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[Grzrd]

AHTD has posted the Preliminary 2013-16 STIP on its website.

edit - I changed title of this thread to create a catch-all thread for "smaller" Arkansas topics that might be similar to the "state name" threads elsewhere in this Forum.  The Preliminary STIP seems to be appropriate for such a thread.

[Grzrd]

Move Arkansas Forward has a Proposed Constitutional Fact Sheet #1 that lists by region the four-lane highway projects that would be supported by the half-cent sales tax to be voted on in November (pages 6-7/88 of pdf; pages 4-5 of document):

Four-Lane Projects of Regional Significance
South Arkansas
• Completion of widening US Hwy 425 to four lanes from Hamburg to the Louisiana line
• Completion of widening US Hwy 167 to four lanes between I-530 and El Dorado
• Beginning the widening of US Hwy 82 to four lanes between Magnolia and El Dorado
Central Arkansas
• Completion of widening I-40 to six lanes between Little Rock and Conway
• Widening of US Hwy 70 to four lanes between I-30 and Hot Springs
• Completion of widening US Hwy 64 to four lanes between Conway and Beebe
• Completion of widening US Hwy 67 to six lanes from Jacksonville to Cabot
• Improvements to I-30 connecting Little Rock and North Little Rock, including widening the I-30 Arkansas River Bridge (120,000 cars a day)
• Continuation of widening US Hwy 270 to four lanes from Hot Springs westward
Northwest Arkansas
• Widening I-540 to six lanes between Fayetteville and Bentonville
• Completion of the initial two lanes of the ultimate four lanes of the Bella Vista bypass
• Beginning four-lane construction of the US Hwy 412 Springdale bypass from I-540 to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) connector
Northeast Arkansas
• Completion of widening US Hwy 412 to four lanes between Paragould and Walnut Ridge
East Arkansas
• Continuation of widening US Hwy 49 to four lanes from Brinkley southward toward Helena-West Helena

I-49 is well-represented with the I-540 widening and the BVB in Northwest Arkansas. No I-69 projects are listed in South Arkansas; it looks like a major effort is underway to upgrade the US 82 corridor first (it looks like the US 425 project would include an overlap with US 82).

[bugo]

• Widening of US Hwy 70 to four lanes between I-30 and Hot Springs

This is badly needed.  The current route is curvy and 2 lanes with alternate passing lanes (welfare Missouri "4 lane.")  Hopefully they'll straighten out some of the curves but I doubt they will.  This road needs to be built as a divided route, but I'm guessing that AHTD will simply build a 5 lane undivided road along the current alignment.

• Continuation of widening US Hwy 270 to four lanes from Hot Springs westward

This one is needed as well.  It will be difficult to widen some of 270, as it runs through the side of a hill near an arm of Lake Hamilton and either the hill will have to be cut out further or the road will have to be built up to the north.  I am guessing that the next stage of construction will end at the Lake Hamilton/Ouachita River bridge, which is already 4 lanes.  Hopefully the new road will be 5 lanes instead of 4 lanes (there's no chance that it will be divided) because there are a lot of roads and driveways along this stretch of highway.

I-49 is well-represented with the I-540 widening and the BVB in Northwest Arkansas. No I-69 projects are listed in South Arkansas; it looks like a major effort is underway to upgrade the US 82 corridor first (it looks like the US 425 project would include an overlap with US 82).

No mention of the Monticello Bypass?  The eastern half is shown on the 2012 Arkansas road map as being under construction, while the western half is shown as proposed.

[M86]

Thank you for the update...

The AHTD website is absolutely ridiculous. 

As always, glad to see the Little Rock area is represented well.  Of Course.  Awesome... that whole "most Interstate miles per capita" still hasn't set in.

Do the AHTD look at traffic counts/accident reports?  I mean really... Is that a factor for them?  *chirp, chirp*

[bjrush]

Talked to Scott Bennett this evening. I asked if he would consider shrinking the highway system to a more appropriate size and he said it has been strongly considered. He said there has been a small effort to make "deals" with counties such as "we put in a pricy bridge, you take over x miles of light traffic roads". Of course, he was also concerned with the politics involved of trying to take away people's state highways.

