I-49 in Arkansas

[Arkansastravelguy]

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...

I'd guess no since they recently put new exit signs up with the old exit numbers


iPhone

[Rick Powell]

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.

Oddly, I haven't clinched an inch of I-49 yet except to cross it, but I have been on I-29 in the dead of winter. Not too much traffic, and they didn't do much to control the snow and ice except to let it blow over the 4 lanes for the week I was there.

[US71]

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...

North of 71 at Bella Vista. ARDOT  uses the I-49 exit numbers

[sparker]

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...

North of 71 at Bella Vista. ARDOT  uses the I-49 exit numbers

Any opinion as to whether ADOT will change the rest of I-49 numbers (despite the aforementioned old-540-number sign replacement) north of I-40 once the Bella Vista bypass opens, or just wait until more mileage is deployed south of I-40, including the Arkansas River bridge? 

[US71]

Any opinion as to whether ADOT will change the rest of I-49 numbers (despite the aforementioned old-540-number sign replacement) north of I-40 once the Bella Vista bypass opens, or just wait until more mileage is deployed south of I-40, including the Arkansas River bridge? 

I want to say ARDOT has plans to change the exit numbers, but I don't remember where I read it.

FWIW, 549 at Barling uses I-49 exit numbers.

[O Tamandua]

September 30th completion, the Joplin Globe says:

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/missouri-s-section-of-bella-vista-bypass-scheduled-for-completion-in-fall/article_d40917d0-91a2-11eb-ab12-7fdb05ab4357.html?fbclid=IwAR1NxlqQwMu031eGhvuJU3jeT7ffMI4guZXMm6ZNzPP_X2DXBDHyaEVl6hc

[Road Hog]

September 30th completion, the Joplin Globe says:

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/missouri-s-section-of-bella-vista-bypass-scheduled-for-completion-in-fall/article_d40917d0-91a2-11eb-ab12-7fdb05ab4357.html?fbclid=IwAR1NxlqQwMu031eGhvuJU3jeT7ffMI4guZXMm6ZNzPP_X2DXBDHyaEVl6hc

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

[US71]

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

Last I heard is Ribbon cutting near the end of August, open to traffic by mid-September.

[Bobby5280]

Awesome sauce either way.

[O Tamandua]

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

Thanks, Road Hog.  Apologies for this.  I didn't realize the work was so near completion on the Arkansas side then.  Should'a looked at the trees.

[US71]

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

Thanks, Road Hog.  Apologies for this.  I didn't realize the work was so near completion on the Arkansas side then.  Should'a looked at the trees.

The only thing left in Arkansas is the SPUI at US 71 (Bentonville) and paving the NB lanes (which may already be finished)

[Arkansastravelguy]

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

Thanks, Road Hog.  Apologies for this.  I didn't realize the work was so near completion on the Arkansas side then.  Should'a looked at the trees.

The only thing left in Arkansas is the SPUI at US 71 (Bentonville) and paving the NB lanes (which may already be finished)

Northbound lanes are open from the 71 ramp to Highlands. Well at least 1 lane is


iPhone

[Arkansastravelguy]

Story is from March. Who knows what the timeline is now. Might be sooner, might be later.

Thanks, Road Hog.  Apologies for this.  I didn't realize the work was so near completion on the Arkansas side then.  Should'a looked at the trees.

The only thing left in Arkansas is the SPUI at US 71 (Bentonville) and paving the NB lanes (which may already be finished)

[bugo]

Oddly, I haven't clinched an inch of I-49 yet except to cross it, but I have been on I-29 in the dead of winter. Not too much traffic, and they didn't do much to control the snow and ice except to let it blow over the 4 lanes for the week I was there.

I drove from Tulsa to Minot about a decade ago in January. There was snow on the ground in Tulsa when I left, and I didn't see another blade of grass for a week. There was snow drifting across the road on I-94. but the cars with North Dakota tags were doing 80, so I did the same.

[abqtraveler]

Oddly, I haven't clinched an inch of I-49 yet except to cross it, but I have been on I-29 in the dead of winter. Not too much traffic, and they didn't do much to control the snow and ice except to let it blow over the 4 lanes for the week I was there.

