Texarkana (Future I-49, I-69 Spur)

[Gordon]

News from AHTD, more signs going up for new 549 project.                                                                                                               OVERHEAD SIGN INSTALLATION REQUIRES TEMPORARY LANE
CLOSURES ON INTERSTATE 30 IN MILLER COUNTY
LITTLE ROCK (3-7) -- Crews installing overhead signs will require temporary lane
closures next week in Miller County, according to Arkansas State Highway and
Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
The work will begin Tuesday night, March 12th and conclude Friday morning, March 15th.
The areas affected will be on Interstate 30 between Highway 245 and Highway 108, east of
Texarkana. The project will require the westbound lanes to be closed for short intervals
not to exceed 10 minutes. The work will only take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m.
and 5:00 a.m., weather permitting.
Motorists should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway
work zones.

[Grzrd]

LA. shows you can work on Bridges and the paving at the same time. It is a shame AR. can't do the same and finish their last 4 miles so they could both open up I49 from LA 1 to Texarkana in the spring of 2013.

(above quote from I49 in LA thread)

Louisiana will still have to wait on Arkansas at the state line, but the paving contract for those last four miles is scheduled to be let on April 17:

LA LINE-DODDRIDGE (BS. & SURF.) (S)
MILLER
71

I-49 in Arkansas all the way from Louisiana to Texas!



Also, a cable median barrier installation contract on the Texarkana 151 & 549 (Future I-49, including the new terrain section all the way to the Texas state line) Loop is scheduled to be let on April 17:

HWYS. 151 & 549 LOOP (TEXARKANA) (CABLE MEDIAN BARRIER) (S)
MILLER
151 & 549

Are AR 245 and 549 going to duplex along the eastern part of the loop, or is 245 going to be discontinuous?  I think once they finish the connection to I-30 they should sign the whole loop as I-230.

New overhead guide signs are being installed in the near future on ... the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 245 between South State Line Avenue and Highway 549.  I assume the I-30 sign and the northbound Highway 245 sign are in regard to the new terrain AR 549 (Future I-49).  I don't know why they would need a new sign on southbound AR 245 (I think it's a little early for  "TO I-369" guidance).

In looking at the map on page 1 of the Plans for the cable median barrier project, it looks like the "southern part" of AR 245 has been redesignated as AR 151 in order to match TX 151, which in turn would explain the new overhead sign.  Any confirmation from the field?

edit - added below map:

[codyg1985]

^ They mistakenly labeled those ar US 151 and US 549 on their cover sheet.

When I was there at the beginning of March I didn't see any signs that mentioned AR 151.

[ShawnP]

That paving contract makes ya smile doesn't it. Decades in the making but I-49 is so close to being done from North of Texarkana to Shreveport plus plans for going thru Shreveport. Now the slow, slow part of things north of Texarkana and south of Lafeyette. Wish I-49 south would be speeded up to help get more folks out of Hurricanes way.

[Gordon]

In the Plans for base & surface job for bid 03013, I don't see signs for new road. Maybe they are holding those out for I-49 signs instead of 459. At least at the louisiana border and existing 71 hwy intersection would have signs either 549 or I-49.

[O Tamandua]

That paving contract makes ya smile doesn't it. Decades in the making but I-49 is so close to being done from North of Texarkana to Shreveport plus plans for going thru Shreveport. Now the slow, slow part of things north of Texarkana and south of Lafeyette. Wish I-49 south would be speeded up to help get more folks out of Hurricanes way.

If it's been said here forgive me but...when I-49 Shreveport/Texarkana is complete, what will be the average drive time between the two (as opposed to what it has been on U.S. 71, which as I recall is more than an hour?).  Funny that these two cities so often mentioned together (the TV market in Arbitron used to be called "Shreveport/Texarkana") are in adjacent counties but each county being narrow and tall, with TXK at the top of Miller (AR) and SHV near the bottom of Caddo (LA).

[US71]

That paving contract makes ya smile doesn't it. Decades in the making but I-49 is so close to being done from North of Texarkana to Shreveport plus plans for going thru Shreveport. Now the slow, slow part of things north of Texarkana and south of Lafeyette. Wish I-49 south would be speeded up to help get more folks out of Hurricanes way.

If it's been said here forgive me but...when I-49 Shreveport/Texarkana is complete, what will be the average drive time between the two (as opposed to what it has been on U.S. 71, which as I recall is more than an hour?).  Funny that these two cities so often mentioned together (the TV market in Arbitron used to be called "Shreveport/Texarkana") are in adjacent counties but each county being narrow and tall, with TXK at the top of Miller (AR) and SHV near the bottom of Caddo (LA).

It's roughly 75 miles, so my guess is about an hour (currently about 1:20 to 1:30 depending on traffic)

[bassoon1986]

I could see the I-49 portion in Louisiana also being signed at 75 mph. Although there's probably a good bit more traffic than 49 south of Shreveport, it's just as desolate until you reach Texarkana.

[US71]

I could see the I-49 portion in Louisiana also being signed at 75 mph. Although there's probably a good bit more traffic than 49 south of Shreveport, it's just as desolate until you reach Texarkana.

49 already is 75 MPH once you get out of Alexandria, but it drops to 60 once you get close to Shreveport

[bassoon1986]

Right. I mean the new section north of I-220 when it's done.

[US71]

Right. I mean the new section north of I-220 when it's done.

Understood. I merely meant to point out there is precedence

[O Tamandua]

Thanks for the Texarkana - Shreveport drive time answer, U.S. 71. 