At least he understands the system needs to shrink. He also mentioned how important maintenance of the system is vs new construction. A very nice guy

[bassoon1986]

Wow, US 425 upgrade! There was a 4 laning of a road to nowhere on the LA side when AR used to say they definitely wouldn't widen the highway but I'm sure the I-69 projects helped to decide this one

[roadman65]

I see that the 245 Loop around the east end of Texarkana is being connected to I-30 with a new alignment.  I am guessing that I-49 will use the east end of the loop rather than the Texas side.

 I was  just there and everything looks great!  I did not get to see the east side of town, as I went around the US 59 side and saw the new fully directional flyovers at the I-30 interchange with US 59.

[Scott5114]

Talked to Scott Bennett this evening. I asked if he would consider shrinking the highway system to a more appropriate size and he said it has been strongly considered. He said there has been a small effort to make "deals" with counties such as "we put in a pricy bridge, you take over x miles of light traffic roads". Of course, he was also concerned with the politics involved of trying to take away people's state highways.

At least he understands the system needs to shrink. He also mentioned how important maintenance of the system is vs new construction. A very nice guy

If you talk to him again, you should point out how ridiculous it is to have eight highways with the number "74".

[bjrush]

If you talk to him again, you should point out how ridiculous it is to have eight highways with the number "74".

I actually mentioned that and he laughed and said something like "yeah there sure is some crazy stuff out there"

[US71]

I see that the 245 Loop around the east end of Texarkana is being connected to I-30 with a new alignment.  I am guessing that I-49 will use the east end of the loop rather than the Texas side.

Yes. It will cross US 59/71 near Miller County 55, then cross briefly into Texas before re-entering Arkansas near Ogden.

[agentsteel53]

If you talk to him again, you should point out how ridiculous it is to have eight highways with the number "74".

I actually mentioned that and he laughed and said something like "yeah there sure is some crazy stuff out there"

at least, they are in kind of a straight line.

still not the worst abuse of the number 74 in any given state.  North Carolina, I'm looking at you...

[US71]

If you talk to him again, you should point out how ridiculous it is to have eight highways with the number "74".

I actually mentioned that and he laughed and said something like "yeah there sure is some crazy stuff out there"

at least, they are in kind of a straight line.

still not the worst abuse of the number 74 in any given state.  North Carolina, I'm looking at you...

It's complicated. I'll have to pull put my maps, but it seems like AR 74 may have been one continuous route at one time, though with lots of multiplexes. Somewhere along the way, it got chopped up and pieces given to counties to maintain.

Then you have AR 60 which has at least 5 sections that rarely come close to connecting (except near Rudy).

[Road Hog]

If you talk to him again, you should point out how ridiculous it is to have eight highways with the number "74".

I actually mentioned that and he laughed and said something like "yeah there sure is some crazy stuff out there"

at least, they are in kind of a straight line.

still not the worst abuse of the number 74 in any given state.  North Carolina, I'm looking at you...

It's complicated. I'll have to pull put my maps, but it seems like AR 74 may have been one continuous route at one time, though with lots of multiplexes. Somewhere along the way, it got chopped up and pieces given to counties to maintain.

Then you have AR 60 which has at least 5 sections that rarely come close to connecting (except near Rudy).

Also Highway 88, which just about crosses the state if you connect all the segments.

[US71]

Also Highway 88, which just about crosses the state if you connect all the segments.

I think it would only go from the OK Line to Hot Springs.

Then you have three (or four on a technicality) 45's, which actually was one continuous route at one time

[msunat97]

Info on the proposal to increase the sales tax in Arkansas to pay for road projects...link included.

http://www.arkansashighways.com/2012_hcstax/issue_1.aspx

[bugo]

They need to raise the taxes.  I-49 is sorely needed, and fatalities will continue to pile up on US 71 until they finish I-49.  Some of the completed interstates are falling apart as well.  I-69 isn't that big of a priority to me.

[bjrush]

They need to raise the taxes.

Not a popular line with politicians these days

[mcdonaat]

I would love for US 425 to be constructed as a controlled-access highway where it passes through forest, bumping up the speed limit to 70 MPH.

[Grzrd]

TRIP, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit, has issued a report, The Top 40 Transportation Projects to Support Economic Growth and Quality of Life in Arkansas. The list includes 20 miles of the I-69 Monticello Bypass, completion of I-49 from Doddridge to the Louisiana state line, and completion of two lanes of the Bella Vista Bypass.

