Interstate 49 in Arkansas

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Interstate 49
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap I-49 highlighted in red, SR 549 in magenta, future section in blue
Route information
Existed	March 28, 2014[citation needed]–present
Southern Arkansas segment
South end	I-49 at the Louisiana state line
Major junctions	I-30 in Texarkana
North end	US 71 / US 59 in Texarkana
Northern Arkansas segment
South end	I-40 / US 71 in Alma
Major junctions	US 62 in Fayetteville US 412 in Springdale US 62 in Rogers
North end	US 71 / AR 549 in Bella Vista
Location
Counties	Miller; Sebastian; Crawford, Washington, Benton
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage ← AR 48 → US 49 ← I-540 AR 549 → I-555

Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway in the state of Arkansas. There are two main sections of the highway, split by construction. The northern section begins at I-40 and at U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) in Alma, Arkansas and runs north to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where the freeway terminates, awaiting completion of the Bella Vista Bypass. The second, southern section starts at the Louisiana state line, then runs to Texarkana, at the Texas state line.

Route description[]

Interstate 49 enters the state from Louisiana between Ida and Doddridge. The first interchange in Arkansas is with U.S. Route 71 at exit 4. The interstate passes near the town of Fouke, where it has another interchange with US 71. The interstate enters Texarkana and has an interchange with Highway 151 and runs along the eastern portion of the Texarkana Loop. Between U.S. Route 82 and U.S. Route 67, I-49 passes near the Texarkana Regional Airport. The interstate has an interchange with Interstate 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. 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 Highway 71. Just south of Fayetteville, I-49 combines with Highways 71 and 62, forming the major expressway through the northwest Arkansas metro area. I-49 ends where the expressway also ends, just north of Bentonville, where it becomes US 71 and the main street of Bella Vista, Bella Vista Way. Interstate 49 through the Ozark Mountains crosses several large gorge bridges.

History[]

I-49 in Northwest Arkansas

The first portion of I-49 was completed in the late 1990s and was opened to Mountainburg, Arkansas as AR 540.^{[citation needed]} On January 8, 1999, the road was fully opened to traffic and was re-designated Interstate 540 and also was designated as "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 Highway 71.

The state of Arkansas originally asked AASHTO to allow the interstate segment between Fort Smith and Bentonville to be named I-49, to emphasize plans to extend the route from Shreveport, Louisiana through Arkansas to Kansas City, Missouri.^[3] AASHTO refused, and the route opened in 1999 as a northern extension of I-540.^[3] 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.^[4] The route was added to the scenic byway system the following year.^[5]

In June 2014, Interstate 540 was re-designated as Interstate 49 between I-40 in Alma and US-71B in Bentonville just south of the Missouri border. I-49 was completed from I-30 to US 71 was finished in May 2013.^{[citation needed]} The route to the Louisiana border was completed and opened on November 10, 2014.^[6]

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.^[7] A fourth section 14 miles (23 km) long opened on November 10, 2014, when it officially became part of I-49.^[6] At its final length, it was 41.94 miles (67.50 km).

The second section of road to be designated as Highway 549 is 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.^[8] 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 is 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 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.^[9]

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 to-be-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. A bypass of Bella Vista will connect the longest stretch of I-49 to Highway 549 as well as to the completed road in Missouri.

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 13.7-mile (22.0 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) and the Arkansas portion of the Bella Vista bypass (currently under construction and is 89% complete) all the way to the Missouri state line.

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. ^[10]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]}

