more 1,000,000+ person metro areas bypassed right there.  In fact, KC to Brownsville/McAllen/Laredo drivers will go from driving through four million-plus metro areas to two (Houston and NWA/FSM) on the new route.

Seems to me that along will mean there will be a lot of incentive to use this future route.

[US71]

Which "overland shipping lanes" will it open? Kansas City to Houston, Lerado[sic], and the Rio Grande Valley? There's this road called I-35, as well as US 69 in Oklahoma. Kansas City to New Orleans? Going via Springfield and Jonesboro is shorter.

Not bad.  As far as Kansas City to Memphis, are you talking I-49 to I-44 to Springfield, then Jonesboro?  Even when they finally make the Payneway area interstate-quality that's a LOT of at-grade crossings on that route.  Right now, U.S. 71 to Texarkana to 59 (Houston) to the LRGV is slightly longer, but my guess is some of that mileage may go away when the I-49 corridor is finally complete.  Plus, drivers from KC to Houston will go from three major metro areas of traffic congestion (Wichita, OKC, D/FW) to two (NWA/FSM, then Shreveport/Texarkana)...if they're going from Kansas City (via D/FW) to the lower Rio Grande Valley they'll also lose the Austin/San Antonio part of the drive when going I-49/I-69, so that's two more 1,000,000+ person metro areas bypassed right there.  In fact, KC to Brownsville/McAllen/Laredo drivers will go from driving through four million-plus metro areas to two (Houston and NWA/FSM) on the new route.

Seems to me that along will mean there will be a lot of incentive to use this future route.

From KC to Memphis? 71 /I-49 to I-40 at Alma, then east on 40 to Memphis. Even if I-49 were complete, you'd be going 2 1/2 -3 hours out of your way to Texarkana

[NE2]

At-grade intersections are fine. And the correct comparison is upgrading what's already a four-lane expressway vs. building a whole new I-49 in Arkansas.

[Scott5114]

I-49 makes enough sense on its own when you look at how it will benefit NWA. This is quickly becoming a major metro area and high-quality links to Shreveport and Joplin will benefit it and the cities it connects to. Especially when you look at the sorts of industry based in NWA: shipping, food processing, retail. These industries benefit from links to high-quality transportation systems.

No need to justify it further, really.

[US71]

At-grade intersections are fine. And the correct comparison is upgrading what's already a four-lane expressway vs. building a whole new I-49 in Arkansas.

Not at 50+ MPH they're not.

[Anthony_JK]

At-grade intersections are fine. And the correct comparison is upgrading what's already a four-lane expressway vs. building a whole new I-49 in Arkansas.

Except that most of US 71 in Arkansas is still 2 lanes, and goes through some of the roughest terrain in Arkansas.

And, if you think that plopping at-grades on a 60-70 mph highway is a good thing, you've never taken a drive down US 90 in South Louisiana before it was upgraded. There is a reason it was called "Blood Alley" for so long.

[NE2]

At-grade intersections are fine. And the correct comparison is upgrading what's already a four-lane expressway vs. building a whole new I-49 in Arkansas.

Not at 50+ MPH they're not.

With minor roads they are.

Except that most of US 71 in Arkansas is still 2 lanes, and goes through some of the roughest terrain in Arkansas.

That's my point, dude. It's a lot easier to upgrade Kansas City-Memphis (if necessary) than build a whole new Fort Smith-Texarkana.

[O Tamandua]

I-49 makes enough sense on its own when you look at how it will benefit NWA. This is quickly becoming a major metro area and high-quality links to Shreveport and Joplin will benefit it and the cities it connects to. Especially when you look at the sorts of industry based in NWA: shipping, food processing, retail. These industries benefit from links to high-quality transportation systems.

No need to justify it further, really.

