I-49 in Arkansas

[edwaleni]

As someone who knows the strength of the HB line on plans and have seen firsthand engineers fall flat on their faces when their assumptions were totally wrong, the idea of using Google Maps to judge ROW ownership by sight is pretty funny.

I used the Arkansas GIS parcel map for Waldron for my guess. But my key word was "may".

[MikieTimT]

When more of future Interstate 49 is constructed, it won't utilize the existing US 71 bypass of Waldron, will it? It doesn't look like the bypass can be upgraded without significant right-of-way impacts.

According to the 1997 FEIS, all of the alignments including the "selected" alignment bypass the bypass to the west, so access will be retained as the current US-71 alignment is retained.  Now, since this FEIS is 27 years old at this point, and will likely be 37+ years old when they actually get around to the likely Super-2 construction of AR-549 through there, it's almost guaranteed that NEPA will have to be restarted with the 1997 FEIS results considered.  Not that this is a high growth area, so there aren't likely to be new considerations, but they'll have to go back through the process again.

I think everyone missed the link in my post above as the 1997 FEIS already shows the considered routes.  That said, it'll have to be revisited anyway due to age, but Waldron isn't exactly a high-growth part of western Arkansas, so likely isn't going to require significant changes.

1997 FEIS Waldron I-49 Routing

[Rick Powell]

According to the 1997 FEIS, all of the alignments including the "selected" alignment bypass the bypass to the west, so access will be retained as the current US-71 alignment is retained.  Now, since this FEIS is 27 years old at this point, and will likely be 37+ years old when they actually get around to the likely Super-2 construction of AR-549 through there, it's almost guaranteed that NEPA will have to be restarted with the 1997 FEIS results considered.  Not that this is a high growth area, so there aren't likely to be new considerations, but they'll have to go back through the process again.

It depends on how much the alignment changes from what was approved, and if those changes warrant a re-opening of the original decision. It can be as simple as a "NEPA Re-evaluation" where the changes are minor enough that all that is needed is a revised impact evaluation making sure that the decision is still valid (as was done on the Missouri section of US 67/future I-57 north of the Arkansas state line). This should give you a flavor of how much change could be approved in a re-evaluation.
https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/Route%2067%20EIS%20Reevaluation.pdf

It can also be substantial enough that a Supplemental EIS is warranted, or in extreme cases, scrapping everything and starting all over with a new EIS.

[roadman65]

Why do you need to upgrade US 71 to freeway through that city anyway?

I mean if there is no other alternative, yes by all means. However, there is plenty of land in the area to build something else. With AR Hwy 80 there, it's easy access to that bypass anyway.

[edwaleni]

Why do you need to upgrade US 71 to freeway through that city anyway?

I mean if there is no other alternative, yes by all means. However, there is plenty of land in the area to build something else. With AR Hwy 80 there, it's easy access to that bypass anyway.

Perhaps not today, but if it is to become a major regional arterial, like becoming I-49, then it would come into play.

[Bobby5280]

It's not difficult at all to see utility easements on either side of a highway in Google Earth imagery. The utility easements usually define the boundaries of the highway's ROW.

US-71 going around Waldron has an ROW ranging between 150' to 180' wide. That's not enough for a standard freeway design that includes frontage roads. 300' is typically needed in order to accommodate frontage roads and slip ramps of standard design. It's possible to squeeze things down into a 250' wide footprint.

If they did without frontage roads and simply built diamond exits at important intersections they might be able to get by in the current ROW. But access would be cut off to several side streets and various businesses. They would have to fix that somehow.

[MikieTimT]

Why do you need to upgrade US 71 to freeway through that city anyway?

I mean if there is no other alternative, yes by all means. However, there is plenty of land in the area to build something else. With AR Hwy 80 there, it's easy access to that bypass anyway.

Perhaps not today, but if it is to become a major regional arterial, like becoming I-49, then it would come into play.

