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[Grzrd]

This Oct. 31 Texarkana Gazette article (behind paywall) reports on a Texarkana Chamber of Commerce official mentioning the possibility of an I-49/I-(3)69 interchange in the Texarkana area, as well as the possibility of Texarkana becoming a major distribution hub:

Charles Nickerson, vice president of economic development for the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, said I-49’s connection to Interstate 30 as well as possible future connection to Interstate 69, puts Texarkana in a position to be a powerful future business hub.
“Right now we’re in the middle of a 350-mile radius that has access to 38 million people,” he said. “This can make us a major hub.”

This November 25 Texarkana Gazette article (behind paywall) reports on comments by I-49 International Coalition President Curt Green that the completion of I-49 through Arkansas is needed for safety reasons and that the combination of I-49 and I-(3)69 will bring a lot of goods through Texarkana:

Although he travels U.S. Highway 71 in Arkansas frequently, Curt Green, president of I-49 International Coalition, still remembers a bumper sticker that reflected the concern about the highway’s safety.
The bumper sticker read, “I travel U.S. 71 in Arkansas. Pray for me.” ....
“Highway 71 is considered a most dangerous road,” Green said. “I do not know anyone in Texarkana, Ark., who has not lost someone on 71. It’s a very bad highway.” ....
Although many people do not realize, the ports in Louisiana including New Orleans are where more cargo is delivered than in New York City or Los Angeles. The enlargement of the Panama Canal, which will allow double- and triple-sized ships to eventually come into the canal, will mean economic growth for those cities with roadways in place to provide easy travel to move cargo, he said.
“This is going to be a phenomenal amount of cargo that will be delivered north out of the gulf,” Green said. “Locally we are working with Red River Army Depot and Lone Star, and we have a 20,000-acre industrial park to tie into.”
Green complimented the work being done in Texas to upgrade U.S. Highway 59 and Interstate 69.
“Texas is the No. 1 state in the nation, and they are blowing and going upgrading 59 and 69,” Green said. “Having 69 ending right here in Texarkana will mean cargo coming in from Harlingen and Corpus Christi,” he said. “This will mean that we are going to be dumping a tremendous amount of traffic and cargo to Texarkana.” ....
The lack of funding makes it even more important to keep elected officials informed of what the needs of the state are, Green said.
“We need to make sure they are aware of the need and ask them to help with any possible financial help available for interstate construction,” he said.

It looks like the I-49 International Coalition has bought into the notion that development of the I-369 corridor provides another justification for completing I-49 from Texarkana to Fort Smith.

edit 

Here is a non-pay wall version of the article: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Head-of-I-49-coalition-says-road-needed-soon-5009881.php

[Road Hog]

I drove the extension north of I-30 for the first time. Why is the speed limit only 65 still?

And once again, enjoyed looking at the crazy mix of Texas and Arkansas signage down US 71 coming back. Arkansas-style signs on Texas posts and vice versa.

ADD: Also, there is absolutely no I-369 signage along I-30 still. You still have to follow US 59 and then once you get on there, you'll start to see I-369 shields.

[US71]

Maybe because 549 is considered a metropolitan highway and not rural ?  I-540 is 65 through Fayetteville, but 70 otherwise.

You'll also notice there are NO Overhead signs for I-369: only independent signage

[dariusb]

With all these road projects, Texarkana will look very different in the next 20 years.

[US71]

With all these road projects, Texarkana will look very different in the next 20 years.

This would be the perfect time for Love's or Pilot to start buying up land for new truck stops

[dariusb]

I've kept reading that Texarkana is destined to be a transportation and distribution hub in the future so with all the projected truck traffic to come through the area, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

[rte66man]

With all these road projects, Texarkana will look very different in the next 20 years.

This would be the perfect time for Love's or Pilot to start buying up land for new truck stops

I'm willing to bet they already have....

[US71]

With all these road projects, Texarkana will look very different in the next 20 years.

This would be the perfect time for Love's or Pilot to start buying up land for new truck stops

I'm willing to bet they already have....

Wouldn't surprise me much.

[dariusb]

In a way they've already started because the Love's truck stop in Leary just west of town hasn't been there long.

