I-57 Approved

[yakra]

What will happen to the Memphis signs in IL? Because I-57, as it is now, damn sure doesn't go anywhere near there, so they need to be changed to something more sensible, like Champaign, Effingham and Sikeston.

Meh, that's pretty common, innit? I-84 goes to neither Boston nor NY City.
Sure, I-55 goes to Memphis, but it does so by going way out of its way west then hooking back east. Making you deal with Saint Louis metro traffic in the process. (Whatever that's like. Haven't experienced it first hand.)

[PColumbus73]

I-57 acts as a bypass of I-55, so keeping Memphis is fine then switching to Little Rock in Sikeston.

Existing control cities northbound from Little Rock have St. Louis, so I would expect to see control cities ricochet at the I-55/57 interchange.

[MikieTimT]

Although I would love for the entire US 67 freeway (Interstate 40 to the US 67/412 split north of Exit 121) to be signed as Interstate 57 once the Jacksonville upgrade is complete, we may have to wait until the entire Little Rock-to-Sikeston segment is completed for Interstate 57 to be signposted.

Uh, no, we shouldn't.  ARDOT is seeking FHWA approval to put up shields from Little Rock to Walnut Ridge once the Jacksonville area work is done, scheduled for 2027.  FHWA isn't likely to deny it unless something is substandard, but can't deny the number itself as it was signed into law a couple of years back for the corridor.

Interstate 57  Corridor Designation in Arkansas From Interstate 40 in North Little Rock to U.S. Highway 412 in Walnut Ridge

Did you find something somewhere that says different than ARDOT's submission to FHWA?

[edwaleni]

I wouldnt be shocked if sometime in the future IDOT changes the signs at Effingham (I-70) with "Memphis Little Rock" and down the route until the state line.

Then MoDOT will make it Little Rock past Sikeston.

As for I-255 in the Metro East, I don't think it will change, they all say Memphis for southbound and being a east bypass for I-55, it would be consistent.

I would assume IDOT will eventually getting around to doing the same for the I-64 and I-24 ramps. They both say Memphis for I-57 south.

[The Ghostbuster]

Well, that's good news. I was hoping Interstate 57 could be signed along US 67 in Arkansas without having to connect with the original Sikeston-to-Chicago segment.

[Road Hog]

In Missouri I would think Poplar Bluff would be the westbound control city, then Little Rock after that.

[bugo]

I am being pedantic, but I-57 won't go through Little Rock, and I-40 doesn't go through Little Rock or Fort Smith.

[edwaleni]

I am being pedantic, but I-57 won't go through Little Rock, and I-40 doesn't go through Little Rock or Fort Smith.

Just like I-80 doesn't go through Chicago?

Pedantic means to be annoying by correcting small errors, being overly concerned with minor details, or emphasizing one's own expertise, especially in a narrow or boring subject.

So which is it?

[MikieTimT]

Thought I'd send an email to the address listed for the engineer in charge of the renumbering project, and got this response:

"ARDOT has submitted a formal request to the FHWA to designate US 67 from Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, with two exceptions: one segment within the CA0604 project area and another over the White River. The application is currently under review, and we expect to receive a response from the FHWA by mid-November. Once approved, the Department will proceed with the designation promptly."

So, it sounds like the shields may be going up before end of year.

[The Ghostbuster]

How much does anyone want to bet that in the distant future, Interstate 530 will become a further extension of Interstate 57? It may not happen in our lifetimes, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arkansas ultimately goes down this route (although Interstate 530 probably would have been designated Interstate 53 if it wasn't a spur connecting Little Rock with Pine Bluff).

[abqtraveler]

How much does anyone want to bet that in the distant future, Interstate 530 will become a further extension of Interstate 57? It may not happen in our lifetimes, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arkansas ultimately goes down this route (although Interstate 530 probably would have been designated Interstate 53 if it wasn't a spur connecting Little Rock with Pine Bluff).

Maybe when the I-530 extension to Monticello and I-69 through Arkansas are finished.

[MikieTimT]

If Little Rock could figure out a way to get yet another 2DI radiating out from them to further stroke their sense of importance in the state and the region, they'll push for just that.

[PColumbus73]

Extend I-57 to I-20, that might do it

[Bobby5280]

I don't think I-57 would ever get extended South of I-40. The route would be doing a fairly ugly dogleg turn to overlap I-530. I could maybe see I-530 being completed down to I-69 if I-69 ever gets completed thru Southern Arkansas. Even if I-69 gets fully built out it's still possible AR-530 could remain as is.

[NE2]

How much does anyone want to bet that in the distant future, Interstate 530 will become a further extension of Interstate 57? It may not happen in our lifetimes, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arkansas ultimately goes down this route (although Interstate 530 probably would have been designated Interstate 53 if it wasn't a spur connecting Little Rock with Pine Bluff).

How much does anyone want to bet that this belongs in fictional?

[MikieTimT]

Thought I'd send an email to the address listed for the engineer in charge of the renumbering project, and got this response:

"ARDOT has submitted a formal request to the FHWA to designate US 67 from Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, with two exceptions: one segment within the CA0604 project area and another over the White River. The application is currently under review, and we expect to receive a response from the FHWA by mid-November. Once approved, the Department will proceed with the designation promptly."

