I-57 Approved

[Bobby5280]

Is the Jacksonville rebuild far enough along that Interstate standards now apply to Walnut Ridge?

Overhead imagery in Google Earth dated 4/11/2024 shows quite a bit of progress has been made, but it doesn't look like construction will be finished for perhaps at least another year.

I thought the Jacksonville segment of US-67 was the main stumbling block for getting that freeway signed as I-57. With the sub-standard Jacksonville segment now well along in construction (demonstrating ARDOT is addressing the problem) perhaps ARDOT thinks that might be enough to get FHWA approval for I-57 signs to be installed.

[Road Hog]

I'm guessing they wait until Jacksonville is finished, but one can hope.

As far as the triple concurrency, that is an extreme example in Arkansas.The only other one I know of that is signed in the wild is AR 5-9-14 between Mountain View and Sylamore in Stone County.

A quad concurrency might blow a seal at ARDOT HQ.

[I-39]

Hopefully, this implores Missouri to fund/build the remaining 12 mile section between Route 158 and the state line. Then they just have to upgrade the remaining expressway sections between 158 and Sikeston.

This could be done in 10-12 years if everyone cooperates (which is obviously a big if).

[bugo]

In the future, I'd expect the Interstate 57 sign would be placed above the US 67 sign, and the US 64 sign would be placed above the US 167 sign. Another possibility would be to eliminate the US Highway signs, and just sign the road as Interstate 57, although I doubt that will happen.

Why do you doubt it? It's been status quo for ArDOT from back when it was still AHTD. The US 78 extension is one rare place a US highway and an Interstate are co-signed. I don't know if that is the beginning of a sea change in ArDOT policy, or just an anomaly.

[bugo]

As far as the triple concurrency, that is an extreme example in Arkansas.The only other one I know of that is signed in the wild is AR 5-9-14 between Mountain View and Sylamore in Stone County.

They used to a lot more than they do now:

A quad concurrency might blow a seal at ARDOT HQ.

[Bobby5280]

We have a brief quad concurrency here in Lawton with I-44, US-62, US-277 and US-281. It runs from the Rogers Lane exit on North to the last exit before the turnpike begins just past Medicine Park.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6465458,-98.3861733,3a,37.5y,32.23h,87.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shp319h3hvD9UjohJoVUSZA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu

The current post-mounted sign assembly doesn't look as good as one they had in the past. There used to be an assembly where the I-44 shield was 36" and the other US highway shields were 24". In Google Maps the previous sign is visible in a couple of older Street View images.

[capt.ron]

Is the Jacksonville rebuild far enough along that Interstate standards now apply to Walnut Ridge?

Overhead imagery in Google Earth dated 4/11/2024 shows quite a bit of progress has been made, but it doesn't look like construction will be finished for perhaps at least another year.

I thought the Jacksonville segment of US-67 was the main stumbling block for getting that freeway signed as I-57. With the sub-standard Jacksonville segment now well along in construction (demonstrating ARDOT is addressing the problem) perhaps ARDOT thinks that might be enough to get FHWA approval for I-57 signs to be installed.

They're moving forward a little quicker in Jacksonville now. I see some new concrete poured and curing. Also, there is the stretch between exits 16 and 19 and that is also moving forward. The future 6 lanes around the Cabot area will end just northeast of the 19 interchange (before the road veers left as you travel northbound 67).
There are also rumours that they might break out the I-57 shields sooner than expected.

[Road Hog]

The road actually veers right northbound (left southbound) north of Exit 19.

But Jax is the limiting factor here in getting a shield posted, and I wouldn't post one till it's done.

[MikieTimT]

Is the Jacksonville rebuild far enough along that Interstate standards now apply to Walnut Ridge?

Overhead imagery in Google Earth dated 4/11/2024 shows quite a bit of progress has been made, but it doesn't look like construction will be finished for perhaps at least another year.

I thought the Jacksonville segment of US-67 was the main stumbling block for getting that freeway signed as I-57. With the sub-standard Jacksonville segment now well along in construction (demonstrating ARDOT is addressing the problem) perhaps ARDOT thinks that might be enough to get FHWA approval for I-57 signs to be installed.

They're moving forward a little quicker in Jacksonville now. I see some new concrete poured and curing. Also, there is the stretch between exits 16 and 19 and that is also moving forward. The future 6 lanes around the Cabot area will end just northeast of the 19 interchange (before the road veers left as you travel northbound 67).
There are also rumours that they might break out the I-57 shields sooner than expected.

Not rumors, they have public comments right now to do just that according to a few posts up:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?msg=2931793

[I-39]

Did funding for constructing the remaining four lane 67/Future I-57 from MO 158 to the state line pass the budget?

