I-49 in Arkansas

[vdeane]

It looks like Google has deprecated any further map updates from with the standalone Google Earth Pro application. The layers Borders & Labels, Places and Roads all have "outdated" listed next to them. I'm not a big fan of the web-based version of Google Earth. It doesn't work as smoothly.

The web-based Google Earth feels like a gimmick to me.  Too bad that they seem to have deprecated the standalone, as that one is actually useful and something I use for work whenever I need to see city/town/village boundaries (via our KML file) or reference markers (ditto), or when I need to make maps for our railroad grade crossing IPP/FDRs.

Google has just announced that they are replacing the Labels, Places, Roads, and Borders layers in Google Earth Pro "over the next few months" . It might be necessary to use the new 7.3.4 version of Google Earth Pro to see them.

Great.  They're taking away all the customization options.  Now instead of international/state/county borders and leave coastlines and names off, it's all or nothing.  Same for transportation - can't have just roads and rail turned on.

[MikieTimT]

Drove AR-549 (BVB) again this evening.  Northbound carriageway is now in use for northbound traffic.  About a 3/4 mile stretch of passing available before getting to the asphalt portion of the project where the barrels shut down the inside lane for cable barrier installation completion, exit and entrance ramp crossover removal, inside shoulder completion at the old crossovers, and on the southbound carriageway, the removal of the centerline for restriping.  Still 65MPH up to the current end of the traveling lanes at Exit 289, WC 34, Highlands Blvd. where you have to exit/turn around on the overpass.  Wonder when the renumbering of the current exits 20-91 are going to happen?

Nice and smooth on the asphalt, but it'll have to be redone in 10 years unlike the concrete southbound lanes that will pretty much only need milling after 20 years or so.  At least it's finally getting done.

Lots of rocks falling on the exit ramp at US-71 southbound, so they've shifted the lanes to the left and are blasting again to expand the hill cut.  They have shut down the last camera at the hilltop, probably due to the blasting below it.

The end is in sight now!

[O Tamandua]

The first bolded quote amuses me.  I don't know that he meant to use that order of words but it's so appropriate.  The SECOND quote threw me - if you all had pointed this out earlier, I missed it, but given it's apparently true, wonderful news, because like replaced hoses place pressure on their aging stock counterparts on a radiator, the closer this thing gets to north Texarkana, the more pressure there will be to finish it. 

Talk Business, August 4th, 2021

Gibson also discussed future Interstate 49 projects.

"Lots of leaders involved in Arkansas want to see Interstate 49 to be completed and started as soon as possible,"  he said.

Through Issue 1, Arkansas has dedicated $270 million for the I-40 at Alma to Highway 22 13.7-mile project that includes a two-lane bridge over the Arkansas River, and another $270 million for the south part of the interstate from Greenwood to Y City, Gibson said. Both projects are only two lanes, though it will eventually be four lanes, he said. A consultant has been selected for the design work of the project. The shovel ready project will be started in 2025.

"We could take the south to Greenwood project and say let's just do four lanes and get that done. Or we could abandon that part because there are a lot of people who would like to see the Y City to Greenwood part done. But what we prefer to do is what we promised to do, and that is to build two lanes of both of those,"  Gibson said. "We hope that the federal government through an infrastructure plan and earmarks and other things will provide the money once they see Arkansas building half that interstate and come in and say, let's pump money into finishing it."

The remaining cost to complete 136 miles of I-49 from Fort Smith to the Texas state line is $4.1 billion, he said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/08/updates-provided-on-greenwood-and-van-buren-road-projects/

[Road Hog]

This line about the Greenwood bypass puzzled me, too: "The route would also help with safety concerns, according to the city. If a bridge is out or flooded between downtown and the east side of the city, emergency personnel would have a 60-mile detour." If that's always been a concern, why is it only being solved now?

[Plutonic Panda]

So shovel ready now means 4 years out? Lol

[US71]

This line about the Greenwood bypass puzzled me, too: "The route would also help with safety concerns, according to the city. If a bridge is out or flooded between downtown and the east side of the city, emergency personnel would have a 60-mile detour." If that's always been a concern, why is it only being solved now?