[roadman65]

I was at the I-49 construction between Shreveport and the AR State Line back in September of 12.  I have some really cool photos to share and will have them up on my flickr page real soon.  You guys might find them interesting as the bridges over some of the local roads are in the girder laying stage at the time so you could imagine now they are completed.

[Gordon]

More signs going on I 30 for 549.                                                                                                                          OVERHEAD SIGN INSTALLATIONS REQUIRE TEMPORARY LANE
CLOSURES ON INTERSTATE 30 IN MILLER COUNTY
LITTLE ROCK (4-5) — Crews installing overhead signs on Interstate 30 will require
temporary lane closures next week in Miller County, according to Arkansas State Highway
and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
The work will begin Tuesday night, April 9th and concludes Friday morning, April 12th. The
work will only take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., weather
permitting. The area affected will be on Interstate 30 between Jefferson Avenue and
Highway 108, east of Texarkana. The project will require the eastbound and westbound
lanes to be closed for short intervals not to exceed 10 minutes.
Motorists should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway
work zones. Additional travel information can be found at ArkansasHighways.com. You
can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
#

[US71]

More signs going on I 30 for 549.                                                                                                                          OVERHEAD SIGN INSTALLATIONS REQUIRE TEMPORARY LANE
CLOSURES ON INTERSTATE 30 IN MILLER COUNTY
LITTLE ROCK (4-5) — Crews installing overhead signs on Interstate 30 will require
temporary lane closures next week in Miller County, according to Arkansas State Highway
and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
The work will begin Tuesday night, April 9th and concludes Friday morning, April 12th. The
work will only take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., weather
permitting. The area affected will be on Interstate 30 between Jefferson Avenue and
Highway 108, east of Texarkana. The project will require the eastbound and westbound
lanes to be closed for short intervals not to exceed 10 minutes.
Motorists should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway
work zones. Additional travel information can be found at ArkansasHighways.com. You
can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
#

Probably also means the last of the button copy is coming down

[bassoon1986]

More signs going on I 30 for 549.                                                                                                                          OVERHEAD SIGN INSTALLATIONS REQUIRE TEMPORARY LANE
CLOSURES ON INTERSTATE 30 IN MILLER COUNTY
LITTLE ROCK (4-5) — Crews installing overhead signs on Interstate 30 will require
temporary lane closures next week in Miller County, according to Arkansas State Highway
and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
The work will begin Tuesday night, April 9th and concludes Friday morning, April 12th. The
work will only take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., weather
permitting. The area affected will be on Interstate 30 between Jefferson Avenue and
Highway 108, east of Texarkana. The project will require the eastbound and westbound
lanes to be closed for short intervals not to exceed 10 minutes.
Motorists should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway
work zones. Additional travel information can be found at ArkansasHighways.com. You
can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
#

Probably also means the last of the button copy is coming down

Oh that's right!!  Wasn't it at the Jefferson exit?

[US71]

More signs going on I 30 for 549.                                                                                                                          OVERHEAD SIGN INSTALLATIONS REQUIRE TEMPORARY LANE
CLOSURES ON INTERSTATE 30 IN MILLER COUNTY
LITTLE ROCK (4-5) — Crews installing overhead signs on Interstate 30 will require
temporary lane closures next week in Miller County, according to Arkansas State Highway
and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
The work will begin Tuesday night, April 9th and concludes Friday morning, April 12th. The
work will only take place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., weather
permitting. The area affected will be on Interstate 30 between Jefferson Avenue and
Highway 108, east of Texarkana. The project will require the eastbound and westbound
lanes to be closed for short intervals not to exceed 10 minutes.
Motorists should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway
work zones. Additional travel information can be found at ArkansasHighways.com. You
can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
#

Probably also means the last of the button copy is coming down

Oh that's right!!  Wasn't it at the Jefferson exit?

WB I-30 there's a Texarkana Next 6 Exits

There are a couple signs for AR 245 and at least one for Jefferson Ave, plus at least one EXIT sign

I tried to get a few photos last month, but traffic was too heavy to stop and the drive-bys didn't come put well

[apjung]

Google Maps now has the whole completed section of 549 also labeled as I-49!
http://goo.gl/maps/6F9kK

[NE2]

Dog bites man!

[bugo]

They're still there, dude.

[Gordon]

Here is a news post from AHTD on the 549 Highway, adding new exit and maybe opening it in a month.http://www.arkansashighways.com/news/2013/NR%2013-109.pdf

[US71]

Here is a news post from AHTD on the 549 Highway, adding new exit and maybe opening it in a month.http://www.arkansashighways.com/news/2013/NR%2013-109.pdf

According to the map, the section of 245 west of 549 will become AR 151, as was predicted a few weeks back.

I volunteer to be the first member of the forum to drive the new road   

[Gordon]

Looks like Interstate Highway construction got the low bid for the last segment of Highway 549 from Doddridge to LA. line for $16,110,526.70 for the Base and Surface of 4.267 miles. Hope they finish it quickly because they have 235 working days to finish it once they start.

[NE2]

This isn't open yet, is it? Looks like someone jumped the gun.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=33.47443&lon=-93.99336&zoom=15&layers=M
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/15276810

[US71]

This isn't open yet, is it? Looks like someone jumped the gun.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=33.47443&lon=-93.99336&zoom=15&layers=M
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/15276810

Or change it so the section to 71 is the same (considering the work itself is complete)