The Arkansas portion of the Bella Vista Bypass could be completed by late 2021 or early 2022 (due to funding issues on Missouri's end that were later resolved through a $25 million grant). The missing parts are: 2.868 miles (4.616 km) of roadway (including a single point urban interchange) to replace the current roundabout located at AR 549/I-49/US 71 ($66.6 million), 2.557 miles (4.115 km) of new four-lane roadway (mainlanes and structures) running from Benton County Road 34 to the Arkansas–Missouri state line ($35.5 million) and two lanes of roadway and structures (8.745 miles [14.074 km], three pieces total) running from Benton County Road 34 to the new interchange (four total once complete); this however was awarded first (November 20, 2017) and was scheduled to be completed in late 2019. This project was awarded to Kolb Grading of St. Charles, Missouri at a cost of $27,505,530.86. Total costs (as of October 2019) were at $102.1 million (not counting the two missing lanes), with a total investment of $278 million. The contracts were awarded on July 25, 2019, while groundbreaking on these projects happened on October 15, 2019. Emory Sapp & Sons of Columbia, Missouri won the bid. This company is also handling the Missouri portion of the bypass ($58.7 million). AR 549 comes in from the west, US 71 comes in from the north and south and I-49 comes in from the south-southeast.^{[citation needed]}

Currently, the Bella Vista Bypass is a Super-2 Highway. The Bella Vista bypass will become a four-lane highway and connect to I-49 in Missouri. The bypass is on track for competition in fall 2021. Upon competition, I-49 will be continuous from Kansas City, Missouri, to Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[11]

Exit list[]

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by .

