Get serious about I-49

Editor’s note: The City Wire has invited Jack Moseley to be a frequent contributer. Moseley was the editor of the Southwest Times Record for 25 years, and has more than 42 years of journalism experience. He comes out swinging with his first contribution.

Why are our state and federal officials and the so-called leaders of the greater Fort Smith region so slow, hesitant and downright resistant to try anything new, innovative and potentially successful, especially at this time of economic hardship and suffering for a growing number of our citizens?

Why are people here so willing to take a half-loaf of anything instead of a satisfying, full order that would put some real meat on our economic bones?

You guessed it. I’m talking about a full-court press for all – not just some — of Interstate 49.

I have no fault with those who belatedly are asking for the stretch of highway across Fort Chaffee or a new bridge across the Arkansas River or a short piece of good road between Barling and Alma. That is well and good, but it’s simply not enough for this area to enjoy the full potential for fresh economic growth and prosperity that would extend to every segment of our society – housing, large and small businesses of all sorts – if I-49 was completed all the way from New Orleans and Houston (via an improved U.S. Hwy. 59 from Texarkana) clear to Chicago and Canada.

What is needed is a new interstate along the mid-America corridor that should have been included in President Eisenhower’s national defense (interstate) highway program of the 1950s.

Despite having the likes of Wilbur Mills, John McClellan and Bill Fulbright in Congress back then, the people of this region were willing to settle for half-a-loaf in the form of I-40 and dared not be so bold as to fight for a north-south interstate to intersect our east-west highway. Instead, we chose to be satisfied with hazardous, twisting, turning, two-lane U.S. 71 to go north or south to multiple population centers of commerce and consumer trade.

How many more opportunities for better lives and secure jobs for our people will we allow to simply pass us by? Yes, let’s use our paid lobbyist, our Republican congressman and our two, less-than-enthusiastic, Democratic U.S. senators to get federal funding for all the I-49 projects we can. But for all our sakes, please do something more. Every homeowner, every business person, every man or woman with or without a job has a stake in seeing every inch of I-49 completely paved and opened to traffic.

I suggested something almost 40 years ago at a regional meeting of community leaders in Fayetteville to raise money for the necessary lobbying effort to get Congress to fund I-49. I said we should enlist the help of the Teamsters Union, the trucking companies and the banks in communities along the proposed route of the highway. Put bumper stickers on thousands of trucks promoting the need for the interstate. Put barrels in all the bank lobbies and invite customers to toss in their loose change from cash they received from the tellers.

If not one heck of an idea, it at least could have done no harm. And it might actually have done some good. But one man rose up and pointed at me, saying, “Who is that $%^#@ who wants us to crawl in bed with the $%^^&# union?” Needless to say, nothing was done.

It’s just an idea – and you may have a better one – but why not put together a grassroots coalition of mayors, city councils and county officials all the way from New Orleans to Chicago and its suburbs to promote I-49. Now is the time to get this road funded – COMPLETELY, not partially.

If you have an idea to help, let’s hear it. Anything is better than sitting back and once more allowing our so-called leaders to throw us only the crumbs from the national economic stimulus banquet table.

Life, luck and -30-
Jack Moseley