Arkansas, Missouri officials meet on I-49 segment/Bella Vista Bypass

Arkansas and Missouri highway officials will meet Aug. 20 to gather political momentum to obtain funding for the proposed Bella Vista Bypass — a key component in the effort to build Interstate 49 through Arkansas.

In addition to members of the highway commissions from Arkansas and Missouri, state transportation officials and members of the Arkansas and Missouri Congressional delegation will meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Bella Vista Country Club to talk about the joint application to fund the project through a $1.5 billion discretionary grant fund provided to the U.S. Department of Transportation by the recent federal stimulus bill.

The proposed bypass will be approximately 20 miles in length, extending from Highway 71 just south of Bella Vista to Highway 71 near Pineville, Mo., according to a statement from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. It will be a four-lane divided, fully controlled access facility, filling a gap between the Interstate-type highways located north and south of the proposed bypass. Arkansas’ portion is approximately 15 miles in length, while the Missouri section will be about 5 miles.

Arkansas’ portion of the bypass is estimated between $250 million and $350 million, with that funding requested from the U.S. DOT discretionary fund. Funding for Missouri’s portion was secured when Missouri voters approved the transfer of the sales tax on new and used vehicles from the general fund to the highway fund in 2004. The grant application must be submitted by Sept. 15, 2009, with grant awards announced in January, according to the AHTD statement.

The I-49 route stretches from Texarkana, up through Dequeen, Mena and Waldron, into Fort Smith and on through Northwest 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.

Of the $352 million Arkansas recently received as part of the federal stimulus package, $71.6 million was dedicated to portions of I-49.