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[US71]

It's accurate information and if memory serves, the whole frontage road issue is about farm equipment needing access. Once this route is designated an Interstate, farm equipment will not be allowed on the road. So to facilitate continued farm equipment access, this frontage road is necessary.
 
This happened when I-530 was designated. All of a sudden the farm equipment was banned from a route that had been used for years.

Have you considered asking the legislature to allow farm equipment on Interstates where posted? As far as I know, there is no federal law banning it.

A cursory glance on the 'net seems to indicate some sort of authorization is required.

[NE2]

A cursory glance on the 'net seems to indicate some sort of authorization is required.

I couldn't find anything due to businesses with Interstate in their names. The federal term seems to be "special mobile equipment".

[Grzrd]

the whole frontage road issue is about farm equipment needing access. Once this route is designated an Interstate, farm equipment will not be allowed on the road.

Have you considered asking the legislature to allow farm equipment on Interstates where posted? As far as I know, there is no federal law banning it.

Earlier in this thread, an email reply from FHWA strongly suggests that a prohibition, if any, against farm machinery would be an Arkansas state law issue:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=1869.msg174985#msg174985

A review of this issue by your Legal Department could save some money by following NE2's suggestion and provide Jonesboro with a direct interstate connection sooner rather than much later.

[agentsteel53]

provide Jonesboro with a direct interstate connection sooner rather than much later.

we can name it the Dan Moraseski Freeway.  beats the hell out of naming it after some idiot senator (but I repeat myself).

[Road Hog]

I'd rather see it designated as a western extension of I-22 and have it tie in with the future I-57 at Walnut Ridge.

AR 22 can then be redesignated as an eastern extension of US 266 out of Oklahoma.

[bugo]

I'd rather see it designated as a western extension of I-22 and have it tie in with the future I-57 at Walnut Ridge.

I-57 will never enter Arkansas.  The US 67 freeway is Future I-30.

[US71]

I'd rather see it designated as a western extension of I-22 and have it tie in with the future I-57 at Walnut Ridge.

I-57 will never enter Arkansas.  The US 67 freeway is Future I-30.

Here we go again.   

[jpi]

I was just on future I-555 for the first time Monday night, not a bad road overall, would not take much to bring it up to interstate standards and I also so the stub ends of the US 67 by-pass around Walnut Ridge. Would be intersting to see this get extended northeast into Mo.

[bugo]

If it is ever extended, it will be 5 lanes with a center turning lane, aka "Arkansas Freeway".

[M86]

If it is ever extended, it will be 5 lanes with a center turning lane, aka "Arkansas Freeway".

I literally laughed out loud at that!

[AHTD]

A cursory glance on the 'net seems to indicate some sort of authorization is required.

I couldn't find anything due to businesses with Interstate in their names. The federal term seems to be "special mobile equipment".

Arkansas Code Annotated 27-35-210
http://www.arkansashighways.com/forums/ACA_27-35-210.pdf
 

[Grzrd]

By now the legislature could have passed a law allowing farm equipment (and bikes/peds) on this piece of I-555.

Arkansas Code Annotated 27-35-210
http://www.arkansashighways.com/forums/ACA_27-35-210.pdf

Thanks AHTD!

Language from the EA demostrates that, although the Sunken Lands section is interstate-grade, it is not fully controlled access (page 11/293 of pdf; page 5 of document):

http://www.arkansashighways.com/public_meetings/2012/100682/US%2063%20EA%20-%20Final%20signed%20with%20Appendices%20(022112)_reduced.pdf

Future Highway Conditions
....
To date, all upgrades to interstate standards have been completed on Highway 63 from Jonesboro to I-55. In order to be added to the Interstate System, Future I-555  must have access control implemented across the Sunken Lands. When access control is implemented the current access to the Sunken Lands and adjacent private lands from Highway 63 will be removed.

The farm equipment currently complies with the statute because the section is not fully controlled access.

It still seems like an amendment to the statute would be relatively easy and inexpensive.

[Henry]

If it is ever extended, it will be 5 lanes with a center turning lane, aka "Arkansas Freeway".

I literally laughed out loud at that!

I like that term too!

[codyg1985]

This is about as hilarious as the I-69 extender that is proposed between the southern terminus of I-530/AL 530 at I-69 and I-20 in Monroe.

[Grzrd]

This August 9 article reports that funding for the estimated $25 million frontage road project is not in the four-year plan, which will delay conversion to I-555:

changing it over to an interstate would prevent farm equipment from being driven on the 40-mile stretch.
Highway department spokesman Randy Ort said the sticking point is building service roads between Payneway and Marked Tree. That project would cost about $25 million, and the agency has only $3 million on hand for the work.

It still seems like an amendment to the statute would be relatively easy and inexpensive.

AHTD's June 4, 2014 Presentation to the Highway Commission .... (page 43/83 of pdf):

(bottom quote from I-69 in AR (and Pine Bluff I-69 Connector/AR 530) thread)

AHTD, why has the cost estimate doubled from $25 million to $50 million in a little less than two years?

