Road to Nowhere: Funding for Bella Vista Bypass at risk

[agentsteel53]

The Bella Vista Bypass is something I'm very concerned about.

Me too. Very concerned

wow.  so concern.  very bypass.

[M86]

The Bella Vista Bypass is something I'm very concerned about.

Me too. Very concerned

wow.  so concern.  very bypass.

Back off fools.

You fail at doge.

[bugo]

$50 million is pocket change.  It would fund one of the Middle Eastern wars for what, six minutes?

[O Tamandua]

I'm just not as pessimistic about this (except for one reason*) as other.

Yesterday, there was an article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette about this.  Even with the funding issues, Dick Trammel said he thinks Missouri will come up with their funds.

According to the article, we also learned:

- The stretch of future I-49/BV Bypass from the new Highway 72 bridge southeast of the former community of Hiwasse to the new (west) Highway 72 bridge between Gravette and Hiwasse is expected to be finished (in its current state) by April 2014.  That's essentially next month.

- The stretch from the west Highway 72 bridge that runs to the Rocky Dell Hollow Road (which forks into the two main west Bella Vista avenues, Glasgow and Highlands) is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2014.  (And they are kicking up huge dust clouds plowing away at this particular segment.)

- The stretch from the southeast Highway 72 bridge to the future interchange with the current north end of I-540 will be finished in two years.  (Wow. That's the one I've been curious to see how they will shoehorn between BV and "Bennie".)

Then I remember how Missouri had a veritable army of earth movers and Euclid dump trucks lined up for duty around 2004 when they built that last section of (current I-49) four lane in a 2-3 year span between Lanagan to south of Pineville, and how that stretch is not much longer if at all so than the one to be completed from the future BV split, also south of Pineville, to the Arkansas state line.  Said last stretch will probably require a bridge or two.  It's likely the Rocky Dell Hollow to MO state line segment won't take that long at all...it may be the shortest of the segments.

*The only thing that makes me pessimistic about this is that the Obama Administration thumbed its nose (according to an Arkansas Democrat Gazette article) at northwest Arkansas with the pizzly (6 million, I think it was) grant they gave for the highway construction.  SW Missouri and NW Arkansas are heavily Republican districts, which means that the current leadership in Washington won't like these areas that much.  I'm just hoping they don't try to stall the project, which they could do in a multitude of ways if desired, I fear.

Otherwise, this is coming together still, albeit in bits and pieces, which was always pretty much expected.  But unimpeded, it might come together in just a few years.

[bjrush]

I don't think our President is sitting in the Oval thinking of ways to halt progress in Benton County, AR

I think he is the least of the project's worries. It's more reliant on Jefferson City politics

[bugo]

I don't think our President is sitting in the Oval thinking of ways to halt progress in Benton County, AR

I think he is the least of the project's worries. It's more reliant on Jefferson City politics

It has nothing to do with President Obama.  It's AHTD's incompetence and the State of Arkansas' refusal to raise the fuel tax to pay for these badly needed improvements.

[US71]

FWIW: the ADG is not known for unbiased reporting. Despite having the word Democrat in their name, they are generally a very conservative rag.  That's all I have to say on that.

[O Tamandua]

Thanks, all.

[bugo]

FWIW: the ADG is not known for unbiased reporting. Despite having the word Democrat in their name, they are generally a very conservative rag.  That's all I have to say on that.

There used to be two Little Rock papers: the uber conservative Arkansas Democrat and the less conservative Arkansas Gazette.  They merged in 1991 and of course, the right wing rag continued while the more moderate paper was pushed aside.  They really should have never used the word "Gazette" in the title and just referred to it as the "Arkansas Democrat" and let the Arkansas Gazette die with dignity.  The paper as it stands now is terrible.

[O Tamandua]

FWIW: the ADG is not known for unbiased reporting. Despite having the word Democrat in their name, they are generally a very conservative rag.  That's all I have to say on that.

There used to be two Little Rock papers: the uber conservative Arkansas Democrat and the less conservative Arkansas Gazette.  They merged in 1991 and of course, the right wing rag continued while the more moderate paper was pushed aside.  They really should have never used the word "Gazette" in the title and just referred to it as the "Arkansas Democrat" and let the Arkansas Gazette die with dignity.  The paper as it stands now is terrible.

Bugo, I was living in Little Rock when the Hussmann family bought out the Gazette.  There were those at the time who said that Gannett (which had bought the "ol' gray lady of Arkansas", supposedly the first (regular?) newspaper west of the Mississippi) had taken over the Arkansas Gazette and trashed it.

And again, it takes only a truthful understanding of this area and of our current president to know that he would hate this part of our country.  Everything I see tells me this man doesn't see Republicans and conservatives (who currently make up the majority of the local electorate) as rivals to be debated in the marketplace/arena of ideas, but rather as enemies to be put in check, and that he also isn't one for the concept of "forgiveness". (Tyrants never are, sorry to be blunt.)  And historically the congressional district of Arkansas (where it was said land owners did NOT want to own slaves) encompassing northwest Arkansas has been Republican for waaay back, even when the other three districts were Democrat-majority.  The district of southwest Missouri where the north part of the BV bypass will be has been the same way politically.  It's just the way it is.

Like I said, the only thing that would scare me is Obama, (and frankly, I think through his mismanagement our economy has a good chance of collapsing, which might put the kibosh on the BV Bypass and a completed I-49 much quicker), when it comes to things that will derail the BVB and I-49 to Fort Smith.  Otherwise, I think this is going to happen.  The flurry of news we've had in the past month (Walmart buying 125 acres at the BVB/current I-540 future junction, northwest Arkansas metro area set to hit half a million people this summer, the new privately-funded medical school in far east Fort Smith off future I-49) cinches it for me.

[NE2]

bahahaha

[US71]

I don't think our President is sitting in the Oval thinking of ways to halt progress in Benton County, AR

I think he is the least of the project's worries. It's more reliant on Jefferson City politics

It has nothing to do with President Obama.  It's AHTD's incompetence and the State of Arkansas' refusal to raise the fuel tax to pay for these badly needed improvements.

Let's not forget ARRA money that repaved highways that didn't really need it.

[NE2]

Let's not forget Bengoatse.

[Gordon]

U.S.DOT announced another Tiger Grant for 2014 of 600 million. Arkansas and Missouri needs to apply for another grant to complete Bella Vista Bypass. Maybe one or both of the States can get some money to keep it going for completion. The Fed's need to look at this corridor as a ease congestion, move freight and economic Highway that will help creat jobs and move goods south and north. How does congress approve an Interstate corridor as a priority and then not help fund it.

[US71]

U.S.DOT announced another Tiger Grant for 2014 of 600 million. Arkansas and Missouri needs to apply for another grant to complete Bella Vista Bypass. Maybe one or both of the States can get some money to keep it going for completion. The Fed's need to look at this corridor as a ease congestion, move freight and economic Highway that will help creat jobs and move goods south and north. How does congress approve an Interstate corridor as a priority and then not help fund it.

Because John Paul Hammerschmidt retired.