I-49 in Arkansas

[The Ghostbuster]

Can someone get pictures of these "new exit numbers" along the Bella Vista Bypass that are a continuation of Interstate 540's old numbers instead of based on Interstate 49's ultimate mileage from the Arkansas/Louisiana border? The "Interstate 49 in Arkansas" Wikipedia page still lists the US 71 north, the 2 AR 72 exits, and the CR 34 Rocky Dell Hollow Road interchanges as being numbered Exit 279 (old 93), Exit 284 (old 99), Exit 287 (old 102) and Exit 289 (old 104): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_49_in_Arkansas.

[sprjus4]

https://youtu.be/cohxK-gWjyA

Not sure if this helps anything.

[The Ghostbuster]

The YouTube video (shown too fast for my liking) shows the four exits on the Missouri portion of the Bella Vista Bypass being numbered as Exits 93, 284, 287, and 289, as they were before the bypass was completed. Have those four exits had their numbers changed since then, since 284, 287 and 289 would be the correct numbers for Interstate 49 mileage-based exits?

[Tomahawkin]

Good Video, Considering all the rock that had to be blasted, now I see why this stretch too so long to build. And thanks to everyone who provided the 411 on the Super 2

Cant wait to drive 49 from Alma to KC this summer

[wdcrft63]

I noticed the numbers were changed as well. I imagine we wont see 49 completed in my lifetime


iPhone

Somebody who knows, is there a federal or AASHTO standard for how exit numbers are assigned?

What is this in reply of? I need some context....

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3324.msg2698027#msg2698027

And in confirmation of my suspicion, I took the entire BVB to Joplin on the way to Cabool, MO to pick up a topper for my truck, and sure enough, there is no longer any I-49 exit in Arkansas greater than 105 now.  But we do have the desirable state of having multiple mile markers that are now duplicates in the range of 20-42!  Can't for the life of me reconcile why they did this.  Now AR-549 from US-71 to AR-22 stands out like a sore thumb of sensibility!

[SkyPesos]

If the exits got renumbered, that's definitely a big step backwards imo. The exits that should be renumbered are the ones between I-40 and Bella Vista that are still using old I-540's mileage.

[MikieTimT]

They did get renumbered in the last couple of weeks.  I'll take some dashboard video from Exit 93 onward to the northern US-71 junction in MO and get it uploaded to YouTube at some point in the next week.

[sprjus4]

What was the point of renumbering?

[MikieTimT]

What was the point of renumbering?

I find it best not to attempt to try to rationalize the irrational.  If I were guessing, someone got some flack for the 180+ mile jump in the 6 miles from Bentonville/Bella Vista to the first Gravette exit and went with the least amount of effort to stop the grumbling until they bridge the Arkansas River between Barling and Alma.

[MikieTimT]

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3324.msg2698027#msg2698027

And in confirmation of my suspicion, I took the entire BVB to Joplin on the way to Cabool, MO to pick up a topper for my truck, and sure enough, there is no longer any I-49 exit in Arkansas greater than 105 now.  But we do have the desirable state of having multiple mile markers that are now duplicates in the range of 20-42!  Can't for the life of me reconcile why they did this.  Now AR-549 from US-71 to AR-22 stands out like a sore thumb of sensibility!

Your linked post mentions 284 -> 99. What are the new numbers for 287 & 289?
I assume the significance of 105 is that that's the mile number at the Missouri line?

Exit 287 is now Exit 102.  I haven't actually noticed there being mile markers on the BVB portion yet.  Now Google Maps has bad information yet again for the BVB, and it's not even been open that long.  This is why we can't have nice things...

Drove it again today.  There are no mile markers yet for the Arkansas portion of the BVB.

[MikieTimT]

Here's a pair of videos I shot from my smartphone today of the Bella Vista Bypass complete with the new?/old? exit numbers from Gravette northward.

Northbound from south of Exit 93

Southbound from Exit 5

Shot at 5x speed.  You can adjust speed settings within YouTube to 0.25 speed if you're trying to catch exit numbers.

I also recommend bumping up to 1080p in the settings if your Auto resolution looks crappy.

[abqtraveler]

Here's a pair of videos I shot from my smartphone today of the Bella Vista Bypass complete with the new?/old? exit numbers from Gravette northward.

