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Interstate 49 in Arkansas

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This article is about the section of Interstate 49 in Arkansas. For the entire route, see Interstate 49.

Interstate 49 marker

Interstate 49

Map
I-49 highlighted in red, AR 549 highlighted in blue
Route information
Existed2014–present
NHSEntire route
Southern segment
South end I-49 at the Louisiana state line
Major intersections
North end US 71 / US 59 in Texarkana
Northern segment
South end I-40 / US 71 in Alma
Major intersections
North end I-49 at the Missouri state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesMiller; Sebastian; Crawford, Washington, Benton
Highway system
← AR 48→ US 49
← I-540AR 549→ I-555

Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway in the state of Arkansas. There are two main sections of the highway across different sides of the state. The southern section starts at the Louisiana state line, then runs to Texarkana, at the Texas state line. The northern section begins at I-40 and at U.S. Route 71 (US 71) in Alma, Arkansas and runs north to the Missouri state line, where the freeway continues into Missouri.

Route description

I-49 enters the state from Louisiana between Ida and Doddridge. The first interchange in Arkansas is with US 71 at exit 4. The Interstate passes near the town of Fouke, where it has another interchange with US 71. The highway enters Texarkana and has an interchange with Highway 151 and runs along the eastern portion of the Texarkana Loop. Between US 82 and US 67, I-49 passes near the Texarkana Regional Airport. The Interstate has an interchange with I-30 before leaving Texarkana. I-49 turns to the west near the Sanderson Lane exit. The Interstate terminates at US 59/US 71. In the Texarkana area, I-49 is known as the Hickerson Freeway, named after Prissy Hickerson.[1]

The Interstate begins again at exit 12 along I-40, one mile (1.6 km) west of Alma, Arkansas, continuing for over 65 miles (105 km) through Crawford, Washington, and Benton counties. It goes through the Ozark Mountains and crosses several large gorge bridges. Just north of the Crawford-Washington county line is the Bobby Hopper Tunnel which is the only large highway tunnel in Arkansas. Notable cities along the route are Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. From I-40 north to Fayetteville, I-49 runs roughly parallel to US 71. Just south of Fayetteville, I-49 combines with US 71 and US 62, forming the major expressway through the northwest Arkansas metro area. US 71 separates from I-49 just south of the Bentonville-Bella Vista city line, where it continues northwest into and through Bella Vista as Bella Vista Way, the city's main throughfare. I-49 instead continues westward then northward as the Bella Vista Bypass, running just to the south and west of the city before continuing into Missouri.

History

I-49 in Northwest Arkansas

The first portion of I-49 was completed in the late 1990s and was opened to Mountainburg, as AR 540.[citation needed] On January 8, 1999, the road was fully opened to traffic and was re-designated part of an extension of I-540, with the name "John Paul Hammerschmidt Highway", in honor of a former U.S. Representative from Arkansas.[2] Having been planned since the early 1970s,[citation needed] it created a bypass for the older US 71. The state of Arkansas had originally asked the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to allow this extension, between Fort Smith and Bentonville as I-49, to emphasize plans to extend the route from Shreveport, Louisiana, through Arkansas to Kansas City, Missouri.[3] AASHTO refused, and the route instead opened in 1999 as a northern extension of I-540.[3] However, this route would eventually be re-designated as I-49 in 2014.[4] The exit numbers are still numbered from when it was I-540.

AHTD conducted a feasibility study of adding an interchange at Highway 162 in Van Buren in 1991, with the results adopted by the Arkansas State Highway Commission in 1992.[3] The Arkansas State Highway Commission (ASHC) studied a designation for I-540 between Mountainburg and Fayetteville as an Arkansas Scenic Byway in a meeting on November 17, 1998.[citation needed] One of the requirements of designation is "an active organization composed of various private and governmental groups, businesses, and agencies who are interested in preservation, enhancement, marketing, and development of the route's scenic, cultural, recreational, and historic qualities". The ASHC deemed that since the highway was a new location route, it did not have sufficient businesses to satisfy the requirement, so the ASHC deemed itself a partner organization and proceeded with a designation study.[5] The route was added to the scenic byway system the following year.[6]

I-49 between I-30 and US 71 was finished in May 2013. The route to the Louisiana border was completed and opened on November 10, 2014.[7] The route to the Missouri border was completed and opened on October 1, 2021.

Arkansas Highway 549

Highway 549 is a temporary designation ArDOT is currently using to designate opened sections of freeway that have not yet officially become part of I-49. There are three instances in which ArDOT has used this designation.