So, it sounds like the shields may be going up before end of year.

Getting back on topic, I followed up with the ARDOT engineer that responded to me about the exception for the White River bridge...

"This is due to the complications related to special vehicles, such as agricultural vehicles, crossing the White River."

So, they'll likely have signage similar to the way they've done I-555 related to agricultural vehicles since there's just no other way for machinery to cross the river in the vicinity.

[edwaleni]

Thought I'd send an email to the address listed for the engineer in charge of the renumbering project, and got this response:

"ARDOT has submitted a formal request to the FHWA to designate US 67 from Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, with two exceptions: one segment within the CA0604 project area and another over the White River. The application is currently under review, and we expect to receive a response from the FHWA by mid-November. Once approved, the Department will proceed with the designation promptly."

So, it sounds like the shields may be going up before end of year.

Getting back on topic, I followed up with the ARDOT engineer that responded to me about the exception for the White River bridge...

"This is due to the complications related to special vehicles, such as agricultural vehicles, crossing the White River."

So, they'll likely have signage similar to the way they've done I-555 related to agricultural vehicles since there's just no other way for machinery to cross the river in the vicinity.

This is non-sensical as before the 4 lane highway was built, there wasn't a way to cross the White River south of Newport until US-64. So how many farmers exist that had equipment needs on both sides of the river prior to the highway being built? I would guess "none". So if none existed then, why must it be accommodated now?

It would be quite easy to connect AR-224 with AR-367 with a simple 2 laner. To force equipment onto a high speed arterial with a limited shoulder bridge seems a little ridiculous now.

[PColumbus73]

North Carolina similarly allows farm equipment to use limited-access highways, like US 64. I don't like the idea of mixing high-speed traffic with low-speed farm equipment. If there is no alternate roads to one they plan to convert to an interstate, then they should be a frontage road build before it becomes an interstate.

[MikieTimT]

Thought I'd send an email to the address listed for the engineer in charge of the renumbering project, and got this response:

"ARDOT has submitted a formal request to the FHWA to designate US 67 from Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, with two exceptions: one segment within the CA0604 project area and another over the White River. The application is currently under review, and we expect to receive a response from the FHWA by mid-November. Once approved, the Department will proceed with the designation promptly."

So, it sounds like the shields may be going up before end of year.

Getting back on topic, I followed up with the ARDOT engineer that responded to me about the exception for the White River bridge...

"This is due to the complications related to special vehicles, such as agricultural vehicles, crossing the White River."

So, they'll likely have signage similar to the way they've done I-555 related to agricultural vehicles since there's just no other way for machinery to cross the river in the vicinity.

This is non-sensical as before the 4 lane highway was built, there wasn't a way to cross the White River south of Newport until US-64. So how many farmers exist that had equipment needs on both sides of the river prior to the highway being built? I would guess "none". So if none existed then, why must it be accommodated now?

It would be quite easy to connect AR-224 with AR-367 with a simple 2 laner. To force equipment onto a high speed arterial with a limited shoulder bridge seems a little ridiculous now.

Uh, no.  That's a 5 mile stretch of road between the exits, and it would take building another complete bridge over the White River, which isn't cheap. They requested the exemption for obvious financial reasons as bridges over navigable channels for the sake of a few harvesters/tractors isn't going to happen.

[Road Hog]

If it works for I-555 and several interstates in the Intermountain West, it'll work for I-57. Nothingburger.

[CtrlAltDel]

What will happen to the Memphis signs in IL? Because I-57, as it is now, damn sure doesn't go anywhere near there, so they need to be changed to something more sensible, like Champaign, Effingham and Sikeston.

Meh, that's pretty common, innit? I-84 goes to neither Boston nor NY City.
Sure, I-55 goes to Memphis, but it does so by going way out of its way west then hooking back east. Making you deal with Saint Louis metro traffic in the process. (Whatever that's like. Haven't experienced it first hand.)

Well, Memphis is essentially due directly south of Saint Louis, so while I-55 heads a a bit southeast, it then heads southwest to offset it.

[edwaleni]

If it works for I-555 and several interstates in the Intermountain West, it'll work for I-57. Nothingburger.

You know they don't call it "limited access" for no reason. 

I have been to Whataburger, but never a Nothingburger.  Good fries?

[MikieTimT]

If it works for I-555 and several interstates in the Intermountain West, it'll work for I-57. Nothingburger.

You know they don't call it "limited access" for no reason. 

I have been to Whataburger, but never a Nothingburger.  Good fries?

I'd bet you several million dollars (the cost of putting up another White River bridge just for a few planters/harvesters) that the exemption goes through, and that this affects literally dozens of people annually.

[sprjus4]

North Carolina has approved agricultural vehicle access to a couple of new interstates in the eastern part of the state - I-87 and I-42.

The existing limited access portions of these routes already permit them, and they don't intend to change that.

[abqtraveler]

North Carolina has approved agricultural vehicle access to a couple of new interstates in the eastern part of the state - I-87 and I-42.

The existing limited access portions of these routes already permit them, and they don't intend to change that.

I recall that Wisconsin had to seek Congressional approval to allow agricultural vehicles on US-41 before it could be re-designated as I-41. Would Congressional approval be required for I-57 as well?