[Grzrd]

This article

James Carlow, who represents the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce for the I-69 project

(above quote from I-69 in TX thread)

This November 25 Texarkana Gazette article (behind paywall) reports on comments by I-49 International Coalition President Curt Green that the completion of I-49 through Arkansas is needed for safety reasons and that the combination of I-49 and I-(3)69 will bring a lot of goods through Texarkana ... It looks like the I-49 International Coalition has bought into the notion that development of the I-369 corridor provides another justification for completing I-49 from Texarkana to Fort Smith.

This December 26 Texarkana Gazette article (behind paywall) reports that Carlow and Green, as well as other Texarkana business leaders, met to discuss the future importance of Interstates 49 and 69, with Green even going so far to say that every mile of I-69 that Texas completes "has just as much impact on I-49":

A group of business leaders from both sides of Texarkana, along with people such as real estate developer Curt Green, former Bowie County Judge James Carlow and Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, met in Crossroads Business Park in Texarkana, Ark., recently to discuss the benefits of the continued expansion of I-49 and I-69. After the meeting, the three met in Green’s office in Texarkana, Texas, to talk more about exciting developments in transportation for this part of the state.
“Texarkana will be the gateway for Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana,” Green, who has been working on I-49 development for about 20 years. “We have got to put the infrastructure in place in order to have the economic growth.”
Like Green, Carlow has been hard at work for years on promoting the importance of development on I-69.
“I-69 goes all the way down to Brownsville and the Valley,” Carlow said. “All three separate legs of I-69 terminate in Texarkana. All roads lead here ....
it is going to go through the roof around here,” Green said. “Texas has spent $700 million on I-69 from Laredo to Texarkana, and every mile they finish has just as much impact on I-49. Texarkana is such a source of tourism into the state as traffic flows from Texas to Arkansas.”
 Hutchinson, who has spent the majority of his career in the private sector as a small business owner, lawyer and entrepreneur, said Arkansas will have to find some federal dollars to help it do what it needs to do to make the further interstate more probable in coming years. As governor, Hutchinson said he would fight to find money for transportation needs for the state.
“Texas has a different source of revenue, and they are largely ahead of us on I-69,” said Hutchinson, a Republican out of Little Rock. “They have state dollars. We have to figure out how to prioritize our funding to address traffic coming into Texas into the Texarkana corridor. Since serving in Congress 10 years ago, I have supported I-49. We want to continue to send state and federal sources of revenue to accelerate the process.”
Hutchinson has served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, representative from Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency and under the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
“People really need to look at how developing transportation will benefit the economy in Arkansas,” Hutchinson said.

I'm not sure if Hutchinson has the same I-49 "vision" as other Arkansas officials, but he does not seem to have any original ideas about how to finance the I-30 to I-40 section of I-49.

[dariusb]

^^ I agree Grzrd.

[Grzrd]

The Texas Official Travel Map has been updated to include I-369 in Texarkana:



How much longer until I-49 will be included on the map?

[Grzrd]

The Texarkana inset from the 2013 map

The above "Texarkana Area" map also shows a remnant of AR 245 south of AR 296. Unsigned 245?

Possible, I suppose. One would probably have to ask AHTD.

AHTD, is AR 245 still commissioned in the Texarkana area?

Hmmmm ..... US71 made his above post months before AHTD joined the Forum. Should he have availed himself of free champagne at Hawking's party? From another thread:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11442.msg273260#msg273260


Also, AHTD, this post discusses how AHTD has removed the Future I-49 projected routing from Texarkana to Ashdown (through Texas) from its highway map:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3321.msg228335#msg228335

Was there any particular reason why it was removed?

[AHTD]

At this time State Highway 245 exists between State Highway 296 (Sugar Hill Road) and Arkansas Boulevard. Arrangements have been made to remove this highway from the system and transfer to the city of Texarkana. This is in progress, but it's not known if the transfer will be made before the 2014 map is printed.
 
As for the Future I-49 projected route that appeared on the 2012 map, we made a decision to remove future routings where funding is not identified. Thus you will not find Future I-69 routed on our map because funding has not been identified - except for the Monticello Bypass that is under construction.
 
Can't say if it was an oversight or a jump of the gun, however upon review of the map for the 2013 edition, the above decision was made.
 

