Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234 ...

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

I-29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

to be extended south from Kansas City to New Orleans following much of the route along U.S. Route 71 (US 71). The plan called for creating a limited access expressway from New Orleans to the Canadian border and on to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

(via Manitoba Highway 75). When I-49 is complete, the goal of the association will have been accomplished, with only a brief gap (served by other Interstates or US 71) and route number change in Kansas City.

Route description

, - , LA , , - , AR , , - , MO , , - , Total ,

Louisiana

The current southern terminus of I-49 is located at a

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...

with

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

and US 167 in the southern Louisiana city of Lafayette. Southbound motorists continue through the interchange onto the Evangeline Thruway, which transitions from a

limited-access A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

portion of US 167 to a major divided thoroughfare that picks up the US 90 corridor heading through the heart of Lafayette. I-49 begins its journey concurrent with US 167 as it travels northward through Carencro,

Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...

, Grand Coteau, and

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 ...

. US 167 departs from the Interstate's alignment at exit 23 between Opelousas and Washington, and I-49 begins to take a northwesterly path through the heavily wooded rural terrain. Various state highways provide access to the small towns and cities located along the parallel US 71 and US 167 corridors, such as Lebeau, Ville Platte, Bunkie, and Cheneyville. After crossing US 167, I-49 travels between US 71 and US 165 into the Alexandria metropolitan area in central Louisiana. I-49 travels through downtown

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...

doubling as U.S. Highway 71 Bypass (US 71 Byp.) and is also concurrent with portions of US 167 and Louisiana Highway 28 (LA 28). Major interchanges with US 167 and US 71 lead to bridges that cross the Red River into the neighboring city of Pineville. Continuing northwest from Alexandria, I-49 parallels the Red River and LA 1 through Boyce and passes just west of the historic city of Natchitoches, which is reached via LA 6 at exit 138. Between Natchitoches and

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

, I-49 travels between LA 1 and

US 171 U.S. Highway 171 (US 171) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System and the only route within that system currently located entirely within the state of Louisiana. It spans in a north–south direction from the junction of US ...

and has junctions with US 371 and US 84, connecting with

Coushatta The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territ ...

and

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market t ...

, respectively. In Shreveport, the Interstate heads directly into the downtown area and terminates at

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Bet ...

, a route that facilitates eastbound traffic. However, through traffic bound for I-20 west and the northern segment of I-49 is directed to transfer onto LA 3132 at an interchange located about south of this terminus. LA 3132 is a western freeway bypass of Shreveport known as the Inner Loop Expressway that becomes I-220 upon intersecting I-20. On the northside of town, motorists may exit I-220 and follow the next segment of I-49, which parallels US 71 into

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

. The heaviest traffic on I-49 occurs within the cities of Shreveport and Opelousas. The stretch of freeway in Shreveport sees an average of 70,000 vehicles per day, while the stretch of freeway between Lafayette and Carencro sees an average of 55,000 vehicles per day, and the stretch of freeway through Opelousas sees an average of 45,000 vehicles per day between the Judson Walsh Drive and Creswell Lane exits.

Arkansas

I-49 in Arkansas is composed of three disconnected segments: northern, southern, and a short connector skirting Fort Smith near Fort Chaffee. The southern segment of I-49 enters Arkansas from Louisiana. The short segment progresses northward to a temporary terminus at US 71 and US 59 at the Texas state line north of Texarkana. The northern segment of I-49 in Arkansas, most of which was formerly signed as part of I-540, begins at

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

in

Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...

and runs north to

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozark Mountains. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, ...

through the

Boston Mountains The Boston Mountains is a Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Part of the Ozarks, the Boston Mountains are a deeply dissected plateau. The ecoregion is steep ...