The first section of road to be designated as Highway 549 is now the section of I-49 in the southern part of the state. Highway 549 was first opened to traffic in December 2004 as a 29.49-mile (47.46 km) route between Texarkana and Fouke.[citation needed] A second section, between Fouke, and Doddridge, opened on October 21, 2005.[citation needed] A third section between Arkansas Boulevard in Texarkana and U.S. Highway 71 north of Texarkana opened on May 15, 2013.[8] A fourth section 14 miles (23 km) long opened on November 10, 2014, when it officially became part of I-49.[7] At its final length, it was 41.94 miles (67.50 km).

The second section of road to be designated as Highway 549 was the Bella Vista Bypass in the northern part of the state. The Bella Vista Bypass was first opened to traffic on April 22, 2014 as a 3-mile (4.8 km) two-lane expressway bypassing Hiwasse, now part of the town of Gravette.[9] The route was eventually extended to Rocky Dell Hollow Road west of Bella Vista on May 13, 2015,[citation needed] and I-49/US 71 in Bentonville on August 5, 2017.[citation needed] The Bella Vista Bypass was planned to be expanded to four lanes, connect directly into I-49 at its south end, and extend north into Missouri, having an interchange with Missouri Route 90 and rejoining I-49 near Pineville, Missouri. The Bella Vista Bypass was eventually upgraded to a conventional four-lane highway.[citation needed] The groundbreaking on the final section between Rocky Dell Hollow Road and the Missouri state line occurred on October 15, 2019.[10] The bypass opened to traffic on October 1, 2021, following a ceremonial ribbon cutting on September 30, per ArDOT. With that, I-49 is now continuous from Kansas City, Missouri, to Fort Smith, Arkansas.[11][12] Additionally, as part of the project, the interchange with US 71/US 71B on the southern end of the 19-mile (31 km) bypass was reconstructed from a trumpet interchange into a single-point urban interchange, the first interchange of its type in Arkansas. The interchange was temporarily reconfigured as a roundabout interchange during construction on the bypass.[13]

The third section of road to be designated as Highway 549 is a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) orphaned section bypassing Fort Smith. The section, which runs between US 71 and Arkansas Highways 22 and 255, opened to traffic following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 14, 2015.[14]

Future

Eventually, I-49 will cross the entire state. It will cross into Texas for about 5 to 10 miles (8.0 to 16.1 km) and then cross over a not-yet-built bridge across the Red River into Arkansas. It will eventually reach De Queen, Arkansas, in the near future. It will then run near the western border of the state from De Queen to Fort Smith.

This stretch has been broken down into several smaller sections: the southernmost section from the Louisiana state line to Doddridge (already completed and opened), Doddridge to the Arkansas–Texas state line (eventually completed on November 10, 2014), the US 71 relocation (planned project, one part (6.5 miles [10.5 km]) opened in 2015 as Highway 549), an approximately 13.6-mile (21.9 km) stretch near Fort Smith (now in the planning stages), part of Interstate 540 (previously completed in 1999 and later signed as Interstate 49 in June 2014).

The stretch near Fort Smith is now funded because voters passed Issue 1, the Connecting Arkansas Program (permanent extension of 0.5-cent road tax approved in 2012). It would have lasted for ten years (until June 30, 2023). At that time, it raised $1.8 billion. The annual impact for one year: an estimated $300 million. $270 million ($27 million annually) would be needed to finish I-49 in ten years (assuming up to 90% federal match). According to the head engineer at ARDOT for Fort Smith's district, construction on the Arkansas River bridge near Barling will not occur for the next few years. The estimated cost of this stretch is at $787 million, including the bridge over the Arkansas River ($300-$400 million). This segment needs to be reevaluated because the approval was issued in December 1997 and has since essentially expired. [15]This likely means that the section from Fort Smith to Texarkana (approved at the same time also) will also need to be reevaluated. This is planned to be built two lanes at a time.[citation needed]

In July 2021, ArDOT announced that they will be progressing to the next phase of development on the 13.6-mile (21.9 km) segment between Highway 22 in Barling (project start point) and I-49 in Alma (project end point). The segment will connect to the existing AR 549 on the northern end. They announced that work will begin in fall 2022 and are hoping to have project completed by the end of the 2020s decade.[16] The department is also cooperating with the Federal Highway Administration on this project. ArDot has mentioned that after this project, they may work on extending to I-49 southwards to Y City.[17][18]

Proposed southern extension of Arkansas 549 Future I-49 as a super two lane expressway starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026

