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I-57 Approved

Started by US71, October 11, 2017, 09:09:35 PM

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edwaleni

#1325
Quote from: MikieTimT on January 25, 2025, 09:45:01 PM
Quote from: bwana39 on January 24, 2025, 11:00:31 AMIt is kind of funny. The I-57 thread is the busiest on the mid-south thread.

The irony is that that I-57 is virtually redundant. The distance from Little Rock to Sikeston Mo will be virtually the same on I-57 versus I-40/I-55.


Now that I-49 is fairly quiet with its Bella Vista Bypass making a logical short term completion down to Alma with a little movement of AR-549 northward during the remainder of the 2020's, I-57 is the next 2DI with a snowball's chance of fairly rapid progress, although Alec Farmer is not only not the Chairman of the Highway Commission anymore, he's not on the Commission at all anymore after 12/30/2024.  Philip Taldo from Tontitown in NWA is now the head, so likely more focus is going to be back on NWA for the foreseeable future, especially with 30 Crossing wrapping up.  I'd expect more traction in the next couple of years on a Siloam Springs Bypass of US-412 that should have happened about 17 years ago.

Don't forget that US-278 between Monticello and McGehee (future I-69) is currently under construction in SE Arkansas as well. Dirt is moving currently at Selma.



sprjus4

Quote from: edwaleni on January 25, 2025, 07:41:08 PM
Quote from: armadillo speedbump on January 25, 2025, 06:57:20 PM3. US 160 to Sikeston is a ways away, probably many years into the future, because there isn't a strong need and funding is limited.  It is already 4-lane divided with no stoplights or stop signs.

Several parts between Poplar Bluff and Sikeston are not up to Interstate standard. It will be done in small segments, not unlike how KYDOT updated the Pennyrile to I-69.
The difference with the Pennyrile is that facility was at least a freeway, with modifications coming primarily with interchanges.

US-60 will require the construction of new overpasses and interchanges as it currently has a mix of interchanges and at-grade intersections. More similar to how US-71 was upgraded to I-49 south of Kansas City a decade ago.

Quote from: MikieTimT on January 25, 2025, 09:29:59 PMOnce the portions south of Poplar Bluff are completed, the facility is functionally done from the perspective of the motoring public, with the remaining work on US-60 to get interstate-grade effectively buying a 5MPH boost in speed limit since Missouri is still only 70MPH on interstates.  Maybe that changes before this project gets completed, though, since Missouri has 4 states bordering on the south and west with 75MPH speed limits on rural limited access 4 lane roads.
I'm not sure what's stopping Missouri from simply posting US-60 as-is at 70 mph... there are other divided highways (not freeway) in the state that are 70 mph. They seem selective with where they do it though.

US-60 is relatively flat and very well built, it could easily handle it. Very long sight lines.

MikieTimT

ARDOT selected to receive $24.9M for Corning Bypass.  This should get dirt moving pretty quickly on the first new terrain segment of Walnut Ridge to Poplar Bluff.

https://ardot.gov/news/25-011/


The Ghostbuster

AR 657, here we come!



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