I-49 in Arkansas

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

On the individual level we're twisting our culture to make the act of raising a family a high priced luxury purchase. Lots of young, working class people will be forced to opt-out of that cornerstone of the so-called American dream.

Good. We need fewer kids.

Who is "we"?

The population as a whole?

[Bobby5280]

Good. We need fewer kids.

It's only good if you desire a bleak future for this nation and the rest of the developed world.

At first glance fewer kids and smaller population might seem like a far more environmentally friendly thing. Fewer people consuming fewer resources. But that only works if different generational age groups maintain a proper size balance. You gotta have enough working age tax payers to fund the pensions, health care costs and end of life costs for all the older folks. The population of the US already had a median age skewing ever older before the Great Recession hit late last decade. Now the fertility rate of American born women is well under the replacement rate level and going downward. If it turns into a long term trend it will be financially disastrous for both business and government.

Then there's the comparative birth rates of other nations. Developing nations have higher birth rates and more youthful populations. The US is big on military spending, but how well is its military going to function if it suddenly has a rapidly shrinking pool of potential recruits? Lots of new business and innovation tend to happen among more youthful people.

[inkyatari]

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Good. We need fewer kids.

It's only good if you desire a bleak future for this nation and the rest of the developed world.

At first glance fewer kids and smaller population might seem like a far more environmetally friendly thing. Fewer people consuming fewer resources. But that only works if different generational age groups maintain a proper size balance. You gotta have enough working age tax payers to fund the pensions, health care costs and end of life costs for all the older folks. The population of the US already had a median age skewing ever older before the Great Recession hit late last decade. Now the fertility rate of American born women is well under the replacement rate level and going downward. If it turns into a long term trend it will be financially disasterous both business and government.

Then there's the comparative birth rates of other nations. Developing nations have higher birth rates and more youthful populations. The US is big on military spending, but how well is its military going to function if it suddenly has a rapidly shrinking pool of potential recruits? Lots of new business and innovation tend to happen among more youthful people.

China's got the world covered, oh and don't forget about India!


iPhone

[Bobby5280]

China and India both have very large populations. On the bright side China's population growth rate has dropped to a near stagnant level; its fertility rate was 1.57 births per woman in 2015, which is slightly less than the US. India still has a fertility rate above the 2.1 replacement level (2.4 in 2015). But that's down from 5.9 births per woman in 1960. India will reach the demographic transition soon, but its population is not forecast to show any net decline until 2050.

Some nations in the Middle East and Africa have much higher fertility rates. Niger currently has the world's highest birth rate at 6.62 births per woman. Iraq and Afghanistan are above the 4.5 level. Saudi Arabia has a more reasonable rate of 2.7 births per woman. Iran's rate was only 1.68 in 2015. Countries with high birth rates often have other problems like widespread poverty, high childhood mortality, lack of health care & education, oppression of women and political unrest. Violent ideology can spread easily in those environments. World powers have been keeping them in check for the most part. But if the populations in developed countries get stuck in long term negative growth we will be less able to maintain order in the world.

[jbnv]

China's got the world covered, oh and don't forget about India!
[/quote]

Good luck getting the Chinese and Indians to pay for your Social Security and Medicare.

[bugo]

China's got the world covered, oh and don't forget about India!

Good luck getting the Chinese and Indians to pay for your Social Security and Medicare.
[/quote]

Or the Republicans.

[Scott5114]

If we don't have any population, we don't need I-49 in Arkansas!

There, it's on topic!

/s

[Bobby5280]

We'll still need freeways like I-49 for city to city connections even if the nation's population lapses into a downward trend. But we'll need fewer highways. Small towns and rural areas have already been losing population. A negative birth rate trend could make matters worse. One would think the ridiculously high living costs would encourage more young adults to stay in small towns rather than keep migrating to big cities. The declining tax bases in many small towns leave them less able to fund police & fire, public schools, infrastructure, etc. Those problems won't go away if the entire nation starts losing population. On the bright side, it might become more affordable to live in the cities if there is an increasing glut of available housing.

A lot of the growth in NW Arkansas is brand new. That region is going to keep growing despite what happens to demographics nationwide. So there is still going to be a good case for completing I-49.

[qguy]

Good luck getting the Chinese and Indians to pay for your Social Security and Medicare.

Or the Republicans.

Oh, those wascally Wepubwicans! 

[O Tamandua]

Posted just over 8 hours ago on the Arkansas business news site "TalkBusiness"

ArDOT "˜dusts off' $600 million future I-49 Barling to Alma stretch

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration have cooperated on an environmental re-evaluation as well as refining the conceptual alignment for a new section of Interstate 49 (I-49) that would connect approximately 13.7 miles between Highway 22 in Sebastian County and the I-40/I-49 interchange in Crawford County.

ArDOT officials presented a portion of the work by Kansas City-based engineering firm HNTB Corporation on Thursday (April 26) from the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Barling.

https://talkbusiness.net/2018/04/ardot-dusts-off-600-million-future-i-49-barling-to-alma-stretch/

Finishing Arkansas I-49 means finishing the "three Bs"

1. The "Bella Vista bypass".  (Waiting for news in June on an INFRA grant to Arkansas for Missouri to finish it.)

2. "The bridge".  (Which this article details more on.)

