I-49 in Arkansas

[sparker]

OK -- now I see what you're talking about.  The spacing between the actual line segments appears to be quite a bit greater than usual.  Again, that may be an temporary situation; the paint will certainly be removed when the freeway is finished and replaced with white, at which time normal spacing may be deployed.  But if not, and the wide spacing is retained, this segment of I-49 may be functioning as a "test zone" to see if the wider spacing (which would save on paint!) might actually work in daily use.  Caltrans tried something similar on I-5 in the northern Sacramento Valley several years back; AFAIK that paint pattern is still there (IIRC, near Corning). 

BTW, those white outer lane-limit lines are also unique; the cross-hatches to the outside look like a painted method of emulating rumble strips.  It would be interesting to see if ARDOT applies this to other new freeway construction statewide. 

[Rick1962]

BTW, those white outer lane-limit lines are also unique; the cross-hatches to the outside look like a painted method of emulating rumble strips.  It would be interesting to see if ARDOT applies this to other new freeway construction statewide.

Those are rumble strips. Zoom in, and you can see the aggregate in the concrete where they were ground out.

SM-T580

[sparker]

BTW, those white outer lane-limit lines are also unique; the cross-hatches to the outside look like a painted method of emulating rumble strips.  It would be interesting to see if ARDOT applies this to other new freeway construction statewide.

Those are rumble strips. Zoom in, and you can see the aggregate in the concrete where they were ground out.

SM-T580

OK -- my increasingly feeble eyes didn't initially see the textures in the white cross-strips.  Not that ARDOT is trying to win a MOMA award or anything, but those are some of the most attractive rumble strips I've seen; far better than the usual lateral grooves ground into the outer asphalt shoulders.  And this design obviously lets the driver know when they're barely out of the lane rather than a few feet outside.  Nice! 

[US71]

I-49 at Bentonville/Rogers is set to get Arkansas' first SPUI

[Gordon]

 Maybe with KNWA help and Missouri finally raising their funds the Bella Vista Bypass will finally be finished. I think U.S. Transportation Department has until the middle of this December  to let the BUILD grants.                                                                                                                                 BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA) -- A regional commission is seeking $25 million to complete a key part of Interstate 49 near Bella Vista.
The NWA Regional Planning Commission is working with Missouri officials to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation for a B.U.I.L.D. grant to help pay for part of the newly renamed I-49 Missouri-Arkansas connector in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is providing more of its own funding as well, increasing it from $18 million to $25 million.

[US71]

Maybe with KNWA help and Missouri finally raising their funds the Bella Vista Bypass will finally be finished. I think U.S. Transportation Department has until the middle of this December  to let the BUILD grants.                                                                                                                                 BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA) -- A regional commission is seeking $25 million to complete a key part of Interstate 49 near Bella Vista.
The NWA Regional Planning Commission is working with Missouri officials to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation for a B.U.I.L.D. grant to help pay for part of the newly renamed I-49 Missouri-Arkansas connector in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is providing more of its own funding as well, increasing it from $18 million to $25 million.

https://talkbusiness.net/2018/07/nwa-planners-apply-for-build-grant-to-pay-for-i-49-gap-between-arkansas-missouri/

[Road Hog]

Maybe with KNWA help and Missouri finally raising their funds the Bella Vista Bypass will finally be finished. I think U.S. Transportation Department has until the middle of this December  to let the BUILD grants.                                                                                                                                 BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA) -- A regional commission is seeking $25 million to complete a key part of Interstate 49 near Bella Vista.
The NWA Regional Planning Commission is working with Missouri officials to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation for a B.U.I.L.D. grant to help pay for part of the newly renamed I-49 Missouri-Arkansas connector in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is providing more of its own funding as well, increasing it from $18 million to $25 million.

If that's all the money that's needed, Walmart should just gift the governments the cash and get the dang thing finished.

[mvak36]

https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants/2018-build-application-faqs

When will awards be made?

Under the FY 2018 Appropriations Act, the Department must make awards by December 18, 2018.

I believe the article US71 posted also said something about the grants being awarded in December.

[Grzrd]

In AHTD's April 26 Presentation to the Arkansas Higway Commission .... they have a 2022 letting date for the Arkansas River bridge (p. 9/132 of pdf):

Speaking of filling gaps in I-49, it looks like a long wait for the Fort Smith-Texarkana gap. The above chart shows ARDOT's "wish list" for the Trump infrastructure plan as including the Bella Vista Bypass and the Arkansas River Bridge gaps, but not the Fort Smith-Texarkana gap. ARDOT's 2019-2022 STIP also focuses on improving the "old" I-540 and the Arkansas River Bridge (pp. 31-32/216 of pdf; pp. 3-4 of document):



Also, a possible clue to how much on the "back burner" is the Fort Smith-Texarkana gap can be found in the US 71 listings in the Draft STIP (pp. 48-49/216 of pdf; pp. 20-21 of document):



The Mena Bypass has been mentioned as a potential first project in the Fort Smith-Texarkana gap. However, ARDOT is planning on putting passing lanes on "Mena North and South". I-49 is possibly not in the near future and Mena will have to be satisfied with the passing lanes.

[US71]

If that's all the money that's needed, Walmart should just gift the governments the cash and get the dang thing finished.

It would be nice, but they don't work that way.  ARDOT is building them an exit on I-49,  XNA was built with bonds sold by Alice Walton's Llama Company. 540 (now 49) north of Alma was basically a "gift" to Wal-Mart, Tyson, and JB Hunt.

[MikieTimT]

It would be nice, but they don't work that way.  ARDOT is building them an exit on I-49,  XNA was built with bonds sold by Alice Walton's Llama Company. 540 (now 49) north of Alma was basically a "gift" to Wal-Mart, Tyson, and JB Hunt.

Well, considering how many jobs those 3 companies provide the state and this part of the nation for that matter, despite NWA's lack of infrastructural attention coming from Little Rock until recently, it's less a gift than sharing the economic activity they provide with the less developed parts of the area.  I don't particularly fondly remember the college days of going back home to the river valley a couple of weekends a month driving US-71 at night and racing around slowly climbing semis on all too short passing zones.  That old road was a death-trap, although it is much more enjoyable to drive nowadays without all of the traffic on it when I don't have to be somewhere quickly.  Not that there are many opportunities like that these days.

[bugo]

The proposed passing lanes on US 71 north and south of Mena might possibly be beyond the bypass in both directions.

[O Tamandua]

This week's I-49 article linked above is the most shared (300+) and most read (1,100+) article in Talk Business this week.  It's not even close.  You think there isn't a huge, silent interest in seeing this finished?:

https://talkbusiness.net/2018/07/nwa-planners-apply-for-build-grant-to-pay-for-i-49-gap-between-arkansas-missouri/

(Noteworthy that: A) Sen. Tom Cotton is putting weight behind this one, and; B) it's said that there's "momentum" for this in the article...that's less cautious wording than previous stories I've read.)

It's easy now to talk about how difficult the Greenwood-Texarkana I-49 stretch will be to complete.  If, however, this gets funded in December, and if (as Grzd said above) the I-49 Ark River bridge is let in 2022 and if (as was just said on the Texas I-69 thread) the ever-growing "Texas Trident" will have the emphasis on Texarkana, not Shreveport, as its northern terminus it's going to get a LOT more difficult to talk (and keep making excuses for) how difficult Greenwood-Texarkana will be.

[MikieTimT]

It sure would go a long way to getting some economic activity south of Ft. Smith for sure.  Scott County is slowly withering away since they've even closed down the Wal-Mart that was there for most of my lifetime.

[qguy]

Here's a picture I took last Saturday from a mile south of the current northern terminus of the Bella Vista Bypass, at what used to be called Gun Range Road.  Given that there are small segments of paved four lane (with two of them inaccessible) stretches at both this and the Highway 72 exit to the south and east of this photograph, it looks like the first full four lane section of the BVP may be between these two exits.

BTW, those white outer lane-limit lines are also unique; the cross-hatches to the outside look like a painted method of emulating rumble strips.  It would be interesting to see if ARDOT applies this to other new freeway construction statewide.

Those are rumble strips. Zoom in, and you can see the aggregate in the concrete where they were ground out.
SM-T580

OK -- my increasingly feeble eyes didn't initially see the textures in the white cross-strips.  Not that ARDOT is trying to win a MOMA award or anything, but those are some of the most attractive rumble strips I've seen; far better than the usual lateral grooves ground into the outer asphalt shoulders.  And this design obviously lets the driver know when they're barely out of the lane rather than a few feet outside.  Nice! 

I believe the original version of that groove pattern in the shoulder was an innovation developed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the 1980s. The PTC called it (and still calls it) SNAP, for Sonic Nap Alert Pattern. The first operational installation was in 1989. It was nearly immediately recognized as extremely effective (and cost-effective) by DOTs around the country and similar pavement patterns are now used extensively just about everywhere.

Here's a pretty good write-up about the development, testing, specs, photos, etc.: http://www.usroads.com/journals/p/rilj/9808/ri980803.htm

[bugo]

Waldron was always a wretched place, but it's even worse without Walmart. The Walmart there was an old style store that was cramped and had very narrow lanes and low ceilings. A far cry from today's wide open Supercenters.

[Road Hog]

I remember when Waldron High School was Class AAA in the 1980s (the equivalent of 5A today) and played Greenwood, Alma and Van Buren in football. Nowadays they have to eke by Dover to make the playoffs.

[MikieTimT]

Waldron was always a wretched place, but it's even worse without Walmart. The Walmart there was an old style store that was cramped and hsd very narrow lanes and low ceilings. A far cry from today's wide open Supercenters.

At least it functioned somewhat as a waypoint between Greenwood and Mena on the long slog down south (and back up north on the return) to Texarkana and points south.  The scenery is much greater than eastern Arkansas, but with nothing much noteworthy down there, it almost manages to be as depressing.  And that's coming from someone whose earliest memories were on a ranch 4 miles east of the rest area there at the AR 23 junction.

[sparker]

Waldron was always a wretched place, but it's even worse without Walmart. The Walmart there was an old style store that was cramped and hsd very narrow lanes and low ceilings. A far cry from today's wide open Supercenters.

I remember visiting the Wal-Mart (old school!) in Broken Bow, OK back in the early '80's when visiting family there; it was just as described above -- more like an old "five & dime" store than a modern department facility.  One thing I remember -- it wasn't particularly well-lit, and it almost always smelled musty -- like some merchandise had been there for years and the dust build-up permeated the store's interior.  Never liked going there, but my relatives insisted on it because of the exceptionally low prices on some items (towel, underwear, cleaning supplies -- but, I noticed, rarely on food or drinks, particularly 12/24-packs of soda, which my cousins went through like water).  Of course these days Wal-Mart's store brands have drastically changed that profile.  Nevertheless, a lot of these older Wal-Marts still are hanging in there, particularly in smaller areas with a limited customer base.   

[US71]

Waldron was always a wretched place, but it's even worse without Walmart. The Walmart there was an old style store that was cramped and hsd very narrow lanes and low ceilings. A far cry from today's wide open Supercenters.

I remember visiting the Wal-Mart (old school!) in Broken Bow, OK back in the early '80's when visiting family there; it was just as described above -- more like an old "five & dime" store than a modern department facility.  One thing I remember -- it wasn't particularly well-lit, and it almost always smelled musty -- like some merchandise had been there for years and the dust build-up permeated the store's interior.  Never liked going there, but my relatives insisted on it because of the exceptionally low prices on some items (towel, underwear, cleaning supplies -- but, I noticed, rarely on food or drinks, particularly 12/24-packs of soda, which my cousins went through like water).  Of course these days Wal-Mart's store brands have drastically changed that profile.  Nevertheless, a lot of these older Wal-Marts still are hanging in there, particularly in smaller areas with a limited customer base.   