Northbound from south of Exit 93

Southbound from Exit 5

Shot at 5x speed.  You can adjust speed settings within YouTube to 0.25 speed if you're trying to catch exit numbers.

I also recommend bumping up to 1080p in the settings if your Auto resolution looks crappy.

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

[CoolAngrybirdsrio4]

Here's a pair of videos I shot from my smartphone today of the Bella Vista Bypass complete with the new?/old? exit numbers from Gravette northward.

Northbound from south of Exit 93

Southbound from Exit 5

Shot at 5x speed.  You can adjust speed settings within YouTube to 0.25 speed if you're trying to catch exit numbers.

I also recommend bumping up to 1080p in the settings if your Auto resolution looks crappy.

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

Interesting   

[MikieTimT]

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

I wonder if FHWA even knows at this point.  It was just changed days ago, so Covid-induced staffing issues at FHWA could possibly hamper them keeping up with DOTs doing arbitrary things like this that affect several sectors, like marketing for area businesses and mapping systems.  Why couldn't they have just gone ahead and changed mile markers and exits 20-93 like they will eventually have to do anyway, especially once they connect Alma to Barling?  Was it that difficult or expensive a project to do at this point in time?  Are they going to go back and introduce negative mile markers and exits on the Chaffee Crossing section of Future I-49/AR-549 when the river valley is crossed?

[MikieTimT]

I emailed ARDOT's Public Information Officer asking about the exit/mile marker numbering system for the northern I-49 segment.  We'll see if I get a response or forwarded to whoever else might shed some light on the situation.

[vdeane]

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

I wonder if FHWA even knows at this point.  It was just changed days ago, so Covid-induced staffing issues at FHWA could possibly hamper them keeping up with DOTs doing arbitrary things like this that affect several sectors, like marketing for area businesses and mapping systems.  Why couldn't they have just gone ahead and changed mile markers and exits 20-93 like they will eventually have to do anyway, especially once they connect Alma to Barling?  Was it that difficult or expensive a project to do at this point in time?  Are they going to go back and introduce negative mile markers and exits on the Chaffee Crossing section of Future I-49/AR-549 when the river valley is crossed?

Maybe they'll just count down from 20... the US 71 interchange is right around where it would hit 0.

(let's hope, meanwhile, that ARDOT doesn't get any ideas from this comment...)

[abqtraveler]

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

I wonder if FHWA even knows at this point.  It was just changed days ago, so Covid-induced staffing issues at FHWA could possibly hamper them keeping up with DOTs doing arbitrary things like this that affect several sectors, like marketing for area businesses and mapping systems.  Why couldn't they have just gone ahead and changed mile markers and exits 20-93 like they will eventually have to do anyway, especially once they connect Alma to Barling?  Was it that difficult or expensive a project to do at this point in time?  Are they going to go back and introduce negative mile markers and exits on the Chaffee Crossing section of Future I-49/AR-549 when the river valley is crossed?

Maybe they'll just count down from 20... the US 71 interchange is right around where it would hit 0.

(let's hope, meanwhile, that ARDOT doesn't get any ideas from this comment...)

When they finish Arkansas River Bridge and connecting the Barling segment to I-40 will be right around the time they plan to be constructing at least the first two lanes between Barling and Y City, which would add another 50 miles to what's already there now. At some point they're going to have to address the exit numbers on the Alma to Missouri section.

[US71]

When they finish Arkansas River Bridge and connecting the Barling segment to I-40 will be right around the time they plan to be constructing at least the first two lanes between Barling and Y City, which would add another 50 miles to what's already there now. At some point they're going to have to address the exit numbers on the Alma to Missouri section.

I would have thought ARDOT would have addressed this by now. I'm curious what their reasoning is.

[CoolAngrybirdsrio4]

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

I wonder if FHWA even knows at this point.  It was just changed days ago, so Covid-induced staffing issues at FHWA could possibly hamper them keeping up with DOTs doing arbitrary things like this that affect several sectors, like marketing for area businesses and mapping systems.  Why couldn't they have just gone ahead and changed mile markers and exits 20-93 like they will eventually have to do anyway, especially once they connect Alma to Barling?  Was it that difficult or expensive a project to do at this point in time?  Are they going to go back and introduce negative mile markers and exits on the Chaffee Crossing section of Future I-49/AR-549 when the river valley is crossed?

Maybe they'll just count down from 20... the US 71 interchange is right around where it would hit 0.

