I-57 Approved

[mvak36]

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?

I think it's for the US67 part but I couldn't find anything definitive. The Phase 3 site says that Phase 3 and 4 are not funded so I'm not sure how much of those phases this funding covers.

[sprjus4]

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?

Nearly 11 miles of US-67 south of MO-158 is still two lane road... Dividing $150 million among those 11 miles comes out to $13.6 million per mile which leaves me to believe that funding is only for US-67 - maybe even only part of it.

[splashflash]

The article makes no reference to US 60, only US 67. 

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?msg=2937304

[vdeane]

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.

Then wouldn't it be more fitting if it was $157 million in funding instead?

[MikieTimT]

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

Almost assuredly.  The only potential hangup might be outside shoulder width, but it's already 6 laned until just before the forced exit on the north end.

[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?

Nearly 11 miles of US-67 south of MO-158 is still two lane road... Dividing $150 million among those 11 miles comes out to $13.6 million per mile which leaves me to believe that funding is only for US-67 - maybe even only part of it.

So it's going to cost 150 million+ to build 12 miles of new interstate? Is inflation really that bad?

I can't even imagine what the Arkansas segments will cost......

[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.

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?

That is a good question because they have always said US-60 from PB to Sikeston would be done under a separate request/project.

However, the PB City Council asked for $91 million which they said "pays for everything" beyond the planned $60 million grant they expected.

So if they get 100% of the grant money, that would give them $241 million which would be more than enough to finish to the AR state line and remediate US 60. It is not noted anywhere in any minutes or documentation, but maybe that is what they planned from the beginning.

[edwaleni]

This is an example of some of the issues MoDOT will need to address on US-60 between Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

The top road was built in the early 1960's and used a bridge to cross various creeks and irrigation ditches. The bridge has no shoulder.

The bottom road, built in the late 1970's used a box culvert for the same crossing and includes a shoulder.

[sprjus4]

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?

Nearly 11 miles of US-67 south of MO-158 is still two lane road... Dividing $150 million among those 11 miles comes out to $13.6 million per mile which leaves me to believe that funding is only for US-67 - maybe even only part of it.

So it's going to cost 150 million+ to build 12 miles of new interstate? Is inflation really that bad?

I can't even imagine what the Arkansas segments will cost......

I believe the 42 mile stretch in Arkansas is projected around $600 million, which is about $14 million per mile.

Those are fairly low construction costs for a new terrain alignment - even before the inflation over the past few years.

[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?

Nearly 11 miles of US-67 south of MO-158 is still two lane road... Dividing $150 million among those 11 miles comes out to $13.6 million per mile which leaves me to believe that funding is only for US-67 - maybe even only part of it.

So it's going to cost 150 million+ to build 12 miles of new interstate? Is inflation really that bad?

I can't even imagine what the Arkansas segments will cost......

I believe the 42 mile stretch in Arkansas is projected around $600 million, which is about $14 million per mile.

Those are fairly low construction costs for a new terrain alignment - even before the inflation over the past few years.

Fair enough. The two at-grade intersections north of Route 158 hopefully will be eliminated as part of this.

[Rick Powell]

I believe the 42 mile stretch in Arkansas is projected around $600 million, which is about $14 million per mile.
Those are fairly low construction costs for a new terrain alignment - even before the inflation over the past few years.

$14 million is typical of a rural greenfield project in a not heavily unionized state. A lot of I-69 in Indiana was built at less than $10M/mile, but that was a few years ago.

[Road Hog]

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?

Nearly 11 miles of US-67 south of MO-158 is still two lane road... Dividing $150 million among those 11 miles comes out to $13.6 million per mile which leaves me to believe that funding is only for US-67 - maybe even only part of it.

So it's going to cost 150 million+ to build 12 miles of new interstate? Is inflation really that bad?

I can't even imagine what the Arkansas segments will cost......

I believe the 42 mile stretch in Arkansas is projected around $600 million, which is about $14 million per mile.

Those are fairly low construction costs for a new terrain alignment - even before the inflation over the past few years.

For most state DOTs that money is practically peanuts. But we're talking about Arkansas and Missouri.

[edwaleni]

Fair enough. The two at-grade intersections north of Route 158 hopefully will be eliminated as part of this.

I have some emails out on that. At first blush it appears they will simply end cap the adjacent roads.

It doesn't appear in any of the planning documents.

County C is the old US-67 and traffic was moved over when they built the exit @ Harviell in 2014.

[ilpt4u]

Fair enough. The two at-grade intersections north of Route 158 hopefully will be eliminated as part of this.

I have some emails out on that. At first blush it appears they will simply end cap the adjacent roads.

It doesn't appear in any of the planning documents.

County C is the old US-67 and traffic was moved over when they built the exit @ Harviell in 2014.

There do appear to be a couple driveways in that area as well. Perhaps extending those adjacent roads to provide driveway access as well?