[cjk374]

I took a trip to North Arkansas last weekend.  It's been awhile since I've driven on the roads I was on, and made some notable observations:

1)  US 167 is greatly improved with more 4-lane running south of Little Rock, and the 60 m.p.h. speed limit on the 5-lane rural portions.  Definitely made the trip home quicker.   

2)  On US 63 north of El Dorado (ex-AR 15 between El Dorado & Pine Bluff), there has been a flood of clearview on it's control point mileage signs, and the new signs put up to label ALL of the creeks flowing under the bridges.

3)  The new 4-lane divided stretch of US 167 in El Dorado now has AR 7 signs running concurrent with US 167 (another great change   ), but the signs stop showing up south of US 82.  What's funny:  there are no US 63 signs on the new stretch on the south-bound lanes from the Warren exit to US 82.   

4)  The Ouachita River "dump" on US 167 is now a 60 m.p.h. 5-lane miracle...never thought I would see this improvement.   

[US71]

I took a trip to North Arkansas last weekend.  It's been awhile since I've driven on the roads I was on, and made some notable observations:

1)  US 167 is greatly improved with more 4-lane running south of Little Rock, and the 60 m.p.h. speed limit on the 5-lane rural portions.  Definitely made the trip home quicker.   

2)  On US 63 north of El Dorado (ex-AR 15 between El Dorado & Pine Bluff), there has been a flood of clearview on it's control point mileage signs, and the new signs put up to label ALL of the creeks flowing under the bridges.

3)  The new 4-lane divided stretch of US 167 in El Dorado now has AR 7 signs running concurrent with US 167 (another great change   ), but the signs stop showing up south of US 82.  What's funny:  there are no US 63 signs on the new stretch on the south-bound lanes from the Warren exit to US 82.   

4)  The Ouachita River "dump" on US 167 is now a 60 m.p.h. 5-lane miracle...never thought I would see this improvement.   

Any signs of progress on the Sheridan Bypass?

[cjk374]

They don't seem to lack much. It looks like all they need to do is tie it in to US 167 on the north & south ends.  It looked like the bypass will be a 4-land divided road.

[Grzrd]

Move Arkansas Forward has a Proposed Constitutional Fact Sheet #1 that lists by region the four-lane highway projects that would be supported by the half-cent sales tax to be voted on in November (pages 6-7/88 of pdf; pages 4-5 of document):

Four-Lane Projects of Regional Significance
South Arkansas
• Completion of widening US Hwy 425 to four lanes from Hamburg to the Louisiana line
• Completion of widening US Hwy 167 to four lanes between I-530 and El Dorado
• Beginning the widening of US Hwy 82 to four lanes between Magnolia and El Dorado
Central Arkansas
• Completion of widening I-40 to six lanes between Little Rock and Conway
• Widening of US Hwy 70 to four lanes between I-30 and Hot Springs
• Completion of widening US Hwy 64 to four lanes between Conway and Beebe
• Completion of widening US Hwy 67 to six lanes from Jacksonville to Cabot
• Improvements to I-30 connecting Little Rock and North Little Rock, including widening the I-30 Arkansas River Bridge (120,000 cars a day)
• Continuation of widening US Hwy 270 to four lanes from Hot Springs westward
Northwest Arkansas
• Widening I-540 to six lanes between Fayetteville and Bentonville
• Completion of the initial two lanes of the ultimate four lanes of the Bella Vista bypass
• Beginning four-lane construction of the US Hwy 412 Springdale bypass from I-540 to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) connector
Northeast Arkansas
• Completion of widening US Hwy 412 to four lanes between Paragould and Walnut Ridge
East Arkansas
• Continuation of widening US Hwy 49 to four lanes from Brinkley southward toward Helena-West Helena

This article reports that Issue No.1 was approved by the voters:

Arkansas ballot Issue No. 1 has been approved by voters.
With 63-percent of the vote counted, the measure was passing 58-percent to 42-percent.

[bjrush]

Arkansas ballot Issue No. 1 has been approved by voters.

 

[US71]

Arkansas ballot Issue No. 1 has been approved by voters.
With 63-percent of the vote counted, the measure was passing 58-percent to 42-percent.

I really hope AHTD spends the money on the projects they have promised and not waste it on pet projects.