Exit list

StateCountyLocationmi[19]kmExit
[20][21][22][23] [24]		DestinationsNotes
ArkansasMiller​0.000.00
 I-49 south – Shreveport		Continuation into Louisiana
​4.276.874 US 71 – Doddridge
​7.1511.516 CR 197
​16.7326.9216 US 71 – Fouke
​18.3429.5218North Fouke Road
Ferguson Crossroads23.9338.5124 CR 10 – Ferguson
​26.5842.7826 AR 237
Texarkana28.87–
29.72		46.46–
47.83		29A US 71 – TexarkanaNorthbound exit only
29B
 AR 151 to US 59 – Dallas, Houston		Exit number not signed southbound
29 US 71 – TexarkanaNo northbound exit
31.1950.2031 AR 196 (Genoa Road)
32.42–
33.12		52.17–
53.30		32 US 82 (9th Street) / 19th StreetTo US 67 south
33.6654.17— US 67 – TexarkanaClosed
34.5955.6735Four States Fair Parkway / Arkansas BoulevardFormer AR 245 north; to US 67 north
36.6458.9737 I-30 – Texarkana, Dallas, Hope, Little RockSigned as exits 37A (east) and 37B (west); I-30 exit 3
​39.9564.2941Sanderson Lane
Arkansas–Texas line41.4966.7742
 I-49 ends (US 59) / US 71 – Texarkana, Ashdown, Fort Smith		Temporary northern end; exit number not signed; all northbound traffic must exit
TexasBowie​44
 I-369 south – Houston		Proposed
​46CR 2320 (Hush Puppy Road)Proposed
ArkansasLittle RiverRed RiverBridge
​51 CR 23Proposed
​55 AR 32B – AshdownProposed
​57 AR 108Proposed
Wilton60 AR 234 – WiltonProposed
Sevier​84 US 59 / US 70 / US 71 / US 371 – De QueenProposed
​93 CR 41 (Tower Road) – GillhamProposed
PolkGrannis98 CR 3 – GrannisProposed
​102 US 278 – WickesProposed
​108 AR 246 – VandervoortProposed
​121MenaProposed
​126 AR 88 – MenaProposed
​132 CR 70Proposed
Scott"Y" City143 US 71 / US 270Proposed
​157 AR 80 – WaldronProposed
​160 AR 28Proposed
​165 AR 378Proposed
Mansfield171 US 71 – MansfieldProposed
Sebastian​175 US 71 – HuntingtonProposed
​183 AR 10 – GreenwoodProposed
​0.000.00187
 AR 549 ends / US 71		Opened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549;[14] temporary southern end of AR 549; all southbound traffic must exit
Fort Smith3.044.89190Massard RoadOpened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549[14]
4.477.19191Roberts BoulevardOpened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549[14]
Barling6.4910.44193
 AR 549 ends (Fort Street) / AR 22		Opened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549;[14] temporary northern end of AR 549; all northbound traffic must exit; Proposed northern extension of Arkansas 549 Future I-49 as a super two lane expressway starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026
Arkansas RiverBridge
Crawford​196
 To AR 59 / Gun Club Road		Proposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026
Kibler202Clear Creek Road – KiblerProposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026
​204 AR 162 – AlmaProposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026
​19.2330.9520
 I-49 ends (US 71) / I-40 – Van Buren, Fort Smith, Alma, Little Rock		I-40 exit 12; signed as exits 20A (east) and 20B (west), future exit 206; temporary southern end; from here northward, exit signs retain the same exit numbers from I-49's previous designation as I-540; Proposed southern extension of Arkansas 549 Future I-49 as a super two lane expressway starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026
Alma20.3132.6921Collum Lane future exit 210
​23.6738.0924 AR 282 – Rudy future exit 211
​29.1046.8329 AR 282 – Mountainburg future exit 215Access via AR 282S
​33.5353.9634 AR 282 – Chester future exit 220
Washington​41.14–
41.44		66.21–
66.69		Bobby Hopper Tunnel
Winslow44.9972.4045 AR 74 – Winslow future exit 231
West Fork52.7884.9453 AR 170 / AR 156 – West Fork future exit 239
Greenland57.8893.1558Greenland future exit 244
Fayetteville60.5097.3760 AR 265 (Razorback Road) / AR 112 (Cato Springs Road)No northbound entrance future exit 246
61.9899.7561
 US 71 south – Fayetteville future exit 247		Southern end of US 71 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
61.9899.7562

 US 62 west / AR 16 east (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard / AR 16 east) / AR 180 / AR 45		Southern end of US 62 / AR 16 concurrency future 248
63.79102.6664

 AR 16 west / AR 112S east (Wedington Drive)		Northern end of AR 16 concurrency future exit 250
64.74104.1965Porter Road future exit 251
66.96107.7667A AR 112 (Garland Avenue)Access to the University of Arkansas future exit 253A
67.43108.5267B
 US 71B north / North Fulbright Expressway future exit 253B		Interchange opened around November 2017; access to Washington Regional Medical Center and Fayetteville Historic District
Johnson69.88112.4669Johnson Mill Boulevard future exit 255
Springdale70.97114.2270Don Tyson Parkway future exit 256Opened July 7, 2014[25]
72.45116.6072 US 412 (Sunset Avenue) future exit 258
73.86118.8773Elm Springs Road future exit 259
Benton​76.15122.5576Wagon Wheel Road future exit 262
Lowell77.55124.8077 AR 612 (Springdale Northern Bypass) – Elm Springs, Cave SpringsFirst section opened on April 30, 2018 future exit 263
78.90126.9878 AR 264 (West Monroe Avenue)Access to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport future exit 264
Rogers81.01130.3781Pleasant Grove Road future exit 267
82.79133.2482Promenade Boulevard/West Pauline Whittaker Parkway future exit 268
83.90135.0283Pinnacle Hills Parkway/West New Hope Road future exit 269
Rogers–Bentonville line85.30137.2885