[edwaleni]

Did funding for constructing the remaining four lane 67/Future I-57 from MO 158 to the state line pass the budget?

Phases 1B and 2 were funded thanks to a cost share between MoDOT and the City of Poplar Bluff. This was made possible after Poplar Bluff voters approved a ballot measure led by the Highway 67 Corporation to help fund the expansion

As of May 14th, this is what I am aware of:

I-57 in Poplar Bluff will pass through four phases of construction to the Arkansas border. With $60 million in the Missouri legislature's budget for Highway 67's future status as Interstate 57, the Poplar Bluff City Council is seeking a grant from the federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program.

As of June 28th, 2024

The budget — $50.5 billion for state operations in the year that begins Monday — has several spending initiatives that Parson did approve. He requested several of them and accepted others added by lawmakers.......$150 million to widen U.S. 67 through Butler County

$150 million in the bank with a grant application pending.

[edwaleni]

I went and researched the Poplar Bluff, Missouri City Council minutes from their meeting on May 6th 2024. Here is what they approved in that meeting.

[edwaleni]

I checked on the MPDG Program application they passed and I found out they approved the grant submission the same day of the deadline.

Funding It is anticipated that this opportunity will award approximately $5.1
billion for this round from FY 2025 and FY2026 funding.
• INFRA: $2.7 billion
• Mega: $1.7 billion
• Rural: $780 million
Deadline: May 6, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern

So I hope Poplar Bluff had it ready to go immediately after they approved it. Otherwise they will have to wait until Congress approves another tranche of funding for the program.

[TheBox]

Compared to other future interstate extensions/interstate wannabes here in the south (I-69, I-2, I-49, I-14, I-27, and whatever number they'll give to US-412), they're really trying to speedrun I-57 to the point that everyone is on deck and in agreement, no exceptions.

They're that dedicated more than any other highway, let alone interstate.

[abqtraveler]

Compared to other future interstate extensions/interstate wannabes here in the south (I-69, I-2, I-49, I-14, I-27, and whatever number they'll give to US-412), they're really trying to speedrun I-57 to the point that everyone is on deck and in agreement, no exceptions.

They're that dedicated more than any other highway, let alone interstate.

That's probably because I-57 is the closest to being completed. There's about 40 miles of new construction in Arkansas, and most of Missouri's portion is already 4 lane divided highway, with some interstate-grade stretches. As the old saying goes, "Go for the low-hanging fruit first."

[sprjus4]

Compared to other future interstate extensions/interstate wannabes here in the south (I-69, I-2, I-49, I-14, I-27, and whatever number they'll give to US-412), they're really trying to speedrun I-57 to the point that everyone is on deck and in agreement, no exceptions.

They're that dedicated more than any other highway, let alone interstate.

That's probably because I-57 is the closest to being completed. There's about 40 miles of new construction in Arkansas, and most of Missouri's portion is already 4 lane divided highway, with some interstate-grade stretches. As the old saying goes, "Go for the low-hanging fruit first."

I guess the real question is... is Missouri going to upgrade the divided highway part of US-60, or just construct the improvements to the state line and call it a day for a couple more decades?

[edwaleni]

Compared to other future interstate extensions/interstate wannabes here in the south (I-69, I-2, I-49, I-14, I-27, and whatever number they'll give to US-412), they're really trying to speedrun I-57 to the point that everyone is on deck and in agreement, no exceptions.

They're that dedicated more than any other highway, let alone interstate.

That's probably because I-57 is the closest to being completed. There's about 40 miles of new construction in Arkansas, and most of Missouri's portion is already 4 lane divided highway, with some interstate-grade stretches. As the old saying goes, "Go for the low-hanging fruit first."

I guess the real question is... is Missouri going to upgrade the divided highway part of US-60, or just construct the improvements to the state line and call it a day for a couple more decades?

If I read the phases right, US-60 between Sikeston and Poplar Bluff will be done last and incrementally.

[The Ghostbuster]

Would it have been less expensive to construct the new alignment (Arkansas/Missouri border-to-Popular Bluff) or to upgrade the existing US 60 alignment first?

[Bobby5280]

US-60 between Poplar Bluff and Sikeston looks like an easy upgrade. It should be even easier than the upgrade of US-71 to I-49 in Western Missouri. Some of the existing at-grade intersections with US-60 already have ROW set aside for exit ramps. It looks like only a few properties might have to be bought and cleared if they flare exit ramps well away from the main lanes. The main expenses are going to be building new frontage roads and overpasses. Not every road intersecting US-60 will get an overpass or even be able to cross.

