I-49 Congressional caucus attracts 5 members

Efforts are now underway to reestablish the push for Interstate 49 funding at various levels after a coalition of chambers of commerce, cities, businesses and members of Congress dropped the I-49 ball, so to speak.

I-49 would create a north-south interchange in the Fort Smith area with a major east-west interstate (I-40). This interchange would connect the commercial hubs of New Orleans and Kansas City with numerous hubs of commerce stretching between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There is little doubt that I-49 — which stretches from Texarkana, up through Dequeen, Mena and Waldron, into Fort Smith and on through Northwest Arkansas — would be a tremendous economic development engine for all of Arkansas. All that stands in the way of this interstate reality is several small segments at the Arkansas-Louisiana and Arkansas Missouri borders and a large 185-mile segment between Texarkana and Fort Smith that posts a price tag of around $3 billion.

The Arkansas-Missouri border section recently received $10 million, but state officials remain uncertain how that money will be used on a 20-mile interstate section that requires more than $145 million.

A short section of I-49 through Chaffee Crossing is under construction after receiving $30.1 million from the federal stimulus bill. In fact, Arkansas officials committed to I-49 about $71.6 million of $335.83 million in federal stimulus highway money.

But with the main section of I-49 to be completed in rural western Arkansas, U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, admits it’s hard to re-energize an I-49 caucus in the halls of Congress. As of Feb. 26, the caucus had five members: Boozman; U.S. Rep, Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-Louisiana; U.S. Rep. John Fleming, R-Louisiana; U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark.; and U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana.

“We worked to find additional members for the caucus and have been in contact with all members along the I-49 corridor,” Boozman spokeswoman Sara Lasure noted in an e-mail interview with The City Wire. “As we work to find members it’s important that local organizations also contact their counterparts in areas along the corridor to urge their Member of Congress to join this caucus. The I-49 Coalition is also working to increase the membership. Getting members to join the caucus is increasingly difficult because the only unfinished portions of I-49 are in Arkansas.”

The caucus is co-chaired by Boozman and Ross.

Delays in considering a new federal highway bill also have pushed forward efforts to seek I-49 funding. Health care reform, cap and trade, card check and other aggressive legislative items were just a few of the reasons Congressional leaders did not act in 2009 on a new comprehensive federal highway bill.

The federal highway bill is viewed by many as the next chance to secure significant funding for I-49. Lasure said Boozman has encouraged I-49 supporters to keep close watch on federal highway bill action.

“The most important thing is for members to rally around funding of which the largest portion comes from the highway bill. Unfortunately, the highway bill wasn’t taken up like we expected last year,” noted the message from Boozman’s office.

Does the caucus have plans to meet within the next 12 months in locations along the I–49 route?

Boozman’s response: “We welcome visits to the I-49 corridor however at this time we have nothing planned. Members of the caucus will work to encourage funding in the next highway bill. During the next highway bill it will be beneficial to invite members of the Appropriations Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to see the importance in providing funding for the project.”

Boozman’s office also offered the following comment when asked in the e-mail interview for any miscellaneous comments: “We are continuously working to fund I-49. This is a top priority, but it requires patience and persistence. Funding will happen over a number of years, not in one lump sum.”