I thought 71 WAS the "Greenwod Bypass" ?

[MikieTimT]

This line about the Greenwood bypass puzzled me, too: "The route would also help with safety concerns, according to the city. If a bridge is out or flooded between downtown and the east side of the city, emergency personnel would have a 60-mile detour." If that's always been a concern, why is it only being solved now?

I thought 71 WAS the "Greenwod Bypass" ?

It is the bypass for Old Greenwood Road, however, none of the alignment will be shared with I-49 on any of the routing diagrams I've seen, except for the part between Y-City and Acorn.

[Arkansastravelguy]

549 Southbound at 71





Northbound

State line into Arkansas. Fully complete.

Looking into Missouri. Arkansas welcome sign too left

[MikieTimT]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

[yakra]

What would this make the US71 interchange, 278?
Don't know if ARDOT intends to keep the sudden jump from Exit 88 around a while, but the exit numbers on the main existing I-49 segment are out of sync with the rest of the route, and will need a renumbering by the time the whole route is stitched together across the state. Mileposts 20-43 are down by Texarkana!

[Plutonic Panda]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

Oh look we have a Boy Scout over here.

[O Tamandua]

Questions:

1. Have they started clearing land for the new AR side visitor's center yet?  (South of the old Gun Range Rd.)

2. Wonder where the commercial action (i.e. convenience stores and/or fast food restaurants) will be in the 3 exits from Hiwasse to the state line on the Arkansas side?

[Arkansastravelguy]

Questions:

1. Have they started clearing land for the new AR side visitor's center yet?  (South of the old Gun Range Rd.)

2. Wonder where the commercial action (i.e. convenience stores and/or fast food restaurants) will be in the 3 exits from Hiwasse to the state line on the Arkansas side?

I'm not sure where you're talking about, but as far as I could see from the top of both Highlands Blvd and Edinburgh bridges there were no clearing or signage indicating a rest area.

If anyone wants to go to the state line do not take Edinburgh from Highlands as the road is pretty washed out and would need a high clearance vehicle.


iPhone

[edwaleni]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

Baloney.  Anyone with a truck (preferably a white one) and a yellow flasher up top could drive right on and no one would care unless you decided to test your speed, by which you would have created such a large dust cloud, they would automatically know you are a not involved joyrider.

My cousin used to drive up and down new roads and when asked he said he was a pavement inspector. No one asked him anything further.  He was "inspecting" the pavement.....for himself.

[Arkansastravelguy]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

Baloney.  Anyone with a truck (preferably a white one) and a yellow flasher up top could drive right on and no one would care unless you decided to test your speed, by which you would have created such a large dust cloud, they would automatically know you are a not involved joyrider.

My cousin used to drive up and down new roads and when asked he said he was a pavement inspector. No one asked him anything further.  He was "inspecting" the pavement.....for himself.

I've seen two different State Troopers "inspect the pavement"  as well. No dust cloud, it's striped, signed and ready to open.


iPhone

[O Tamandua]

Questions:

1. Have they started clearing land for the new AR side visitor's center yet?  (South of the old Gun Range Rd.)

2. Wonder where the commercial action (i.e. convenience stores and/or fast food restaurants) will be in the 3 exits from Hiwasse to the state line on the Arkansas side?

I'm not sure where you're talking about, but as far as I could see from the top of both Highlands Blvd and Edinburgh bridges there were no clearing or signage indicating a rest area.

If anyone wants to go to the state line do not take Edinburgh from Highlands as the road is pretty washed out and would need a high clearance vehicle.


iPhone

Seems that I'd heard the new Arkansas Visitor's Center will be south of the northernmost Arkansas exit (it used to be called Gun Range Rd.), and on the west side of the highway.  Forget where I heard it.

[Arkansastravelguy]

Questions:

1. Have they started clearing land for the new AR side visitor's center yet?  (South of the old Gun Range Rd.)

2. Wonder where the commercial action (i.e. convenience stores and/or fast food restaurants) will be in the 3 exits from Hiwasse to the state line on the Arkansas side?

I'm not sure where you're talking about, but as far as I could see from the top of both Highlands Blvd and Edinburgh bridges there were no clearing or signage indicating a rest area.