Waldron can't even keep a non-SuperCenter Walmart running, so growth over the next couple of decades is quite a long shot.  There's no reason to deviate from the 1997 FEIS new build preferred alignment.  None of the alignment alternatives in the 1997 FEIS used US-71, which is a "bypass" of US-71B, the original alignment of US-71 through Waldron.  So, access road aren't in the cards as it'll be half a mile or so to the west of US-71.

There's going to be a fair number of cuts involved with the project south of Greenwood, especially south of the initial segment to AR-378 (Elm Park near the rest area) just like there was on US-71 (and I-49 in NWA) with all of the E/W ridges the route will plow through.

[bugo]

Are there any detailed maps available online that show the proposed route from Fort Smith to Texarkana?

[mvak36]

Are there any detailed maps available online that show the proposed route from Fort Smith to Texarkana?

I remember about 10 years ago or so a poster from AHTD posted a proposed exit list which showed a general routing. It might be in this thread somewhere but I'm not sure if the links or photos are still there.

The only other thing I could find are these: https://ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/District-4_Maintenance_Facilities.pdf and https://ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/District-3_Maintenance_Facilities.pdf

The dashed line is the proposed routing I think. I don't know if it's been finalized or not.

[MikieTimT]

Are there any detailed maps available online that show the proposed route from Fort Smith to Texarkana?

I remember about 10 years ago or so a poster from AHTD posted a proposed exit list which showed a general routing. It might be in this thread somewhere but I'm not sure if the links or photos are still there.

The only other thing I could find are these: https://ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/District-4_Maintenance_Facilities.pdf and https://ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/District-3_Maintenance_Facilities.pdf

The dashed line is the proposed routing I think. I don't know if it's been finalized or not.

Those dashed lines look like the 1997 FEIS preferred alignments down to DeQueen, so finalized, but will have to be revisited anyway since it's been so long, but likely not many changes since it's a sparsely populated part of the state without any significant growth once you're south of Greenwood and north of DeQueen.  Heck, even Texarkana isn't really growing, but comparatively so when talking about anything other than Greenwood.

[MikieTimT]

Lots of road construction signs on the dirt roads north of AR-22 near the current end of AR-549, dirt work on the river banks east of the L&D 13 bridge on AR-59, and construction signs and utility markers as well as dirt work on Gun Club Rd. off AR-59 north of the bridge/dam.  Dirt work has begun on the Arkansas River crossing for I-49 now, so finally starting to see activity.  I was unprepared to see it, so didn't get any pictures or video as I wasn't prepared, and I was driving with wife sleeping and kids on their phones, but if I get back down to Charleston at some point over the next few months, I'll prepare for it.

[edwaleni]

[Henry]

If the previous new alignments are any indication, the whole route south of I-40 will be signed as AR 549 first, which includes the already-existing disconnected freeway south of Barling. However, I don't think the dead end north of I-30 in Texarkana is signed at all, but they'll probably continue to work their way down as time goes on, which would be the logical thing to do.

[Road Hog]

If the previous new alignments are any indication, the whole route south of I-40 will be signed as AR 549 first, which includes the already-existing disconnected freeway south of Barling. However, I don't think the dead end north of I-30 in Texarkana is signed at all, but they'll probably continue to work their way down as time goes on, which would be the logical thing to do.

The south end of I-49 is indeed signed from the Texas state line at US 59/71 to the Louisiana state line. Only 150 miles to go from there ....

[The Ghostbuster]

What will the new interchanges exit numbers be at Gun Club Rd. and Clear Creek Rd., assuming they use Interstate 49's mileage for exit numbers?

[vdeane]

If the previous new alignments are any indication, the whole route south of I-40 will be signed as AR 549 first, which includes the already-existing disconnected freeway south of Barling. However, I don't think the dead end north of I-30 in Texarkana is signed at all, but they'll probably continue to work their way down as time goes on, which would be the logical thing to do.