 US 71B north / AR 12 west (SE Walton Boulevard)

 US 71B south (W. Walnut Street)		Southern end of AR 12 concurrency future exit 271
Bentonville86.80139.6986

 US 62 / AR 12 east (Hudson Road) / AR 102 west (SE 14th Street)		Northern end of US 62 / AR 12 concurrency future exit 272
87.29140.48878th Street future exit 273
88.81142.9388
 AR 72 east (E. Central Avenue)		Last exit of I-49's previous designation of I-540; split into exits 88A (east) and 88B (west) northbound; future exit 274
93[22][23][24]

 US 71 north / US 71B south (N. Walton Boulevard)		Northern end of US 71 concurrency; former northern end of I-49 until October 1, 2021; former southern end of AR 549[26]
Hiwasse99[22][23][24] AR 72
​102[22][23][24]
​104[22][23][24] CR 34 (Rocky Dell Hollow Road)Former northern end of AR 549
​
 I-49 north – Joplin		Continuation into Missouri
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ "Loop 245 Named For Prissy Hickerson". KTBS-TV. July 23, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  2. ^ Gerhardt, Kara (January 8, 1999). "Secretary Slater Joins in Dedication of Final Segment of Arkansas' I-540" (Press release). United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 2, 2009 – via The Crittenden Automotive Library.
  3. ^ a b c Arkansas State Highway Commission (January 22, 1991). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. pp. 199, 868. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "First Section of Bella Vista Bypass Opened: New I-49 Signs Going Up on Old I-540". Arkansas Online. 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  5. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1998). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1205. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  6. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1999). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1411. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Vitrano, Amy (November 10, 2014). "New section of I-49 opens, connects Shreveport to Texarkana". KTBS-TV. KTBS-TV. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "Arkansas Highway 549 To Open To Traffic Wednesday". www.ualrpublicradio.org. Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  9. ^ "First Section of Bella Vista Bypass Now Open". Arkansas Matters. Little Rock, AR: KARK-TV. April 22, 2014. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  10. ^ kmcclintock@joplinglobe.com, Kevin McClintock |. "Final phase of Bella Vista Bypass under construction". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  11. ^ Barker, Kimberly (March 30, 2021). "Missouri's section of Bella Vista Bypass scheduled for completion in fall". Joplin Globe. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "I-49 Bella Vista bypass now complete". Fayetteville Flyer. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  13. ^ "Decades-long Bella Vista Bypass project opens today". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e Marney, Meridith (July 14, 2015). "Leaders Dedicate Highway 549 At Chaffee Crossing". KFSM-TV. KFSM-TV. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  15. ^ Suhr, Robert (July 23, 2021). "Plans For I-49 extension in River Valley move ahead". Fort Smith, Arkansas: KHBS-TV. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Site work expected to begin on I-49 extension to Barling in the Fall". Arkansas Online. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  17. ^ "ARDOT announces next phase of River Valley I-49 extension underway". KNWA FOX24. 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  18. ^ Suhr, Robert (2021-07-23). "Plans For I-49 extension in River Valley move ahead". KHBS. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  19. ^ Route and Section Maps (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  20. ^ Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department Planning and Research Division (2014). State Highway Map (Map) (2014–15 ed.). Little Rock: Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. §§ A2–D2, H2–J2.
  21. ^ Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (n.d.). Map of Proposed I-49 (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Sheets 1, 2, and 3 (PDF). {{cite map}}: External link in |sheets= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Re: I-49 in Arkansas". AARoads Forum. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  23. ^ a b c d e "I 49 BVB Northbound". YouTube. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  24. ^ a b c d e "I 49 BVB Southbound". YouTube. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  25. ^ Caraway, Steve (July 3, 2014). "Springdale's Tyson Interchange to Open Month Early: Work Will Create Easy Access to Ballpark Development Area". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  26. ^ Gilker, Kathryn (May 10, 2017). "New Portion Of I-49 Bypass Complete In Bella Vista". 5 News Online. Fort Smith, AR: KFSM-TV. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
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Interstate 49
Previous state:
Louisiana 		Arkansas Next state:
Texas
Previous state:
Texas 		Next state:
Missouri
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