State	County	Location	mi[12]	km	Exit [13][14]	Destinations	Notes
Arkansas	Miller	​	0.00	0.00		I-49 south – Shreveport	Continuation into Louisiana
		​	4.27	6.87	4	US 71 – Doddridge
		​	7.15	11.51	6	CR 197
		​	16.73	26.92	16	US 71 – Fouke
		​	18.34	29.52	18	North Fouke Road
		Ferguson Crossroads	23.93	38.51	24	CR 10 – Ferguson
		​	26.58	42.78	26	AR 237
		Texarkana	28.87– 29.72	46.46– 47.83	29A	US 71 – Texarkana	Northbound exit only
					29B	AR 151 to US 59 – Dallas, Houston	Exit number not signed southbound
					29	US 71 – Texarkana	No northbound exit
			31.19	50.20	31	AR 196 (Genoa Road)
			32.42– 33.12	52.17– 53.30	32	US 82 (9th Street) / 19th Street	To US-67 South
			33.66	54.17	—	US 67 – Texarkana	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	I-30 – Texarkana, Dallas, Hope, Little Rock	Signed as exits 37A (east) and 37B (west); I-30 exit 3
		​	39.95	64.29	41	Sanderson Lane
Arkansas–Texas state line			41.49	66.77	42	US 71 (US 59) – Texarkana, Ashdown, Fort Smith	Temporary north end; exit number not signed; all northbound traffic must exit
Texas	Bowie	​			44	I-369 south – Houston	Proposed
		​			46	CR 2320 (Hush Puppy Road)	Proposed
Arkansas	Little River	Red River			Bridge
		​			51	CR 23	Proposed
		​			55	AR 32B – Ashdown	Proposed
		​			57	AR 108	Proposed
		Wilton			60	– Wilton	Proposed
	Sevier	​			84	US 59 / US 70 / US 71 / US 371 – De Queen	Proposed
		​			93	CR 41 (Tower Road) – Gillham	Proposed
	Polk	Grannis			98	CR 3 – Grannis	Proposed
		​			102	US 278 – Wickes	Proposed
		​			108	AR 246 – Vandervoort	Proposed
		​			121	Mena	Proposed
		​			126	AR 88 – Mena	Proposed
		​			132	CR 70	Proposed
	Scott	​			143	US 71 / US 270	Proposed
		​			157	AR 80 – Waldron	Proposed
		​			160	AR 28	Proposed
		​			165		Proposed
		Mansfield			171	US 71 – Mansfield	Proposed
	Sebastian	​			175	US 71 – Huntington	Proposed
		​			183	AR 10 – Greenwood	Proposed
		​	0.00	0.00	187	US 71	Opened on July 14, 2015 as Highway 549;[9] Temporary south end of Highway 549
		Fort Smith	3.04	4.89	190	Massard Road	Opened on July 14, 2015 as Highway 549[9]
			4.47	7.19	191	Roberts Boulevard	Opened on July 14, 2015 as Highway 549[9]
		Barling	6.49	10.44	193	AR 22 (Fort Street)	Opened on July 14, 2015 as Highway 549;[9] Temporary north end of Highway 549
	Arkansas River				Bridge
	Crawford	​			196	To AR 59 / Gun Club Road	Proposed
		Kibler			202	Clear Creek Road – Kibler	Proposed
		​			204	AR 162 – Alma	Proposed
		​	19.23	30.95	20A-B	I-40 (US 71) – Van Buren, Fort Smith, Alma, Little Rock	I-40 exit 12; Future exit 206; temporary southern end. From here northward, exit signs retain the same exit numbers from its previous designation as I-540.
		Alma	20.31	32.69	21	Collum Lane
		Rudy	23.67	38.09	24	AR 282 – Rudy
		Mountainburg	29.10	46.83	29	AR 282 – Mountainburg
		Chester	33.53	53.96	34	AR 282 – Chester
	Washington	​	41.14– 41.44	66.21– 66.69	Bobby Hopper Tunnel
		Winslow	44.99	72.40	45	AR 74 – Winslow
		West Fork	52.78	84.94	53	AR 170 / AR 156 – West Fork
		Greenland	57.88	93.15	58	Greenland
		Fayetteville	60.50	97.37	60	AR 265 (Razorback Road) / AR 112 (Cato Springs Road)	no northbound entrance
			61.98	99.75	61	US 71 south – Fayetteville	Southern end of US 71 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
			61.98	99.75	62	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
			63.79	102.66	64	AR 16 west / AR 112S east (Wedington Drive)	Northern end of AR 16 concurrency
			64.74	104.19	65	Porter Road
			66.96	107.76	67A	AR 112 (Garland Avenue) – University of Arkansas
			67.43	108.52	67B	US 71B north / North Fulbright Expressway	An interchange was opened around November 2017
		Johnson	69.88	112.46	69	Johnson Mill Boulevard
		Springdale	70.97	114.22	70	Don Tyson Parkway	Opened July 7, 2014[15]
			72.45	116.60	72	US 412 (Sunset Avenue)
			73.86	118.87	73	Elm Springs Road
	Benton	​	76.15	122.55	76	Wagon Wheel Road
		Lowell	77.55	124.80	77	AR 612 (Springdale Northern Bypass) – Elm Springs, Cave Springs	First section opened on April 30, 2018
			78.90	126.98	78	AR 264 (West Monroe Avenue) – Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport
		Rogers	81.01	130.37	81	Pleasant Grove Road
			82.79	133.24	82	Promenade Boulevard/West Pauline Whittaker Parkway
			83.90	135.02	83	Pinnacle Hills Parkway/West New Hope Road
		Rogers–Bentonville line	85.30	137.28	85	US 71B north / AR 12 west (SE Walton Boulevard) US 71B south (W. Walnut Street)	Southern end of AR 12 concurrency
		Bentonville	86.80	139.69	86	US 62 / AR 12 east (Hudson Road) / AR 102 west (SE 14th Street)	Northern end of US 62 / AR 12 concurrency
			87.29	140.48	87	8th Street
			88.81	142.93	88	AR 72 east (E. Central Avenue)	Split into exits 88A (east) and 88B (west) northbound
			92.49	148.85	93	US 71 north / US 71B south (N. Walton Boulevard) / AR 549 north	Future exit 279; Temporary northern end of I-49; Current southern end of Highway 549; roadway continues north as US 71 into Bella Vista; north end of US 71 concurrency; northbound continuation to County Road 34/Rocky Dell Hollow Road opened as Highway 549 on May 10, 2017 via a temporary roundabout, will be replaced by a Single-point urban interchange in fall 2021.[16]
		Gravette	98.28	158.17	284	AR 72	Opened as Highway 549
			101.23	162.91	287	AR 72	Opened as Highway 549
		​	103.63	166.78	289	CR 34 (Rocky Dell Hollow Road)	Northern end of Highway 549
		​				I-49 north – Joplin	Planned continuation into Missouri opening in fall 2021
	1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

See also[]

• Boston Mountains Scenic Loop

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

• Media related to Interstate 49 in Arkansas at Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 49
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