Left turn into the oncoming exit ramp. US-71 / I-49 north of Texarkana

[bwana39]

The intersection of SB US71 and I-49 north of Texarkana has quite an anomaly.  I travel this stretch almost daily.  Traffic traveling southbound on US-71. First you have a left turn lane for Miller County 55. Then you have  a left turn lane that leads you directly into the exit FROM I-49 . The exit is one way coming toward you. Further up, you have the left turn lane for the actual I-49 SB ramp. I put the streetview link there/I would have linked if I could.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Li7QRfMsgaxzLxdQ8

TxDOT says it is a  " crossover" or "turn around" and the paint in the intersection signifies this. I have seen multiple vehicles either turn left thinking it is the ENTRANCE for I-49 then notice or figure out at the last second and jerk back into the traffic. While there are no I-49 signs at this crossover, there is a ONE WAY sign pointing to the left. There eventually are Wrong Way signs.

THere is no need for a turn around there. MC-55 is a quarter mile back and the actual I-49 ramp is less than a half a mile forward.

What should be there is a no left turns sign and at least paint over the left turn lane or remove it altogether.

[Bobby5280]

I can only guess they have that intersection configured in that odd way because it's ultimately a temporary thing. I-49 is (eventually) going to be extended through that intersection. The exit ramp from NB I-49 onto US-71 will get built through the intersection. The important question is whether the exit ramp needs thru access across the intersection to the NB I-49 on ramp.

They can re-design the median where it curves along the left turn movement of the NB I-49 exit ramp onto SB US-71. That would cut off any potential wrong-way left turns from SB US-71 onto the NB I-49 exit ramp. But curving the median like that would also cut off thru movement across the intersection. It doesn't happen all that often, but sometimes people will get off an Interstate highway at the wrong exit and not realize it until they're on the exit ramp. The solution is simply driving thru the intersection to get onto the on ramp and back on the Interstate.

At the very least AR DOT needs to have some better signs posted in that intersection. There are "do not enter" and "wrong way" signs posted on the I-49 exit ramp. But they need to have more visible signs posted in the median warning the intersection is an exit-only thing, not an entrance. The tiny "one way" sign on the right shoulder of SB US-71 doesn't seem like enough.

[Anthony_JK]

That looks like the "off ramp" from NB I-49, not the terminus of CR 55. It also looks like a temporary job to fill in until AR/TX decides what to do with I-49 north of there to Alma/Fort Smith.

Only issue I see there is the lack of signage on that left shoulder of SB Range Line Ave/US 71 that this is a NO ENTRY ramp, though the WRONG WAY signs are there and obvious. Could use another DO NOT ENTER sign on the other stop control sign for reassurance.

It may be that when TXDOT/ARDOT did this temporary terminus for I-49, they didn't account for the full crossover and channelize it so that only traffic coming from the "exit" from NB I-49 to SB 59/71 would be enabled to use it. Then again, since that particular movement would be a bit of a backtrack, they probably didn't really care. A bit of striping to prevent left turn crossovers should be more than sufficient to fix that, since the next left crossover isn't until a few hundred feet further down with the "entrance" ramp to SB I-49. (Which more than likely will be eliminated to become a loop ramp anyway when I-49 does gets extended.) 

I'm far more concerned with the lack of illumination at night. Some lights here would be pretty useful. 

[Road Hog]

I love that stretch of US 71/59 because it's an interesting mix of ARDOT and TXDOT signage up and down between I-30 and the Red River bridge.

[bwana39]

This Stretch is 100% Texas. From just past (SB) AR-108 to the hill leading to Texarkana is all in Texas.  Getting closer to Texarkana, yes there is quite the mixture of signs. The end of Arkansas is probably 100 yards to the east here.

I guess it was muddled. There are three cross overs in short order going southbound.
First there is the one for MC-55
Then there is the one for the exit from I-49.
Then there is the exit to I-49.

The lane break is indeed needed at all three places. My issue is not with the breaks, but with the paved and marked left turn lane at the exit from I-49 NB.

Perhaps there should be an acceleration lane south of this, but that left turn lane is misplaced and is an accident waiting to happen.

From one thing the guy at TxDot said, it may be that it was already there and they just didn't change it when they built the I-49 stubs.

[wanderer2575]

I don't see a real problem with it, as this would be the setup if there were a loop ramp to an extended nbd I-49 (folded diamond).  GSV shows there used to be two DO NOT ENTER signs at the top of the exit ramp and there now is only one, and that certainly is not an improvement.

[roadman65]

Being there are houses on the other side and enough room for a folded diamond, I would say a folded diamond is the plan here.

[dariusb]

Has there been any accidents at that intersection because of confusion and does anyone know when the next phase of I-49 construction heading north is supposed to begin?

[mrsman]

I believe the DOT needs to do more to prohibit lefts and u-turns at this intersection for the time being.  Paint out the  median lane.  No left turn signs at the intersection.  Bigger do not enter signs. 

When I-49 is extended, then changes can be made to accommodate the extension, but the current situation does not seem safe, and if a lot of cars ALMOST make a left onto an exiting ramp to the wrong way of a highway, that shows that DOT has some work to do.