If anyone wants to go to the state line do not take Edinburgh from Highlands as the road is pretty washed out and would need a high clearance vehicle.


iPhone

Seems that I'd heard the new Arkansas Visitor's Center will be south of the northernmost Arkansas exit (it used to be called Gun Range Rd.), and on the west side of the highway.  Forget where I heard it.

There's not any exits between the state line and the current terminus, Rocky Dell Rd/Highlands Blvd. so no rest area

[Rothman]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

Baloney.  Anyone with a truck (preferably a white one) and a yellow flasher up top could drive right on and no one would care unless you decided to test your speed, by which you would have created such a large dust cloud, they would automatically know you are a not involved joyrider.

My cousin used to drive up and down new roads and when asked he said he was a pavement inspector. No one asked him anything further.  He was "inspecting" the pavement.....for himself.

Time to narc...

[O Tamandua]

Questions:

1. Have they started clearing land for the new AR side visitor's center yet?  (South of the old Gun Range Rd.)

2. Wonder where the commercial action (i.e. convenience stores and/or fast food restaurants) will be in the 3 exits from Hiwasse to the state line on the Arkansas side?

I'm not sure where you're talking about, but as far as I could see from the top of both Highlands Blvd and Edinburgh bridges there were no clearing or signage indicating a rest area.

If anyone wants to go to the state line do not take Edinburgh from Highlands as the road is pretty washed out and would need a high clearance vehicle.


iPhone

Seems that I'd heard the new Arkansas Visitor's Center will be south of the northernmost Arkansas exit (it used to be called Gun Range Rd.), and on the west side of the highway.  Forget where I heard it.

There's not any exits between the state line and the current terminus, Rocky Dell Rd/Highlands Blvd. so no rest area

South of that one, I meant.

[seicer]

To get to the border crossing at this point, you must be on one of the construction crews, know someone at one of the DOTs, or have a willingness to travel non-open roads knowing that the authorities ticket such behavior.  Interesting pics nonetheless!

Baloney.  Anyone with a truck (preferably a white one) and a yellow flasher up top could drive right on and no one would care unless you decided to test your speed, by which you would have created such a large dust cloud, they would automatically know you are a not involved joyrider.

My cousin used to drive up and down new roads and when asked he said he was a pavement inspector. No one asked him anything further.  He was "inspecting" the pavement.....for himself.

I've seen two different State Troopers "inspect the pavement"  as well. No dust cloud, it's striped, signed and ready to open.

I used to "inspect the pavement" on unopened segments of the Industrial Parkway in NE Kentucky years ago. It was fun to take the ORV and then my car up to it for photos. I see ORV's all over the unfinished gradings and highways in many places. Nothing new

[O Tamandua]

2020 Population estimates for Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith metro areas, pre-Bella Vista Bypass completion (and, obviously, waaaaay pre-Alma-Texarkana I-49 completion):

Northwest Arkansas: 546,725
Fort Smith: 244,310 (Obviously, FSM has lost population in the past 10 years, or the combined population would be well over 800,000.

Combined population: 791,035

Bentonville: 54,164
Fayetteville: 93,949
Fort Smith: 89,142
Rogers: 69,908
Springdale: 84,161

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/08/population-rises-in-metro-areas-u-s-representatives-allocated-to-arkansas-unchanged-2020-census-data-shows/

It will be interesting to revisit those numbers in 2031.

[yakra]

Combined population: 791,035

North Dakota: 779,094

[Rick Powell]

North Dakota: 779,094

Since Arkansas now needs it more than ND, just remove a chunk of I-29 and move it to the new I-49 alignment between Texarkana and Ft Smith. :-)

[jbnv]

North Dakota: 779,094

Since Arkansas now needs it more than ND, just remove a chunk of I-29 and move it to the new I-49 alignment between Texarkana and Ft Smith. :-)

Not trying to take you literally here, but the need isn't Arkansas versus North Dakota, it's people who need to use the I-49 corridor versus people who need to use the I-29 corridor.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Has ARDOT any plans to replace the I-540 Exit numbers and mileposts with the correct I-49 ones in the near future?  Since the new section will be correctly signed...