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

[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.

[AHTD]

We received a request to post links to these documents in this thread.

FEIS: U.S. 71 - Texarkana to DeQueen and the Texarkana Northern Loop (90.4mb)
http://www.arkansashighways.com/forums/FEIS_U.S.71_TXK-DeQueen_and_TXK_North_Loop.pdf

FEIS: U.S. 71 - Texarkana to DeQueen and the Texarkana Northern Loop APPENDIX (100mb)
http://www.arkansashighways.com/forums/FEIS_U.S.71_TXK-DeQueen_and_TXK_North_Loop_(appendix).pdf

Enjoy!

[Gordon]

AHTD, the last section between I 49 North LA. state line And Hwy 549 will be complete sometime this Summer. Will the Approval of designating of I 49 in Arkansas be in time to be signed as such? Have any updates on how that is going?

[Grzrd]

This is probably the only Arkansas I-49 shield, and likely the first one ever made

(above quote from I-49 Coming to Missouri thread)

(above quote from I-49 in AR (Bella Vista, Fort Smith) thread)

We are moving away from including the state name on ground-level Interstate route markers. Signs in this area that were installed incorrectly (wrong version of sign) will be removed and replaced with the correct version.

No! Please continue to include the state name! Texas has just started doing it - it reminds people what state they're in... plus we love it!

You might be an anal roadgeek if...

(bottom two quotes from I-540 Signage (ATTN AHTD) thread)

AHTD, the last section between I 49 North LA. state line And Hwy 549 will be complete sometime this Summer. Will the Approval of designating of I 49 in Arkansas be in time to be signed as such? Have any updates on how that is going?

AHTD, can you talk to the powers that be about tossing a bone to anal roadgeeks (as well as Arkansas Texarkanans) and see if, since Texas proudly displays its state name on the Texarkana I-369 shields, "Arkansas" I-49 shields can be installed for the SW Arkansas I-49 signage contract in order to show a little Arkansas state pride? 

[AHTD]

AHTD, the last section between I 49 North LA. state line And Hwy 549 will be complete sometime this Summer. Will the Approval of designating of I 49 in Arkansas be in time to be signed as such? Have any updates on how that is going?

Gordon-


We are still working on the application to FHWA to request the re-designation. If the last bit is complete before then, it will be signed SH 549. We will not open this last segment until Louisiana is at the line, otherwise it's a road that abruptly stops with nowhere to turn around.

[US71]

AHTD, the last section between I 49 North LA. state line And Hwy 549 will be complete sometime this Summer. Will the Approval of designating of I 49 in Arkansas be in time to be signed as such? Have any updates on how that is going?

Gordon-


We are still working on the application to FHWA to request the re-designation. If the last bit is complete before then, it will be signed SH 549. We will not open this last segment until Louisiana is at the line, otherwise it's a road that abruptly stops with nowhere to turn around.

I thought Louisiana has already finished at the state line?

[AHTD]

Not sure where they are at this time. There is some part of the Shreveport to the state line that is still under construction too. Perhaps it's all wrapped up now?