I-49 work gets $71.6 million in federal stimulus funding

Arkansas officials have committed to Interstate 49 about $71.6 million of $335.83 million in federal stimulus highway money, and are teaming with Missouri highway officials to seek an additional $250 million for I-49.

The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department on Friday (Mar. 13) released its complete list of highway projects to be funded using federal stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The state received about $352 million for highway work, with $15.7 million of that mandated for use in the Little Rock and Memphis-West Memphis areas. The cost of the projects named Friday by the AH&TD is $421.25 million, with the balance not covered by federal stimulus money funded from a mix of federal, state and local funds already available.

INTERSTATE 49
Miller County (Texarkana) has two I-49-related projects totaling $39.5 million, Sebastian County (in Chaffee Crossing) has two I-49 related projects totaling $30.1 million, and Benton County was authorized a $2 million utility relocation project for the Bella Vista bypass.

Arkansas’ five highway commissioners also signed a Minute Order agreeing to join with Missouri highway officials in an application for $250 million from a $1.5 billion discretionary fund of the Secretary of Transportation. Officials from the two states have agreed to use the money to complete the Bella Vista bypass, an important link along on the proposed I-49 route connecting Arkansas and Missouri.

FORT SMITH REGION
Of the $421.25 in projects listed, the Fort Smith region (Crawford, Franklin, Logan and Sebastian counties) received $51.68 million. The projects, listed by county, are:

Sebastian County
• Taylor Avenue-Arkansas 22, structures work: $19.1 million
• Custer Boulevard, grading and structures work: $11 million
(Taylor and Custer work is related to the stretch of Interstate 49 that will eventually run through Chaffee Crossing.)
• Arkansas 22, 3.02 miles of widening east of Charleston: $18 million
Interstate 540 and Arkansas 22 (Rogers Avenue exit east) rehab, 2.74 miles: $1 million
• Arkansas 271 and Harvard Avenue signal improvements: $480,000

Crawford County
• U.S. 64, east of Alma, rehab of 2 miles: $500,000

Franklin County
• Arkansas 22, rehab near Charleston of 3.09 miles: $800,000

Logan County
• Arkansas 22, Cane Creek-Pedee Creek area, rehab of 2.77 miles: $800,000

The top three projects by dollar amount are:
Faulkner County, Vilonia bypass, 10.4 miles: $46 million
Craighead County, Highway 67 bypass, 3.55 miles: $37.9 million
Lawrence County, Highway 67 bypass grading and structures work, 9.89 miles: $32.2 million

Link here for a PDF list of the projects, and link here for a PDF map of the projects.