3. "The big one". (Greenwood to Texarkana.)

[In_Correct]

We'll still need freeways like I-49 for city to city connections .... But we'll need fewer highways. Small towns and rural areas have already been losing population. ... One would think the ridiculously high living costs would encourage more young adults to stay in small towns rather than keep migrating to big cities. The declining tax bases in many small towns leave them less able to fund police & fire, public schools, infrastructure, etc. Those problems won't go away ... On the bright side, it might become more affordable to live in the cities if there is an increasing glut of available housing.

A lot of the growth in NW Arkansas is brand new. That region is going to keep growing despite what happens to demographics nationwide. So there is still going to be a good case for completing I-49.

The small town must be good enough for people to remain there. The small towns must have things such as high quality infrastructure which includes an Amtrak Stop, Greyhound Stop, Local Transit, and 4 lane roads inside the city (town) limits and connecting the small town to other 4 lane roads. The small towns must have rail bridges instead of being cut in half by railroad crossings. Some small towns have very high cost in electricity and groceries and taxes that are higher compared to other areas. And, if the denizens cannot find work at the small town, they will move to a different town. They will move to a larger city or perhaps a different small town that is not so isolated nor expensive.

While Small Towns depend on local taxes, they also depend on other funding for highway projects. And this source of funding is corrupt and / or used for other things such as school budget.

I really doubt that housing costs decrease.

Some areas such as Texas or in Arkansas are attracting population. Some of the population is moving to that area because their previous towns or cities were insufficient.

More traffic requires upgrades of roads and even freight corridors requires upgrades of roads. such as Interstate 49 be completed through Arkansas. If it is tolled I will be satisfied. If it needs to be built quickly, toll it.

[O Tamandua]

Given that the AHD is "dusting off" the bridge plans, it makes me wonder if they believe there is a very good chance that the INFRA grant to NW Arkansas for Missouri (for the Bella Vista bypass) will be awarded in June?

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Posted just over 8 hours ago on the Arkansas business news site "TalkBusiness"

ArDOT "˜dusts off' $600 million future I-49 Barling to Alma stretch

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration have cooperated on an environmental re-evaluation as well as refining the conceptual alignment for a new section of Interstate 49 (I-49) that would connect approximately 13.7 miles between Highway 22 in Sebastian County and the I-40/I-49 interchange in Crawford County.

ArDOT officials presented a portion of the work by Kansas City-based engineering firm HNTB Corporation on Thursday (April 26) from the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Barling.

https://talkbusiness.net/2018/04/ardot-dusts-off-600-million-future-i-49-barling-to-alma-stretch/

Finishing Arkansas I-49 means finishing the "three Bs"

1. The "Bella Vista bypass".  (Waiting for news in June on an INFRA grant to Arkansas for Missouri to finish it.)

2. "The bridge".  (Which this article details more on.)

3. "The big one". (Greenwood to Texarkana.)

Soo... They've had the money the whole time?!

[Wayward Memphian]

There's so much State Highway that doean't need to be State Highway in Arkansas. Ark 214 in Poinsett Co. For Example. I own land off of it and still think it should be a county road. There are dozens of examples in Poinsett Co. alone.

[Bobby5280]

As populations continue to decline in rural areas (and more people are forced into urban/surburban areas) and the costs of road building and maintenance continue rising like they've been many states with lower populations but lots of land will be forced to decommission some state highways and even close a good number of roads and bridges. I can see that happening here in Oklahoma. We have huge numbers of section line roads criss-crossing the state. Many are gravel roads, but still cost money to maintain and keep open. Even gravel roads have a decent number of bridge crossings. Even if most of the bridges are modest they still cost money to build and maintain. What's the point of paying to maintain those facilities if their use drops off to very low levels? Oil, cattle and agricultural businesses might have an opportunity to take over some rural roads and turn them into private access roads, but I can't imagine those guys wanting to pay the maintenance costs themselves.

[bugo]

As populations continue to decline in rural areas (and more people are forced into urban/surburban areas) and the costs of road building and maintenance continue rising like they've been many states with lower populations but lots of land will be forced to decommission some state highways and even close a good number of roads and bridges. I can see that happening here in Oklahoma. We have huge numbers of section line roads criss-crossing the state. Many are gravel roads, but still cost money to maintain and keep open. Even gravel roads have a decent number of bridge crossings. Even if most of the bridges are modest they still cost money to build and maintain. What's the point of paying to maintain those facilities if their use drops off to very low levels? Oil, cattle and agricultural businesses might have an opportunity to take over some rural roads and turn them into private access roads, but I can't imagine those guys wanting to pay the maintenance costs themselves.

