Interstate 49 in Arkansas
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2021) |
I-49 highlighted in red, AR 549 highlighted in blue | ||||
Route information | ||||
Existed | 2014–present | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Southern segment | ||||
South end | ![]() | |||
Major intersections | ||||
North end | ![]() ![]() | |||
Northern segment | ||||
South end | ![]() ![]() | |||
Major intersections |
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North end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Arkansas | |||
Counties | Miller; Sebastian; Crawford, Washington, Benton | |||
Highway system | ||||
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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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/I-540_and_US_71_run_in_Fayetteville.jpg/220px-I-540_and_US_71_run_in_Fayetteville.jpg)
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
![]() | This section is missing mileposts for junctions. |
State | County | Location | mi[19] | km | Exit [20][21][22][23] [24] | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | Miller | | 0.00 | 0.00 | ![]() ![]() | Continuation into Louisiana | |
| 4.27 | 6.87 | 4 | ![]() | |||
| 7.15 | 11.51 | 6 | ![]() | |||
| 16.73 | 26.92 | 16 | ![]() | |||
| 18.34 | 29.52 | 18 | North Fouke Road | |||
Ferguson Crossroads | 23.93 | 38.51 | 24 | ![]() | |||
| 26.58 | 42.78 | 26 | ![]() | |||
Texarkana | 28.87– 29.72 | 46.46– 47.83 | 29A | ![]() | Northbound exit only | ||
29B | ![]() ![]() | Exit number not signed southbound | |||||
29 | ![]() | No northbound exit | |||||
31.19 | 50.20 | 31 | ![]() | ||||
32.42– 33.12 | 52.17– 53.30 | 32 | ![]() | To US 67 south | |||
33.66 | 54.17 | — | ![]() | Closed | |||
34.59 | 55.67 | 35 | Four States Fair Parkway / Arkansas Boulevard | Former AR 245 north; to US 67 north | |||
36.64 | 58.97 | 37 | ![]() | Signed as exits 37A (east) and 37B (west); I-30 exit 3 | |||
| 39.95 | 64.29 | 41 | Sanderson Lane | |||
Arkansas–Texas line | 41.49 | 66.77 | 42 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Temporary northern end; exit number not signed; all northbound traffic must exit | ||
Texas | Bowie | | 44 | ![]() ![]() | Proposed | ||
| 46 | CR 2320 (Hush Puppy Road) | Proposed | ||||
Arkansas | Little River | Red River | Bridge | ||||
| 51 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 55 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 57 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Wilton | 60 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Sevier | | 84 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Proposed | |||
| 93 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Polk | Grannis | 98 | ![]() | Proposed | |||
| 102 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 108 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 121 | Mena | Proposed | ||||
| 126 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 132 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Scott | "Y" City | 143 | ![]() ![]() | Proposed | |||
| 157 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 160 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 165 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Mansfield | 171 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
Sebastian | | 175 | ![]() | Proposed | |||
| 183 | ![]() | Proposed | ||||
| 0.00 | 0.00 | 187 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Opened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549;[14] temporary southern end of AR 549; all southbound traffic must exit | ||
Fort Smith | 3.04 | 4.89 | 190 | Massard Road | Opened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549[14] | ||
4.47 | 7.19 | 191 | Roberts Boulevard | Opened on July 14, 2015 as AR 549[14] | |||
Barling | 6.49 | 10.44 | 193 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | 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 River | Bridge | ||||||
Crawford | | 196 | ![]() ![]() | Proposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026 | |||
Kibler | 202 | Clear Creek Road – Kibler | Proposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026 | ||||
| 204 | ![]() | Proposed Interchange starts late fall 2022 or early spring 2023 and should be completed by late winter 2025 or early spring 2026 | ||||
| 19.23 | 30.95 | 20 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | 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 | ||
Alma | 20.31 | 32.69 | 21 | Collum Lane future exit 210 | |||
| 23.67 | 38.09 | 24 | ![]() | |||
| 29.10 | 46.83 | 29 | ![]() | Access via AR 282S | ||
| 33.53 | 53.96 | 34 | ![]() | |||
Washington | | 41.14– 41.44 | 66.21– 66.69 | Bobby Hopper Tunnel | |||
Winslow | 44.99 | 72.40 | 45 | ![]() | |||
West Fork | 52.78 | 84.94 | 53 | ![]() ![]() | |||
Greenland | 57.88 | 93.15 | 58 | Greenland future exit 244 | |||