[Grzrd]

This July 15 AHTD PowerPoint presentation provides an update and scheduled lettings for the completion of AR 226 from US 67 to US 49 near Jonesboro (page 21/41 of pdf):

(above quote from Future I-30/US 67 thread)

AHTD Director Scott Bennett recently made a July 23, 2014 presentation to the Arkansas State Highway Commission, which included this slide of Future I-555 showing the respective locations of the $50 million frontage roads (page 58/82 of pdf):



AHTD, does the Department have any plans to upgrade US 49 in Jonesboro between the AR 226 Hwy 49 Connector and US 63 as part of the "Jonesboro link" between Future I-555 and possible Future I-30?

[AHTD]

U.S. Highway 49 is already upgraded to a five lane facility. The current work on SH 226 will tie-into that section.
 
http://www.arkansashighways.com/programs_contracts_division/gis/Current_JobStatusMaps/job_status_craighead.pdf
 

[Grzrd]

AHTD, why has the cost estimate doubled from $25 million to $50 million in a little less than two years?

I haven't checked on Future I-555 in a while, but I just noticed this Oct. 1, 2014 video (good footage of Future I-555) providing an I-555 update which quotes AHTD spokesman Randy Ort as estimating the cost of the frontage road to be back around $25 million and reports that the frontage road will be considered for funding between 2016 and 2019:

The conversion of Hwy 63 to Interstate 555 has been in the works for over 10 years ....
"The interstate system started being discussed right after I came into office about 12 years ago," said Tyronza mayor, Marion Bearden. It has been an ongoing process."
Randy Ort with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department said the new route or frontage road could cost about $25 million.
"This area is prime area for agri-tourism and I don't know very many spots where you could take a 30 minute drive going north and see cotton, bean, corn, rice," Bearden said. She said this interstate could increase tourism in Region 8.
"I think it's a real necessity because we've got farmers now who not just in one location," she said. "They are spread so far out and the equipment, the size of it now, you can't put it on the interstate system.”
The frontage road will be considered for funding between 2016 and 2019.

[I-39]

Seriously? They can't find the funding to build a simple frontage road and that is all that is needed to officially designate the road I-155?

This should have been finished a decade ago......... but ATHD likes to drag their feet with everything, just like the U.S 67 and I-49 corridors

[US71]

Seriously? They can't find the funding to build a simple frontage road and that is all that is needed to officially designate the road I-155?

This should have been finished a decade ago......... but ATHD likes to drag their feet with everything, just like the U.S 67 and I-49 corridors

IMO it's two things: #1 Money is tight  #2 Misplaced priorities when it comes to choosing projects.

[bjrush]

I don't see this as a huge scandal. They built the road and 99% of the time it is an interstate to the traveling public. A $50M frontage road for farmer bob and farmer jon seems like misplaced priorities, not the other way around

Triage, my friends. I know people on here like official designations but with a super tight budget, $50M just to say a road is an interstate isn't exactly the biggest need in the state

[I-39]

I don't see this as a huge scandal. They built the road and 99% of the time it is an interstate to the traveling public. A $50M frontage road for farmer bob and farmer jon seems like misplaced priorities, not the other way around

Triage, my friends. I know people on here like official designations but with a super tight budget, $50M just to say a road is an interstate isn't exactly the biggest need in the state

It's not so much the road itself, it's the fact in general ATHD tends to drag their feet on projects and it takes a lot longer to build. Examples are I-155, U.S 67, I-49, etc.

[Bobby5280]

One thing I'm wondering is why it costs so insanely much to build a freaking road anymore. What's it up to per mile to build an Interstate highway? $20 million? $50 million? $100 million?

The rate of cost inflation is just ridiculous. The nation is already having to let big parts of its infrastructure fall into ruin. How far can this go? Are we going to let it get to the point where it costs a million dollars to put a 20' long concrete driveway in front of a $75,000 home?

A long time ago I would have thought future technological advances would have made it easier, cheaper and more efficient to build major civil engineering projects. Obviously that isn't happening. I laugh at some of the things I see in science fictions movies (oh that giant thing would only cost a trillion times a trillion dollars if it could even be built). Maybe we're going in the other direction -like Mad Max or something. Maybe in the future we'll have nothing but dirt roads since that's all we'll be able to afford to build and maintain.

[NE2]

It's Obama's fault for not allowing cheap Mexican labor in.

[Bobby5280]

I'm wondering if the concrete used in these roads contains gold dust and the ground up bones of unicorns.

The same questions have to be asked of sports stadiums. NFL stadium cost: now $1.2 - 1.5 billion and rising rapidly (with taxpayers expected to pick up much of the bill). NBA stadium: now upwards of $500 million (again with taxpayers expected to pick up much of the bill). That's 400% cost inflation over the past 15-20 years.