. The freeway passes through steep, sparsely populated terrain before entering the

Bobby Hopper Tunnel The Bobby Hopper Tunnel is a highway tunnel on Interstate 49 (I-49) in Arkansas, just north of the Crawford— Washington county line. It opened in 1999 to four lanes of traffic. No toll is charged. Description The tunnel's twin bores are each ...

in Washington County. Entering Northwest Arkansas, I-49 has seven exits for Fayetteville and three exits for Springdale before entering Benton County. The route serves as the boundary between Bentonville and Rogers, with seven exits for the two cities. After an interchange with US 71 just south of the Bentonville–Bella Vista city line, I-49 follows the Bella Vista Bypass, which runs to the south and west of Bella Vista before crossing into Missouri. I-49 is designated as the Boston Mountains Scenic Loop between Alma and Fayetteville. The I-49 designation replaced the I-540 designation through Northwest Arkansas in March 2014, with the exception of the Bella Vista Bypass, which was constructed between July 2011 and October 2021.

Missouri

I-49 enters Missouri from Arkansas on the Bella Vista Bypass, eventually reuniting with US 71 south of Pineville. Continuing northward, I-49 passes through several smaller communities, including Neosho, before reaching Joplin. In Joplin, I-49 junctions with

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...

and begins a short concurrency with I-44 for exits 11 through 18. Just a few miles east of Joplin, I-49 leaves I-44 and heads north and enters

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...

, intersecting with Interstate 49 Business (I-49 Bus.)/ Route 171, which provides an alternate route for northbound I-49 travelers through Joplin. I-49 then passes through

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

and other communities before reaching the

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

area. I-49 intersects with I-470 and I-435, which provides connection to

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

,

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

, and

I-29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

. In south Kansas City, at Bannister Road just north of the Grandview Triangle, the I-49 designation ends, and the freeway continues as Interstate 435 north to I-70 west and the expressway continues as US 71, which proceeds into downtown Kansas City as

Bruce R. Watkins Bruce Riley Watkins (March 20, 1924 Parkville, Missouri - September 13, 1980 Kansas City, Missouri) and his stepfather Theron B. Watkins (1877–1950) were prominent political and social activists in Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri. Th ...

Memorial Drive.

History

Louisiana

The original plans for the Interstate Highway System did not include a north–south connection between

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

and

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Bet ...

within Louisiana. In 1965, Governor John McKeithen proposed a toll road to perform this function and extend it to New Orleans as well, but the idea was never carried out. In the mid-1970s, the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...

(FHWA) approved an Interstate Highway to run between US 190 in Opelousas and I-20 in Shreveport, a route that was designated as I-49 by the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United ...

(AASHTO) in the summer of 1977. The mileage was gained from mileage released from other highways the states did not build as well as from a supplemental reserve. In 1981, AASHTO approved a slight extension of the designation along the existing route of US 167 from Opelousas south to I-10 in Lafayette. In its early history, I-49 was commonly referred to as the North–South Expressway. Construction of I-49 began in 1981 between Opelousas and the small town of Washington. This segment joined the portion running concurrent with US 167, an existing

limited-access highway A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

, and was completed by 1983. By the following year, virtually all remaining rural portions of the route were under construction, and 95 percent of this mileage was completed and opened to traffic between late 1987 and late 1989. The remaining portions running through the urban centers of Alexandria and Shreveport required a much greater expenditure of time and funding. The entire length of the road was completed on May 1, 1996, with the opening of a section in downtown Alexandria named the Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. The total cost of I-49's construction was about $1.38 billion (equivalent to $ in ). "Interstate 49 North" was a construction project that extended the highway from I-20 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line and was divided into 11 segments. On November 27, 2013, the first section between LA 1 and US 71 opened to traffic, and the extension to a point just south of the Arkansas state line opened in March 2014. On May 31, 2017, a portion between LA 3194 (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) and LA 1 in Shreveport was opened to northbound traffic. On June 15, 2018, the entire portion of I-49 between I-220 and LA 1, including an interchange with I-220, was opened to traffic. The remaining interchange ramps opened to traffic on October 17, 2018.

