U.S. Highway 67 designated as Interstate 57

A stretch of Interstate 57, formerly U.S. Highway 67 from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge has been designated as an interstate. The 120 mile swath is part of a highway that connects Canada to Mexico and goes through large cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas and Little Rock.

“Designating the sections of U.S. Highway 67 that already meet Interstate standards as Interstate 57 highlights this route and the cities and counties along this route for economic growth and job creation,” said Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Alec Farmer. “This designation’s true value is connecting this north-south interstate route from Interstates 30 and 40 in central Arkansas via an existing Interstate 57 Mississippi River Bridge with many of the nation’s other primary east-west routes such as Interstates 70, 80 and 90 – better connecting Arkansas with the rest of the country.”

Arkansas has about 16,400 miles of paved roads but only about 800 miles are designated as interstate. The more interstate miles a state has improves its economic viability, Farmer said. State officials have been pushing for I-57 to become an interstate for more than six decades.

Now that this section is up to interstate standards, state officials can focus on the 40 miles from Walnut Ridge to the Missouri border.

The 240-mile future Interstate 57 corridor from North Little Rock to Sikeston, Mo., was deemed a “High Priority Corridor.” This paved the way for the route to become an interstate highway. Since then, work on the corridor has continued and funding has been allocated for portions of the future link between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri state line.

The hope is that the work on the Missouri side of the line will progress along with work on the Arkansas side of the project, Farmer said.

One project that has been discussed for decades is the four-laning of I-57 from Pocahontas to the Missouri border. The more than 30-mile stretch is the final piece of the highway, that when completed, would provide four-lane highway access from Canada to Mexico and it will go right through the heart of Northeast Arkansas.

Two $50 million bypass projects near Corning have already been approved, Farmer said. One started this year, while the other is slated to begin in 2026. The projects are critical steps in finishing the final four-lane of I-57 in Arkansas, he added.

“The designation of Interstate 57 is the culmination of years of collaboration, planning, and perseverance,” said ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “This designation is great news for commerce in Arkansas as it increases mobility between the south-central United States and the Midwest. We are extremely proud of this milestone and are grateful to all our partners who helped make it happen.”