Mayflower/Highway 89 Bypass Open (26 May 2023)

[TBKS1]

For the last couple of years, there's been some improvements and other work being done on AR 89 to bypass around the city of Mayflower. On May 26th, 2023, the ribbon was cut announcing the opening of the new bypass.

https://www.ardot.gov/news/23-162/
https://twitter.com/myARDOT/status/1662148154697957380

Earlier today (May 27th) I decided to go by there and check it out. There's still some ongoing construction but the bypass is open and clear to use.






Not sure what you guys would think about it, I know Mayflower has been growing quite a lot recently as sort of a small town that escapes Little Rock to a degree. What do you all think?

[Road Hog]

Mayflower has been long overdue to blow up. I was told in the 1990s their problem was water infrastructure. They have grown a little, but nothing like other towns with comparable commutes.

AR 89 appears destined to become a sort of "northern loop" around Little Rock. Are there plans to extend it westward? Right now it looks like it just ends in the middle of nowhere between Mayflower and the river.

[TBKS1]

AR 89 appears destined to become a sort of "northern loop" around Little Rock. Are there plans to extend it westward? Right now it looks like it just ends in the middle of nowhere between Mayflower and the river.

As far as I'm aware there are none. I'm not really sure where you could extend it further west without crossing the river, maybe towards AR 60?

[yakra]

Trying to clarify a few things before making changes to TravelMapping, and get my bearings WRT the images in the OP, particularly those with the TO AR365 signage.
Were they taken westbound on 89 thru the I-40 interchange? Somewhere else?
(And "North" 89? C'mon, guys! It's clearly an east-west route. The other AR89, OTOH...)
Must be Northside Apostolic Church in the background of the last image, probably putting the Snuggs Cir intersection at the right of the image, and the signage referring to old AR89 out of frame to the left.
• Has the intersection been realigned for both to intersect at a single point now?
• Is old AR89 signed as Arkansas River Trail? Something else?
• I see a couple connectors to Main St. Are these signed as anything in their own right, or just TO Main St, with trailblazer signage or what-have-you?