The driveway on the NB side could probably be cut off, as it has access to the east to Co Rd 321. The driveway on the SB side of the road will probably need an extension of W Outer Rd to the south and/or County C to the north

[I-39]

Fair enough. The two at-grade intersections north of Route 158 hopefully will be eliminated as part of this.

I have some emails out on that. At first blush it appears they will simply end cap the adjacent roads.

It doesn't appear in any of the planning documents.

County C is the old US-67 and traffic was moved over when they built the exit @ Harviell in 2014.

There do appear to be a couple driveways in that area as well. Perhaps extending those adjacent roads to provide driveway access as well?

The driveway on the NB side could probably be cut off, as it has access to the east to Co Rd 321. The driveway on the SB side of the road will probably need an extension of W Outer Rd to the south and/or County C to the north

All they have to do is extend the W Outer Road and E Outer Road to connect to County C and County Route 323 respectively. Pretty simple honestly. It really should be done as part of building the freeway to the state line, then the Poplar Bluff-Corning section will be taken care of.

Then comes the tricky part of building the Walnut Ridge-Corning section. I have a feeling that is going to take some time as the terrain is trickier.

[MikieTimT]

Fair enough. The two at-grade intersections north of Route 158 hopefully will be eliminated as part of this.

I have some emails out on that. At first blush it appears they will simply end cap the adjacent roads.

It doesn't appear in any of the planning documents.

County C is the old US-67 and traffic was moved over when they built the exit @ Harviell in 2014.

There do appear to be a couple driveways in that area as well. Perhaps extending those adjacent roads to provide driveway access as well?

The driveway on the NB side could probably be cut off, as it has access to the east to Co Rd 321. The driveway on the SB side of the road will probably need an extension of W Outer Rd to the south and/or County C to the north

All they have to do is extend the W Outer Road and E Outer Road to connect to County C and County Route 323 respectively. Pretty simple honestly. It really should be done as part of building the freeway to the state line, then the Poplar Bluff-Corning section will be taken care of.

Then comes the tricky part of building the Walnut Ridge-Corning section. I have a feeling that is going to take some time as the terrain is trickier.

ARDOT is already moving on the 2 segments north of the west side of Corning, first the Corning Bypass, then the connector from the north end of the bypass to the Missouri state line.  That'll take care of things from Missouri's perspective and allow them to do things at their pace and funding to get to the border.  So at least one lesson was learned from the Bella Vista Bypass/I-49 project.

The remaining parts from the west side of Corning to Walnut Ridge aren't yet in the STIP or programmed, so funding will have to materialize.  The worst thing about this stretch is the proximity to and crossing of the Black River, which, while not a navigable river at least, does flood the area with regularity, so the roadbed will need to be built up significantly with river crossings higher than what has been done with US-67 as it gets flooded out and closed a couple of times a decade.  South of Pocahontas should be pretty easy building and probably happens after the 2 northern segments.  There really isn't any logical segmentation of I-57 between Pocahontas and Corning, so that probably happens all at once.

[Bobby5280]

It's smart they're proceeding on the Corning bypass and segment up to the MO state line first. Nearly all of the highway is on a new terrain path. The final segment at the MO state line could be the only exception. Construction will go over open area that won't disrupt traffic along US-67. The future I-57 alignment is going over mostly flat land that is outside the flood plain of the Black River. The project would be another example of "low hanging fruit."

The segment near Pocahontas will probably be the last bit of I-57 in Arkansas to get finished. They may have to work at it from two directions, inching upward from Walnut Ridge and proceeding Southwest from Corning. The work in Missouri looks easier to complete.

[MikieTimT]

It's smart they're proceeding on the Corning bypass and segment up to the MO state line first. Nearly all of the highway is on a new terrain path. The final segment at the MO state line could be the only exception. Construction will go over open area that won't disrupt traffic along US-67. The future I-57 alignment is going over mostly flat land that is outside the flood plain of the Black River. The project would be another example of "low hanging fruit."

The segment near Pocahontas will probably be the last bit of I-57 in Arkansas to get finished. They may have to work at it from two directions, inching upward from Walnut Ridge and proceeding Southwest from Corning. The work in Missouri looks easier to complete.

I can see them next schedule the segment(s) between Walnut Ridge and Pocahontas.  According to the map, there are 2 exits south of Pocahontas, however, one of which is a dirt county road right on the county line, so that's likely for future growth of the area.  The other is just south of Pocahontas and could feasibly serve as a Segment of Independent Utility between Walnut Ridge and Pocahontas, although US-67 is already 5 laned between Walnut Ridge and Pocahontas, and they'd have to upgrade almost 2 miles of connecting road back to US-67, so I don't know how appealing it would be to traffic absent a good connection to US-67.