As far as I'm aware, AR 549 is the only four-lane new alignment so designated, and that's because it's disconnected.  The Bella Vista AR 549 was two-lane and didn't have a freeway/freeway connection until it was twinned when the Missouri portion was built.  AR 530 is also two-lane (with at-grades).  I was assuming that they'd extend I-49 south to US 71 once the piece between AR 549 and I-40 is built, especially as, last I heard, they're building it as four lanes from the get-go, not two now two later.

What will the new interchanges exit numbers be at Gun Club Rd. and Clear Creek Rd., assuming they use Interstate 49's mileage for exit numbers?

I'm kinda afraid that they're just going to continue south from the I-540 numbers, especially since they'd coincidentally hit 0 at US 71, and the numbers on the Bella Vista bypass were changed after previously having I-49 exit numbers.

[MikieTimT]

What will the new interchanges exit numbers be at Gun Club Rd. and Clear Creek Rd., assuming they use Interstate 49's mileage for exit numbers?

According to https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/040901_plans_preliminary.pdf#Page=277, it looks like it continues using AR-549's exit numbers northward and AR-549 as a designation according to the signage on the preliminary plans.

[Henry]

If the previous new alignments are any indication, the whole route south of I-40 will be signed as AR 549 first, which includes the already-existing disconnected freeway south of Barling. However, I don't think the dead end north of I-30 in Texarkana is signed at all, but they'll probably continue to work their way down as time goes on, which would be the logical thing to do.

The south end of I-49 is indeed signed from the Texas state line at US 59/71 to the Louisiana state line. Only 150 miles to go from there ....

I didn't mean the entire south half of I-49; it was specifically the section north of I-30 where it dead ends before TX.

[bwana39]

If the previous new alignments are any indication, the whole route south of I-40 will be signed as AR 549 first, which includes the already-existing disconnected freeway south of Barling. However, I don't think the dead end north of I-30 in Texarkana is signed at all, but they'll probably continue to work their way down as time goes on, which would be the logical thing to do.

The south end of I-49 is indeed signed from the Texas state line at US 59/71 to the Louisiana state line. Only 150 miles to go from there ....

I didn't mean the entire south half of I-49; it was specifically the section north of I-30 where it dead ends before TX.

Specifically that portion is fully labeled as Interstate 49. This sign below is from just West of US-71 near the intersection with Sanderson Lane.  There are more on the entire Northeast side of TXKAR

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nFxARiomHMyQdANd9

[The Ghostbuster]

I have a feeling the segment of Interstate 49 that will go into Texas, and then veer back into Arkansas, may be the last segment of Interstate 49 to be constructed. After the AR 22/255-to-Interstate 40 segment is completed, the US 71-to-Y City is the next segment that might be constructed. I expect ARDOT will then work its way southward until Interstate 49 connects with the 42-mile segment between the Arkansas/Louisiana state line and US 59/71 at the Arkansas/Texas state line.

[Bobby5280]

Rather than build out the I-49 corridor in linear fashion from Fort Smith on South it would be smarter and less expensive for AR DOT to prioritize establishing the bypasses for towns like Waldron, Mena, DeQueen and Ashdown -even if it means just creating a Super 2 road the get the ROW reserved. Then they can fill in the rural gaps between the towns.

The Texas segment of I-49 between Texarkana and Ashdown might indeed be the last segment to be built. Of course Arkansas could say "screw that" to those plans if they wanted to do so. There is more than enough vacant land to make I-49 hang a right turn onto existing US-71 and upgrade that existing road to Interstate standards. Or they could built I-49 to the East of US-71 on a new alignment.

I think it's pretty silly to make I-49 clip the far Northeast corner of Texas when it looks like TX DOT may procrastinate for years or even decades to built their share of that connection. If they're ever going to build it the pressure ought to be on TX DOT to make it happen sooner rather than later.

[Henry]

I do agree that the small part in TX will be the last section ever to be built, especially when their plate is full with projects like I-69, I-2, I-14 and I-27.