Half the reason Walmart left was, in their eyes, it wasn't worth upgrading. I'm sure the new Harps store didn't help


SM-G930V

[Grzrd]

... It's easy now to talk about how difficult the Greenwood-Texarkana I-49 stretch will be to complete.  If, however, this gets funded in December, and if the I-49 Ark River bridge is let in 2022 and if (as was just said on the Texas I-69 thread) the ever-growing "Texas Trident" will have the emphasis on Texarkana, not Shreveport, as its northern terminus it's going to get a LOT more difficult to talk (and keep making excuses for) how difficult Greenwood-Texarkana will be.

With TxDOT doing a US 59/I-369 corridor study in Texarkana and Bowie County doing a feasibility study for an I-369 West Spur to the TexAmericas Center, I imagine the studies helped to inspire this July 22 Texarkana Gazette editorial in which they wondered why is it taking so long to complete I-49:

The promise of Interstate 49 was that it would speed traffic going from Kansas City to New Orleans and points in between, including Texarkana.
But the construction of I-49 itself hasn't been all that speedy.
Right now, the northern part of highway begins south of Kansas City and continues to Pineville, just north of the Arkansas state line. It picks up from Bella Vista, Ark., and runs to to Alma, Ark.
It picks up again north of Texarkana and continues on to I-220 in Shreveport before resuming as I-49 to Lafayette, La.
That's a lot of miles. But construction on I-49 began in Louisiana in 1981. That's a lot of years.
While work is continuing to complete the highway from Texarkana to Lafayette, the major portion through Arkansas is still a dream. On Wednesday, the Arkansas Department of Transportation told the Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority that studies should begin in the fall on the proposed route from Alma, Ark., to Barling, Ark.–a distance of about 17 miles.
Consider this: The initial Interstate Highway System, authorized in 1956, took just 35 years to build multiple highways covering more than 42,000 miles. Work on I-49 alone has been going on 37 years.
Yeas, we understand things are different today. Both costs and environmental awareness–which means more costs–are higher today. And we are talking limited government funds.
Those excuses are wearing thin. The government can find plenty of other things to spend money on–as our national debt plainly shows. And we suspect most readers never see any benefit from most of that money. The I-49 project has already benefited millions and will benefit millions more upon completion. Why isn't it on the front burner?
We have been waiting a long time. And it looks like we are going to be waiting a lot longer.

The editorial ended with an air of resignation that they will have to wait a lot longer, but maybe some momentum suggested by O Tamandua will speed it up.

[jbnv]

Those excuses are wearing thin. The government can find plenty of other things to spend money on–as our national debt plainly shows. And we suspect most readers never see any benefit from most of that money.

This is the question every American--liberal or conservative--should be asking. And by "asking" I don't mean blaming "wars" or "welfare," but demanding real answers from the last three administrations and their Congresses. By my estimate, Louisiana's share of the national debt is $70 billion--which would complete I-49, rebuild I-10 through Baton Rouge, puts loops around Baton Rouge and Lafayette, upgrade US 165 to an interstate, AND build I-69 and I-14, and probably leave plenty to fix up the rest of our highways and bridges.

[US71]

Those excuses are wearing thin. The government can find plenty of other things to spend money on–as our national debt plainly shows. And we suspect most readers never see any benefit from most of that money.

This is the question every American--liberal or conservative--should be asking. And by "asking" I don't mean blaming "wars" or "welfare," but demanding real answers from the last three administrations and their Congresses. By my estimate, Louisiana's share of the national debt is $70 billion--which would complete I-49, rebuild I-10 through Baton Rouge, puts loops around Baton Rouge and Lafayette, upgrade US 165 to an interstate, AND build I-69 and I-14, and probably leave plenty to fix up the rest of our highways and bridges.

Quit giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

[jbnv]

Quit giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

Debt is causes by excessive spending, not by revenue. Rephrase in the form of a real answer.

[vdeane]

Quit giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

Debt is causes by excessive spending, not by revenue. Rephrase in the form of a real answer.

It is a real answer.  If revenue is already too low to cover spending, you don't cut it further.  It's like quitting your job right after signing a lease or taking out a loan.