I've clinched the original section of I-49 between Lafayette and Shreveport--twice. The first time was before any of the I-49 northward extension was built, so I guess it counts as a clinch under the original mileage, but then my clinch got taken away with parts of the northward extension opening up. I did drive most of the new section between Shreveport and Texarkana, but haven't driven any of the new I-49 north of that point.

[MikieTimT]

Oddly, I haven't clinched an inch of I-49 yet except to cross it, but I have been on I-29 in the dead of winter. Not too much traffic, and they didn't do much to control the snow and ice except to let it blow over the 4 lanes for the week I was there.

I've clinched the original section of I-49 between Lafayette and Shreveport--twice. The first time was before any of the I-49 northward extension was built, so I guess it counts as a clinch under the original mileage, but then my clinch got taken away with parts of the northward extension opening up. I did drive most of the new section between Shreveport and Texarkana, but haven't driven any of the new I-49 north of that point.

I've clinched everything that doesn't require passing a Road Closed sign at this point.  The more scenic parts are between I-40 and I-44, so it'll be worth a redo, assuming you want to go all the way to KC while you're at it.

[msunat97]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

[US71]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

[msunat97]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

Is "touchup" code for blasting rock and fixing the face of the hill or fixing some other "feature" of the road work?

[Arkansastravelguy]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

Is "touchup" code for blasting rock and fixing the face of the hill or fixing some other "feature" of the road work?

Guardrails and such.


iPhone

[MikieTimT]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

Is "touchup" code for blasting rock and fixing the face of the hill or fixing some other "feature" of the road work?

Guardrails and such.


iPhone

Drove it late last night on the way home from a job in Gravette for the first time.  Makes the southbound trip quite a bit quicker now, unless you actually want to exit onto 71B south.  The bridge is open due to the closure of the southbound offramp due to falling rock and also probably to make it easier to complete the SPUI underneath.  They are going to blast another 100 ft. from the top of the hillside to notch it out better to prevent rocks from falling onto the offramp when everything opens up.  Hasn't been an issue yet due to low traffic counts, but would assuredly result in the rude surprise of a rock coming through a windshield or onto a hood or roof, not to mention the hazard of avoiding large debris on the ramp itself once I-49 is opened onto the BVB.  Resulted in some lane shifts from my previous trip a couple of weeks ago southbound from Hiwasse.

[US71]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

Is "touchup" code for blasting rock and fixing the face of the hill or fixing some other "feature" of the road work?

Removing more unstable rock.

[US71]

Looks like part of the new overpass is open per the iDriveArkansas.com cameras.  Traffic is using 1 lane of the SB I49 roadway. 

ARDOT is doing some "touchup" work around there.

Is "touchup" code for blasting rock and fixing the face of the hill or fixing some other "feature" of the road work?

Guardrails and such.


iPhone

Drove it late last night on the way home from a job in Gravette for the first time.  Makes the southbound trip quite a bit quicker now, unless you actually want to exit onto 71B south.  The bridge is open due to the closure of the southbound offramp due to falling rock and also probably to make it easier to complete the SPUI underneath.  They are going to blast another 100 ft. from the top of the hillside to notch it out better to prevent rocks from falling onto the offramp when everything opens up.  Hasn't been an issue yet due to low traffic counts, but would assuredly result in the rude surprise of a rock coming through a windshield or onto a hood or roof, not to mention the hazard of avoiding large debris on the ramp itself once I-49 is opened onto the BVB.  Resulted in some lane shifts from my previous trip a couple of weeks ago southbound from Hiwasse.

I may take a look in the next couple days since I'm off.

[GreenLanternCorps]

The I Drive Arkansas camera by the US 71 I-49 interchange has a nice view of the open southbound lanes.  Though the vast majority of southbound traffic is from US 71 south.

https://idrivearkansas.com/

[msunat97]

The I Drive Arkansas camera by the US 71 I-49 interchange has a nice view of the open southbound lanes.  Though the vast majority of southbound traffic is from US 71 south.

https://idrivearkansas.com/

Agreed!  the NB camera view is great to see the flow & updates on the construction.  i'm interested to see the "touchup" work on the hill face across from the camera.