[edwaleni]

There are some smaller parts of US-60 that didn't get the full FHWA specifications. Most of it has to do with the way MoDOT upgraded the route over a period of several years.

Some of the bridges over ditches/creeks have no shoulders still. Many have been updated over the years, but there are still some left. Also as noted above, access is not controlled in many places and either more frontage roads or overpasses will be needed to accommodate the local traffic and farming equipment.

The city of Poplar Bluff has always said they want to full connectivity first with Arkansas and then they will go after the rest back to Sikeston.

[MikieTimT]

There are some smaller parts of US-60 that didn't get the full FHWA specifications. Most of it has to do with the way MoDOT upgraded the route over a period of several years.

Some of the bridges over ditches/creeks have no shoulders still. Many have been updated over the years, but there are still some left. Also as noted above, access is not controlled in many places and either more frontage roads or overpasses will be needed to accommodate the local traffic and farming equipment.

The city of Poplar Bluff has always said they want to full connectivity first with Arkansas and then they will go after the rest back to Sikeston.

Makes sense as the truck traffic that this new Interstate will draw will be pulled onto it even before signing with it being at least 4 lane divided the whole route, so they'll get most of the benefit even before working on US-60.

[bugo]

If I-57 is signed in the next couple of years, will I-440 be extended and AR 440 eliminated?

[splashflash]

There are some smaller parts of US-60 that didn't get the full FHWA specifications. Most of it has to do with the way MoDOT upgraded the route over a period of several years.

Some of the bridges over ditches/creeks have no shoulders still. Many have been updated over the years, but there are still some left. Also as noted above, access is not controlled in many places and either more frontage roads or overpasses will be needed to accommodate the local traffic and farming equipment.

The city of Poplar Bluff has always said they want to full connectivity first with Arkansas and then they will go after the rest back to Sikeston.

Makes sense as the truck traffic that this new Interstate will draw will be pulled onto it even before signing with it being at least 4 lane divided the whole route, so they'll get most of the benefit even before working on US-60.

Four laning from Poplar Bluff south as the first priority makes complete sense safety-wise.  That two lane stretch has had multiple accidents with injuries and fatalities because of head-on collisions.

 Here is the most recent: https://localaccidentreports.com/poplar-bluff-mo-serious-injury-crash-on-us-67-north-of-neelyville/


.

[splashflash]

I checked on the MPDG Program application they passed and I found out they approved the grant submission the same day of the deadline.

Funding It is anticipated that this opportunity will award approximately $5.1
billion for this round from FY 2025 and FY2026 funding.
• INFRA: $2.7 billion
• Mega: $1.7 billion
• Rural: $780 million
Deadline: May 6, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern

So I hope Poplar Bluff had it ready to go immediately after they approved it. Otherwise they will have to wait until Congress approves another tranche of funding for the program.

Regardless, $150M in funding was announced 5 days ago by the governor, among others.

"Parson said the I-57 number designation has a special place in his heart. He pointed out he is the 57th governor of Missouri, won by 57% in the election, and his favorite football team won the 57th Super Bowl. The governor noted he has the number 57 tattooed on his arm.


POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson traveled to Poplar Bluff on Wednesday afternoon to sign a bill authorizing $150 million in new funds for Interstate 57. The funding will aid the ongoing effort to expand Highway 67 South into an interstate standard four lane thoroughfare.

https://standard-democrat.com/story/3048870.html

[I-39]

I checked on the MPDG Program application they passed and I found out they approved the grant submission the same day of the deadline.

Funding It is anticipated that this opportunity will award approximately $5.1
billion for this round from FY 2025 and FY2026 funding.
• INFRA: $2.7 billion
• Mega: $1.7 billion
• Rural: $780 million
Deadline: May 6, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern

So I hope Poplar Bluff had it ready to go immediately after they approved it. Otherwise they will have to wait until Congress approves another tranche of funding for the program.

Regardless, $150M in funding was announced 5 days ago by the governor, among others.

"Parson said the I-57 number designation has a special place in his heart. He pointed out he is the 57th governor of Missouri, won by 57% in the election, and his favorite football team won the 57th Super Bowl. The governor noted he has the number 57 tattooed on his arm.


POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson traveled to Poplar Bluff on Wednesday afternoon to sign a bill authorizing $150 million in new funds for Interstate 57. The funding will aid the ongoing effort to expand Highway 67 South into an interstate standard four lane thoroughfare.

https://standard-democrat.com/story/3048870.html

Wow, that's a lot of money. Is this just for the four lane from MO 158 to the state line or does this include upgrading the existing US 60/67 four lane to full interstate as well?