(let's hope, meanwhile, that ARDOT doesn't get any ideas from this comment...)

When they finish Arkansas River Bridge and connecting the Barling segment to I-40 will be right around the time they plan to be constructing at least the first two lanes between Barling and Y City, which would add another 50 miles to what's already there now. At some point they're going to have to address the exit numbers on the Alma to Missouri section.

Taking their sweet time as usual?

[MikieTimT]

It makes no sense to continue the old I-540 exit numbering scheme along the Arkansas side of the BVB. Actually, I'm surprised the FHWA is letting Arkansas get away with that. When the first section of the I-69 extension in Indiana opened in 2012, I recall the FHWA required INDOT to renumber exits on the original Indy to Michigan section of I-69 (they made it easy and just added 200 to the existing exit numbers).

I wonder if FHWA even knows at this point.  It was just changed days ago, so Covid-induced staffing issues at FHWA could possibly hamper them keeping up with DOTs doing arbitrary things like this that affect several sectors, like marketing for area businesses and mapping systems.  Why couldn't they have just gone ahead and changed mile markers and exits 20-93 like they will eventually have to do anyway, especially once they connect Alma to Barling?  Was it that difficult or expensive a project to do at this point in time?  Are they going to go back and introduce negative mile markers and exits on the Chaffee Crossing section of Future I-49/AR-549 when the river valley is crossed?

Maybe they'll just count down from 20... the US 71 interchange is right around where it would hit 0.

(let's hope, meanwhile, that ARDOT doesn't get any ideas from this comment...)

When they finish Arkansas River Bridge and connecting the Barling segment to I-40 will be right around the time they plan to be constructing at least the first two lanes between Barling and Y City, which would add another 50 miles to what's already there now. At some point they're going to have to address the exit numbers on the Alma to Missouri section.

Taking their sweet time as usual?

Oh, they'll punt as long as possible on this now that they've renumbered the northern 3 exits.  Funky having the Chaffee Crossing exits being 187 to 193 with Alma to Rocky Dell Hollow Rd. being 20 to 104.  They'll have to address it before they'll get approved to change the Chaffee Crossing portion of Future I-49 to just I-49 when everything is done in the river valley gap.

Just crickets from the Public Relations Officer with ARDOT on the email I sent about why they chose to make a backwards change.

[US71]

Oh, they'll punt as long as possible on this now that they've renumbered the northern 3 exits.  Funky having the Chaffee Crossing exits being 187 to 193 with Alma to Rocky Dell Hollow Rd. being 20 to 104.  They'll have to address it before they'll get approved to change the Chaffee Crossing portion of Future I-49 to just I-49 when everything is done in the river valley gap.

Just crickets from the Public Relations Officer with ARDOT on the email I sent about why they chose to make a backwards change.

Highlands Blvd has the new numbering sequence (or DID)

[CoolAngrybirdsrio4]

Oh, they'll punt as long as possible on this now that they've renumbered the northern 3 exits.  Funky having the Chaffee Crossing exits being 187 to 193 with Alma to Rocky Dell Hollow Rd. being 20 to 104.  They'll have to address it before they'll get approved to change the Chaffee Crossing portion of Future I-49 to just I-49 when everything is done in the river valley gap.

Just crickets from the Public Relations Officer with ARDOT on the email I sent about why they chose to make a backwards change.

Highlands Blvd has the new numbering sequence (or DID)

Do any of the other exits along the bypass have some of the new numbering?

[MikieTimT]

Oh, they'll punt as long as possible on this now that they've renumbered the northern 3 exits.  Funky having the Chaffee Crossing exits being 187 to 193 with Alma to Rocky Dell Hollow Rd. being 20 to 104.  They'll have to address it before they'll get approved to change the Chaffee Crossing portion of Future I-49 to just I-49 when everything is done in the river valley gap.

Just crickets from the Public Relations Officer with ARDOT on the email I sent about why they chose to make a backwards change.

Highlands Blvd has the new numbering sequence (or DID)

Do any of the other exits along the bypass have some of the new numbering?

They changed all 3 of the exits on the BVB to 99, 102, and 104 since this picture was taken, unless they've changed them again in the last couple of days.

[MikieTimT]

 

Great job folks making this thread one of only a couple of handfuls to pass 1M views!!

[MikieTimT]

For those unable to view the videos I shot 3 days ago for the exits: