I-57 Approved

[NE2]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

[english si]

Did they get an exemption (like the Rio Grande Valley) to have disconnected parts of the interstate network as long as they would be connected soon?

Actually, given that they care enough to leave gaps (one for upgrades to full standards, one for an exemption to be granted), they must care enough to listen to the FHWA. So presumably yes?

[bugo]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

The section of I-555 over the St Francis River in Poinsett County is marked as green, not red on the map.

[edwaleni]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

The section of I-555 over the St Francis River in Poinsett County is marked as green, not red on the map.

And it has the exemption.

I think this was discussed previously several pages ago on this thread.

My take is that they shouldn't allow ag traffic on this bridge. I-555 is more a regional arterial and does not handle cross nation traffic.

I-57 on the other hand will be an active member in the national network, and be taking on a significant number of trucks, not something I would want to share with 30mph ag traffic in places.

ArDOT should plan for a 2 lane facility if there are farmers who absolutely need to get on both sides, or the farmers need to have a barn facility on either side to store their equipment.

[Revive 755]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

Isn't that bridge on US 67 built for a new alignment freeway, not an existing corridor that got upgraded like I-555?

[NE2]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

Isn't that bridge on US 67 built for a new alignment freeway, not an existing corridor that got upgraded like I-555?

Yes, but it's been there for years and presumably farm vehicles have been allowed for all that time.

[MikieTimT]

I think that bridge may need an exemption to allow farm vehicles.

Isn't that bridge on US 67 built for a new alignment freeway, not an existing corridor that got upgraded like I-555?

Yes, but it's been there for years and presumably farm vehicles have been allowed for all that time.

They wouldn't have requested the exception for this bridge for agricultural equipment if it wasn't necessary and already the status quo for a facility that is already 75MPH posted and apparently hasn't had issues at this point with the slow moving vehicle conflict.  There are no alternative bridge crossings for 52 river miles (AR-14/367 in Newport and US-64 in Augusta), and a state as poor with as many road priorities and needs as Arkansas has will not be building another bridge for the likely less than dozen annual crossings this equipment will require.  And it's not exactly reasonable to expect someone driving a combine to add 20+ miles each way to bypass it.

[vdeane]

Just curious - how did the farm equipment cross prior to the US 67 bridge being built?

[edwaleni]

Just curious - how did the farm equipment cross prior to the US 67 bridge being built?

Just looked at a 1980 Arkansas Highway Map.

There were no crossings, not even a ferry.

[bugo]

Just looked at a 1980 Arkansas Highway Map.
There were no crossings, not even a ferry.

The old AR 14/365 bridge at Newport was the original US 67 crossing. The bridge is still there but probably not for long.

[edwaleni]

Back in the day, the farmers were either east of the White River or west.

If you were west you took AR14/367 west of Newport, or you took AR14 south past Erwin Field to AR224 to reach your fields on the east side.

And there is an underpass at CO-315 that allows any/all farm traffic to pass under I-57 to reach farther south along the west side.

It just reinforces that an exemption is not needed. Plenty of ways to get around those fields.

[vdeane]

Back in the day, the farmers were either east of the White River or west.

If you were west you took AR14/367 west of Newport, or you took AR14 south past Erwin Field to AR224 to reach your fields on the east side.

And there is an underpass at CO-315 that allows any/all farm traffic to pass under I-57 to reach farther south along the west side.

It just reinforces that an exemption is not needed. Plenty of ways to get around those fields.

This is starting to sound like a way to facilitate large corporate farms who may have bought out smaller farms that were there before to save money by consolidating equipment.

[TBKS1]

OMG, I-57 shield on storm chaser video!

https://x.com/LiveCamChaser/status/1906494637637808626

I bet the entire route is signed as I-57 at a minimum now, still no determining how many I-57/US 67 (US 64/167) shields will remain in multiplexed assemblies. I just came back home yesterday from a drive to North Alabama and East Tennessee, I promise I'll drive the length of this at some point, although there's been some pretty extreme flooding that's been ongoing across much of Arkansas and a lot of roads are closed due to flooding. 

[MikieTimT]

On a tangential note, we did have a jet ski and wakeboarder on I-57 a few days ago with the flooding in the Jacksonville area.

https://www.thv11.com/article/weather/arkansas-man-wakeboards-flooded-interstates/91-8553351f-bdad-471d-984c-920c610753f2

At least they weren't impeding traffic like a combine or tractor would!

[Tomahawkin]

With 57 becoming an interstate, can we see a full interchange with IH 57 and U.S. 412? IIRC US 412 is expected to become interstate grade within the next 15 years, but I think Funding for IH 49 between Ft. Smith and Texarkana will be a bigger priority. IMO both of these routes could use a Buc'ees to improve the economies in both respective areas.

[NE2]

With 57 becoming an interstate, can we see a full interchange with IH 57 and U.S. 412? IIRC US 412 is expected to become interstate grade within the next 15 years, but I think Funding for IH 49 between Ft. Smith and Texarkana will be a bigger priority. IMO both of these routes could use a Buc'ees to improve the economies in both respective areas.

Nobody cares about your beaver cult.

[bugo]

The bridge at Newport was recently replaced. It is much wider than the old truss bridge, which is still in place at least for now. If the tractors are only crossing it a few times a year, they can go through Newport.

[Road Hog]

The parts not being shown as interstate from I-440 to James Street and from LRAFB to the Heber exit are in error in my opinion. Maybe ArDOT is playing it safe in reallife but on a map that'll be under a dog's butt in 2026, they can play loose.

[JREwing78]

With 57 becoming an interstate, can we see a full interchange with IH 57 and U.S. 412? IIRC US 412 is expected to become interstate grade within the next 15 years, but I think Funding for IH 49 between Ft. Smith and Texarkana will be a bigger priority.

It can be done within the existing interchange footprint to Interstate-standard with 3 loop ramps and re-configuring 2 other ramps. But US-412 isn't exactly overloaded with traffic near Walnut Ridge, and the advent of I-67 probably won't change that much.

Also, you've got to get Missouri on-board. Does the Bootheel need more Interstate mileage?

[english si]

Upgrading US412 to interstate between I-57 and Paragould wouldn't require Missouri.

I know Paragould isn't massive (though a lot bigger than Walnut Ridge, Pocahontas and other cities on I-57), but think of it as a Jonesboro northern bypass 3di and it makes a bit more sense.

But an interstate between I-57 and Paragould (even if you get MO on board and so it forms a 57-69 connector) makes much more sense running closer to Jonesboro than the US412 because ideally you'd just want a single, multipurpose route that serves I-57 to Jonesboro and Paragould traffic, and traffic between the two cities too.

[MikieTimT]

iDriveArkansas.com has a traffic cam overlay which is somewhat addictive when keeping track of flooding and construction.  Just checked on it and there is a new temporary construction camera on US-67 east of Pocahontas since the Black River (and Current River and Fourche River) is in flood and they are keeping an eye on it to make sure they don't have to close US-67. Shoulder is flooded, but a look at the river/stream gauges in the area looks like they just dodged having to shut down a lane (out of 2) of it at least.

I check all the river crossings with cameras across the state when we get weather like we had last week, and it's telling how well the bridges have fared for the most part give the downpours that occurred and washed out some of the smaller roads out east.

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps is currently showing flood warnings in northern Arkansas: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1341753,-90.8652742,58828m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. They seem to be on top of things like that.

[edwaleni]

Upgrading US412 to interstate between I-57 and Paragould wouldn't require Missouri.

I know Paragould isn't massive (though a lot bigger than Walnut Ridge, Pocahontas and other cities on I-57), but think of it as a Jonesboro northern bypass 3di and it makes a bit more sense.

But an interstate between I-57 and Paragould (even if you get MO on board and so it forms a 57-69 connector) makes much more sense running closer to Jonesboro than the US412 because ideally you'd just want a single, multipurpose route that serves I-57 to Jonesboro and Paragould traffic, and traffic between the two cities too.

I think the importance of US-412 in Missouri is well explained in this pix.

This is what happens when US-412 crosses the state line at the St Francis River into Missouri.

[english si]

I think the importance of US-412 in Missouri is well explained in this pix.

And this links to my post, which pointed out the irrelevance of US412 in MO to the question of US412 freeway in NE AR how?

My first point was that NEAR traffic would be what was driving AR to make US412 a freeway. My second was that a different corridor would be better for the freeway - whether just linking Paragould, or linking I-69 in TN to I-57 in AR (ie across MO).

[Road Hog]

Upgrading US412 to interstate between I-57 and Paragould wouldn't require Missouri.

I know Paragould isn't massive (though a lot bigger than Walnut Ridge, Pocahontas and other cities on I-57), but think of it as a Jonesboro northern bypass 3di and it makes a bit more sense.

But an interstate between I-57 and Paragould (even if you get MO on board and so it forms a 57-69 connector) makes much more sense running closer to Jonesboro than the US412 because ideally you'd just want a single, multipurpose route that serves I-57 to Jonesboro and Paragould traffic, and traffic between the two cities too.

I think the importance of US-412 in Missouri is well explained in this pix.

This is what happens when US-412 crosses the state line at the St Francis River into Missouri.

Nice for a change to have Arkansas have the better road at the state line than vice versa.
Also FWIW, US 412 is twinned on the other end from Hayti to the eastern edge of Kennett. Maybe MODOT has plans to bypass Kennett but I dunno if the traffic justifies it ... yet.