I could see them do all of the southern portion from Walnut Ridge after the northern segments to at least Windmill Rd. just SW of Biggers since that is the closest exit to US-67 to give them another logical SIU before doing the middle portion.  ARDOT has historically upgraded roads to offload new interstate segments back to the US highway to allow for their piecemeal development methodology (AR-282 into Mountainburg was the end of I-540 for a few years while the northern segment of I-540 to Fayetteville was completed, later becoming I-49), and it wouldn't be a long stub to have to upgrade.

Alternatively, I could also see them doing the middle 2 segments from Biggers to the south end of the Corning Bypass after the northern 2 segments are finished, with the traffic dumping back onto US-67 at Windmill Rd. depending on funding since the southern 1/3rd has the actual river crossings, likely to be the most expensive mileage to fund.

[Bobby5280]

I wonder if they're going to build any of this stuff in an initial 2-lane configuration, like what they did with the Belle Vista bypass. AR-530 going South of Pine Bluff seems to be stuck in a 2-lane setup. Building an interim 2-lane road at least allows the agency to secure the ROW, if not get a lot of the grading work and utility relocation finished.

[MikieTimT]

I wonder if they're going to build any of this stuff in an initial 2-lane configuration, like what they did with the Belle Vista bypass. AR-530 going South of Pine Bluff seems to be stuck in a 2-lane setup. Building an interim 2-lane road at least allows the agency to secure the ROW, if not get a lot of the grading work and utility relocation finished.

The southern 1/3rd doesn't really buy much as a Super-2 since US-67 is 5 lanes already to Pocahontas from Walnut Ridge.  It may be beneficial as a short term bypass of Pocahontas, but I doubt it'd stay 2 lanes for long.  I see this developing more like the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass did with Super-2 not more than a couple of years for any of it once the ROW is secured.

Remember the ARDOT Chairman is from the area, so this will get priority, especially with Missouri coming through with funding their portion.  I'd be shocked if I-57 isn't done to completion at least in Arkansas by 2032.  And given the terrain they're dealing with over in that part of the state, it shouldn't take that long.  There just isn't much in the way with houses, business, utilities, or rerouting side roads.

[Bobby5280]

The main challenge appears to be building the new terrain route through some flood-prone areas near the Black River system. It should be said that just about any new piece of Interstate highway is going to have a fair amount of berms built up to hold a road bed that conforms to Interstate highway speed standards. In this case some of the berms going around the East side of Pocahontas will have to be larger and taller than usual. Add to that the number of bridges which need to be built. That will add more time and funding needs to the project.

[bugo]

AR-282 into Mountainburg was the end of I-540 for a few years

It was opened in 1995 as AR 540 and ran from I-40 at Alma to US 71 in Mountainburg. AR 540 exited off the incomplete freeway and followed AR 282 back to US 71. AR 540 was signed with AR 282 100% of the time.

[edwaleni]

The main challenge appears to be building the new terrain route through some flood-prone areas near the Black River system. It should be said that just about any new piece of Interstate highway is going to have a fair amount of berms built up to hold a road bed that conforms to Interstate highway speed standards. In this case some of the berms going around the East side of Pocahontas will have to be larger and taller than usual. Add to that the number of bridges which need to be built. That will add more time and funding needs to the project.

The current plan shows a bridge over the Black River east of Pocahontas.

Anyone can correct me on this but my understanding was FHWA design guidelines require new interstate builds to be above a 100 year flood plain. So if this is the case, I would expect a large number of retention ponds along the route where the contractor has extracted the needed soil to elevate the ROW. I also assume all of the ROW drainage will be gravity based via the median. Typically these exit to the outer ditch which is then pitched to the closest retention pond.

As for the number of bridges, I suspect most of the smaller crossings will be box culverts, including Murray Creek.

[Bobby5280]

I also assume all of the ROW drainage will be gravity based via the median. Typically these exit to the outer ditch which is then pitched to the closest retention pond.

For the segment of I-57 near Pocahontas it's possible they could sandwich the NB and SB lanes of I-57 together onto a single tall berm and merely separate the two directions of traffic with a Jersey barrier. All drainage would go to the outside rather than in the median.

[Rick Powell]

[
Anyone can correct me on this but my understanding was FHWA design guidelines require new interstate builds to be above a 100 year flood plain. So if this is the case, I would expect a large number of retention ponds along the route where the contractor has extracted the needed soil to elevate the ROW. I also assume all of the ROW drainage will be gravity based via the median. Typically these exit to the outer ditch which is then pitched to the closest retention pond.

As for the number of bridges, I suspect most of the smaller crossings will be box culverts, including Murray Creek.

There needs to be additional "freeboard" above the 100 year flood plain (usually 2' or so) to reduce chance of overtopping floods over the pavement, and there is also compensatory storage required for any fill placed in the flood plain. Bridging over the flood plain is sometimes the more economical choice, or is done to address an environmental concern. Where fill + compensatory storage is used instead of bridging, it must be designed in a way that provides flood relief in a way that counterbalances the fill in the flood plain. Random borrow pits will probably not do it, it would need to be more methodical.