Fayetteville | 60.50 | 97.37 | 60 | ![]() ![]() | No northbound entrance future exit 246 | ||
61.98 | 99.75 | 61 | ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 71 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
61.98 | 99.75 | 62 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of US 62 / AR 16 concurrency future 248 | |||
63.79 | 102.66 | 64 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of AR 16 concurrency future exit 250 | |||
64.74 | 104.19 | 65 | Porter Road future exit 251 | ||||
66.96 | 107.76 | 67A | ![]() | Access to the University of Arkansas future exit 253A | |||
67.43 | 108.52 | 67B | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange opened around November 2017; access to Washington Regional Medical Center and Fayetteville Historic District | |||
Johnson | 69.88 | 112.46 | 69 | Johnson Mill Boulevard future exit 255 | |||
Springdale | 70.97 | 114.22 | 70 | Don Tyson Parkway future exit 256 | Opened July 7, 2014[25] | ||
72.45 | 116.60 | 72 | ![]() | ||||
73.86 | 118.87 | 73 | Elm Springs Road future exit 259 | ||||
Benton | | 76.15 | 122.55 | 76 | Wagon Wheel Road future exit 262 | ||
Lowell | 77.55 | 124.80 | 77 | ![]() | First section opened on April 30, 2018 future exit 263 | ||
78.90 | 126.98 | 78 | ![]() ![]() | Access to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport future exit 264 | |||
Rogers | 81.01 | 130.37 | 81 | Pleasant Grove Road future exit 267 | |||
82.79 | 133.24 | 82 | Promenade Boulevard/West Pauline Whittaker Parkway future exit 268 | ||||
83.90 | 135.02 | 83 | Pinnacle Hills Parkway/West New Hope Road future exit 269 | ||||
Rogers–Bentonville line | 85.30 | 137.28 | 85 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern end of AR 12 concurrency future exit 271 | ||
Bentonville | 86.80 | 139.69 | 86 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 62 / AR 12 concurrency future exit 272 | ||
87.29 | 140.48 | 87 | 8th Street future exit 273 | ||||
88.81 | 142.93 | 88 | ![]() ![]() | 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] | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern end of US 71 concurrency; former northern end of I-49 until October 1, 2021; former southern end of AR 549[26] | |||||
Hiwasse | 99[22][23][24] | ![]() | |||||
| 102[22][23][24] | ||||||
| 104[22][23][24] | ![]() | Former northern end of AR 549 | ||||
| ![]() ![]() | Continuation into Missouri | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
References
- ^ "Loop 245 Named For Prissy Hickerson". KTBS-TV. July 23, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1998). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1205. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
- ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1999). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1411. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Arkansas Highway 549 To Open To Traffic Wednesday". www.ualrpublicradio.org. Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
- ^ "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.
- ^ kmcclintock@joplinglobe.com, Kevin McClintock |. "Final phase of Bella Vista Bypass under construction". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Barker, Kimberly (March 30, 2021). "Missouri's section of Bella Vista Bypass scheduled for completion in fall". Joplin Globe. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "I-49 Bella Vista bypass now complete". Fayetteville Flyer. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ "Decades-long Bella Vista Bypass project opens today". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Suhr, Robert (July 23, 2021). "Plans For I-49 extension in River Valley move ahead". Fort Smith, Arkansas: KHBS-TV. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Site work expected to begin on I-49 extension to Barling in the Fall". Arkansas Online. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
- ^ "ARDOT announces next phase of River Valley I-49 extension underway". KNWA FOX24. 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Suhr, Robert (2021-07-23). "Plans For I-49 extension in River Valley move ahead". KHBS. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ Route and Section Maps (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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).
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: External link in
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- ^ a b c d e "Re: I-49 in Arkansas". AARoads Forum. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ a b c d e "I 49 BVB Northbound". YouTube. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ a b c d e "I 49 BVB Southbound". YouTube. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
External links
Media related to Interstate 49 in Arkansas at Wikimedia Commons