For a state as large as Oklahoma (69,690 square miles) the state highway system is quite small (12,265 centerline miles plus 606 miles of turnpikes). There are lots of county and local roads in Oklahoma that would be state highways in other states. Arkansas, on the other hand is quite a bit smaller (53,180 square miles) and has 16,443 miles of state highways. I expect for there to be a mass decommissioning of state highways in Arkansas in the future. There are some highways (AR 370 in Polk County is a good example) that have no business being on the system.

[US71]

There's so much State Highway that doean't need to be State Highway in Arkansas. Ark 214 in Poinsett Co. For Example. I own land off of it and still think it should be a county road. There are dozens of examples in Poinsett Co. alone.

Arkansas has lots of state-maintained factory roads that only run half a mile.  Plus numerous state-maintained/numbered county roads (such as AR 74 east of Winslow)

[J N Winkler]

For a state as large as Oklahoma (69,690 square miles) the state highway system is quite small (12,265 centerline miles plus 606 miles of turnpikes). There are lots of county and local roads in Oklahoma that would be state highways in other states. Arkansas, on the other hand is quite a bit smaller (53,180 square miles) and has 16,443 miles of state highways. I expect for there to be a mass decommissioning of state highways in Arkansas in the future. There are some highways (AR 370 in Polk County is a good example) that have no business being on the system.

Kansas has a surface area of 83,000 square miles with state highway mileage capped at 10,000 miles.  It takes only about 6500 miles (two-thirds of the way to the cap) to satisfy the county-cross rule, and there is a noticeable amount of second-tier state highway with no shoulders, ungenerous geometry, and 55 limits.  In comparison, Oklahoma's two-lane state highways are even more deficient in geometry and the lackings are more likely to affect principal through routes.  While I appreciate that Arkansas has a heavier burden of state highway mileage than Oklahoma, I think the latter state could stand to lose between 25% to 30% of its state highway centerline mileage and use the savings to ensure that all the remaining two-lane principal through routes are improved so that at minimum they have full shoulders with generous geometry and passing lanes.

[jbnv]

Is there a list of the states ordered by state highway mileage per square mile?

[O Tamandua]

Talk Business this afternoon: (NWA) Regional planners await INFRA grant decision (on the grant for the Missouri section of the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass):

https://talkbusiness.net/2018/05/regional-planners-await-infra-grant-decision/

(Nothing really new...just a matter of waiting.  It says that if this grant is won the BVP would be complete by 2022, and remembering how they finished the Anderson-to-Pineville section, Missouri will move on this, barring the unforeseen.  Again, I wonder if the story in this same publication a few weeks ago about the AHD "dusting off" their I-49 Arkansas River bridge plans between Alma and Barling means they think this grant is likely and, like a new radiator hose puts additional pressure on any remaining bad ones, know that the river crossing has to be next?  Time will tell.)

[bugo]

There's so much State Highway that doean't need to be State Highway in Arkansas. Ark 214 in Poinsett Co. For Example. I own land off of it and still think it should be a county road. There are dozens of examples in Poinsett Co. alone.

Arkansas has lots of state-maintained factory roads that only run half a mile.  Plus numerous state-maintained/numbered county roads (such as AR 74 east of Winslow)

State maintained county roads? The only thing similar to this that I've ever heard of is that sometimes the state will build a bridge and approaches on county roads. Polk County 74 over the Ouachita River is a good example.

[US71]

There's so much State Highway that doean't need to be State Highway in Arkansas. Ark 214 in Poinsett Co. For Example. I own land off of it and still think it should be a county road. There are dozens of examples in Poinsett Co. alone.

Arkansas has lots of state-maintained factory roads that only run half a mile.  Plus numerous state-maintained/numbered county roads (such as AR 74 east of Winslow)

State maintained county roads? The only thing similar to this that I've ever heard of is that sometimes the state will build a bridge and approaches on county roads. Polk County 74 over the Ouachita River is a good example.

Maybe the phrasing is wrong: county roads that the state has taken over maintenance (and numbered).  74 east of Winslow was CR 43 (still is after 4-5 miles) until the county asked ARDOT to maintain it.

[O Tamandua]

Hee hee: "Complete I-49 between Texarkana and Fort Smith." (And more than 1 person agreed.  )

http://forums.hogville.net/index.php?topic=660507.0

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

There's so much State Highway that doean't need to be State Highway in Arkansas. Ark 214 in Poinsett Co. For Example. I own land off of it and still think it should be a county road. There are dozens of examples in Poinsett Co. alone.

Arkansas has lots of state-maintained factory roads that only run half a mile.  Plus numerous state-maintained/numbered county roads (such as AR 74 east of Winslow)

State maintained county roads? The only thing similar to this that I've ever heard of is that sometimes the state will build a bridge and approaches on county roads. Polk County 74 over the Ouachita River is a good example.

Maybe the phrasing is wrong: county roads that the state has taken over maintenance (and numbered).  74 east of Winslow was CR 43 (still is after 4-5 miles) until the county asked ARDOT to maintain it.

I have a strong hunch that AR 10 (despite being a state highway) is maintained (in the Greenwood area) by Sebastian Co. Road Dept in Greenwood.