[US71]

At this time State Highway 245 exists between State Highway 296 (Sugar Hill Road) and Arkansas Boulevard. Arrangements have been made to remove this highway from the system and transfer to the city of Texarkana. This is in progress, but it's not known if the transfer will be made before the 2014 map is printed.
 
As for the Future I-49 projected route that appeared on the 2012 map, we made a decision to remove future routings where funding is not identified. Thus you will not find Future I-69 routed on our map because funding has not been identified - except for the Monticello Bypass that is under construction.
 
Can't say if it was an oversight or a jump of the gun, however upon review of the map for the 2013 edition, the above decision was made.
 

I noticed all the signs are gone, including along Sugar Hill Rd. So 245 appears to only exist on the maps, unless new signs have been put in place since May?

[Grzrd]

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

Here's a map of the segment from the above link in Gordon's post:

I recently came across this November 26 article.  Accompanying the article is this photograph:



I think it is on AR 151 eastbound approaching the AR 549 interchange.  It initially caught my eye because it has Exit 1 and Exit 29 side-by-side. Any ideas on how this signage should appear after the redesignation of AR 549 to I-49 is completed? Will there be a need for an "End AR 151" sign at that time?

[english si]

The exit 29 tab is odd, AR549 merges in after the ramps leave and OSM marks it as exit 2. It does make some sense as it is AR549's exit 29. But so is 'exit 1'. Either have it as exits 1 and 2, or 29A and B.

Also, for such a short multi-state route like Loop/AR151, why have exit numbers reset at the state line? Means that if TX posted exit numbers it would go 1-2-3-1-2 or something equally confusing.

I'd imagine that all that would change is the AR549 shields would become I-49 when the interstate comes.

[Brandon]

The exit 29 tab is odd, AR549 merges in after the ramps leave and OSM marks it as exit 2. It does make some sense as it is AR549's exit 29. But so is 'exit 1'. Either have it as exits 1 and 2, or 29A and B.

Also, for such a short multi-state route like Loop/AR151, why have exit numbers reset at the state line? Means that if TX posted exit numbers it would go 1-2-3-1-2 or something equally confusing.

I'd imagine that all that would change is the AR549 shields would become I-49 when the interstate comes.

The Exit 1 is for AR-151 as it heads east toward AR-549 (future I-49) as this is an exit from AR-151.  The Exit 29 is for AR-549 as the main exit is off AR-549 for US-71.  However, according to Google Street View, it's Exit 2: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=33.386016,-94.025846&spn=0.020676,0.042272&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=33.385952,-94.026137&panoid=Wp1oCO7QBiaJby8pU2VWew&cbp=12,75.94,,2,-6.3

I guess it depends on which photograph is more recent.

It beats me why AHTD even bothered with an exit number off AR-151 anyway.

I agree, the signs look easy enough to switch out with I-49 shields or simply cover in greenout and I-49 shields.

[cjk374]

^^ Speaking of greenout, I noticed the signs for the next exit in the background have an area greened out...I'm guessing it said "Shreveport"?

[US71]

^^ Speaking of greenout, I noticed the signs for the next exit in the background have an area greened out...I'm guessing it said "Shreveport"?

For US 71? Yes, Shreveport is greened out.


There are no "END" signs for AR 151 and it's only posted Eastbound ("Northbound"), except at US 71


SB 549 at 151


NB 549 at 151




As an aside, it's strange that the "thru" highway (549) exits.  I wonder if AHTD will ever change this?

[Scott5114]

Google shows AR-549 as I-49 now. Is this based on anything in the real world, or is it Google being Google?

[US71]

Google shows AR-549 as I-49 now. Is this based on anything in the real world, or is it Google being Google?

As of November, it was still AR 549 and no "Future I-49" signs in Arkansas.

[AHTD]

This is Google being Google.
 
We have alerted them of this error. When (if) they will change it is unknown.

[bugo]

This is Google being Google.
 
We have alerted them of this error. When (if) they will change it is unknown.

Probably about the time I-49 is actually commissioned.

[US71]

This is Google being Google.
 
We have alerted them of this error. When (if) they will change it is unknown.

Probably about the time I-49 is actually commissioned.

Google was fairly fast on the Business Loop 49's in Missouri.