As of Monday's 804,000 rough estimate: NWA/Fort Smith would still be bigger than:

- Boise
- Spokane
- Colorado Springs
- Wichita/Hutchinson
- Des Moines/Ames
- Jackson/Vicksburg
- Shreveport/Texarkana
- Springfield/Branson
- Huntsville/Decatur/Florence
- Mobile/Bay Minette
- Chattanooga/Dalton/Cleveland
- Evansville
- Lexington/Frankfort
- Madison, WI
- Toledo, OH
- Dayton
- Fort Wayne
- Harrisburg/Carlisle/Lebanon, PA
- Syracuse/Auburn, NY

And all of the above have a through interstate which NWA doesn't yet have.  (EDITED: added a few more metro areas I was curious about.)

[M86]

http://5newsonline.com/2015/01/31/strategic-plan-unveiled-for-northwest-arkansas-growth/

The guy pretty much said nothing, but I looked up the plans... They are prioritizing a corridor west of I-49 in NWA!  One can only hope!

[Tomahawkin]

I did a research paper 7 years ago for a Transportation/Logistics class that I had at the Univ. of Arkansas in how building Interstate 49 would benefit the Walmart, JB Hunt and Tyson Corporations and my teacher (Don Betchel) thought I was crazy...I mentioned that Upgrades were going to be needed to I-540 (Making it 8 lanes through from Fayetteville-Rogers with interstate lighting) to make it work, especially for Razorback game-day traffic. Not to mention those small towns from Ft Smith to Texarkana would benefit from having truck stops. It would boost their local revenues

[Scott5114]

At-grade intersections are fine. And the correct comparison is upgrading what's already a four-lane expressway vs. building a whole new I-49 in Arkansas.

Not at 50+ MPH they're not.

With minor roads they are.

Except that most of US 71 in Arkansas is still 2 lanes, and goes through some of the roughest terrain in Arkansas.

That's my point, dude. It's a lot easier to upgrade Kansas City-Memphis (if necessary) than build a whole new Fort Smith-Texarkana.

Except upgrading that expressway does fuckall for either Texarkana or Ft Smith.

[NE2]

Why should I care about Texarkana and Fort Smith? What have they done for me?

[Scott5114]

Why should I care about you caring about them? What have you done for me?

[NE2]

I've enlightened you about the coolness of pooing.

[M86]

I did a research paper 7 years ago for a Transportation/Logistics class that I had at the Univ. of Arkansas in how building Interstate 49 would benefit the Walmart, JB Hunt and Tyson Corporations and my teacher (Don Betchel) thought I was crazy...I mentioned that Upgrades were going to be needed to I-540 (Making it 8 lanes through from Fayetteville-Rogers with interstate lighting) to make it work, especially for Razorback game-day traffic. Not to mention those small towns from Ft Smith to Texarkana would benefit from having truck stops. It would boost their local revenues

https://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/statewide_planning/Studies/1-11-105%20I-540%20Improvement%20Study.pdf

That's the Improvement Study from 2006.  And you were totally right.

I'm trying to get AHTD to change their roadway lighting policy, because it is antiquated and puts public safety at risk!

[bugo]

I-630 has needed widening for at least 20 years. It's a parking lot at rush hour.

[bjrush]

Where are the extra lanes going to go? no room to the inside and large retaining walls to the outside

[US71]

Where are the extra lanes going to go? no room to the inside and large retaining walls to the outside

Blow up the hillside like they did with Big Rock?

[Grzrd]

A slide in AHTD's February 3, 2015 presentation to the Springdale Chamber of Commerce provides a good status update for I-49 projects in NWA (page 49/52 of pdf):

[NE2]

Interesting fact that I recently relearned: US 71's original route followed 72 and 59 through Hiwasse and Gravette.

[bugo]

Interesting fact that I recently relearned: US 71's original route followed 72 and 59 through Hiwasse and Gravette.

Common knowledge.

[codyg1985]

I didn't realize that so much of I-49 through NWA actually had a timetable for being widened, which i assume means that funding is available to make it happen. I thought it was just going to be peace-meal stuff around Fayetteville.