Arkansas and Missouri

Arkansas and Missouri pursued an I-49 designation for US 71 and I-540 for many years. In the early 2000s, there were plans by both states to rename the roadway as such between

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...

west of Joplin and

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

at Fort Smith once a new bypass of US 71 had been completed around

Bella Vista, Arkansas Bella Vista is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. First established in 1917 as a summer resort destination, Bella Vista has evolved and redesigned itself over the succeeding years. Bella Vista became a retirement community in 1965 ...

, and north to

Pineville, Missouri Pineville is a city in and the county seat of McDonald County, Missouri, United States. The population was 791 at the 2010 census. History Pineville was originally named Maryville, and under the latter name was laid out in 1847. The name was c ...

. However, the AASHTO Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbers and Interstate Highways denied the I-49 designation at their annual meeting in September 2007 because none of the new roadway was yet under construction. During this time, there was also some debate as to whether the

I-29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

designation should be extended farther south from its current terminus in Kansas City to either Joplin or all the way to Fort Smith. Northern end of the future Bella Vista Bypass

Northern end of the future Bella Vista Bypass

The I-49 designation, consisting of in Missouri, became official at noon on December 12, 2012. The designation applies to current US 71 between I-435 in south Kansas City and Route H at Pineville (McDonald County), which was expanded to Interstate standards beginning in 2010. The last of the expansion projects was completed in December 2012. I-49 also runs concurrently with I-44 between exits 11 and 18 east of Joplin. The

Missouri Department of Transportation The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT, ) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Missouri under the guidance of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. MoDOT designs ...

(MoDOT) began installing I-49 trailblazer signage (without shields) along with gantry signs and milemarkers, about 1200 signs in all, in February 2012. Signage bearing I-49 shields was covered or turned from view until the I-49 designation received final approval by FHWA. This includes milemarkers at intervals along the entire alignment apart from I-44. The US 71 expansion involved removing all at-grade intersections and constructing interchanges and overpasses at 15 sites between Harrisonville and Lamar. The two-year project represented a shift in funding priorities for MoDOT, which, in 2007, announced the indefinite postponement of its portion of the Bella Vista bypass project, citing a $139-million (equivalent to $ in ) funding gap in Arkansas between construction costs and toll revenues, and Arkansas's commitment to only a two-lane bypass constructed over six years. MoDOT announced the Joplin-to-Kansas City expansion of US 71 in August 2010, to be done with the intention of bringing the I-49 designation to Missouri. Most of the corridor in Kansas City, constructed between 1990 and 2001, was built to Interstate standards. However, three at-grade intersections—at Gregory Boulevard (71st Street), 59th Street, and 55th Street—prevent the I-49 designation from being extended all the way to downtown. All three of these intersections were on the Kansas City Police Department's 2010 list of "Top 20 Crash Sites in Kansas City", at #9, #6 and #4, respectively, and Watkins Drive has the reputation among commuters as "one of the city's most accident-prone stretches of road". Many neighborhood associations in Kansas City have historically objected to expanding Watkins Drive to a freeway. MoDOT has gone on record stating a court order keeps them from removing the stoplights, making conversion of this stretch unlikely. A MoDOT blog post says "Ample right of way was acquired to someday allow MoDOT to reconstruct the three signal-controlled, at-grade intersections to grade-separated interchanges, allowing traffic on Bruce R. Watkins Drive to flow unimpeded. Neither MoDOT nor the city of Kansas City can initiate this change. It is up to the citizens, who must raise the issue again through the court system to amend the class-action agreement." The I-49 designation carries through the

Three Trails Crossing The 3-Trails Crossing Memorial Highway is the official name for an interchange in south Kansas City, Missouri that was once considered one of Missouri's most congested locations. Although it is known as Grandview Triangle, it is not located in ...

(aka the Grandview Triangle) interchange to guide motorists onto US 71 north of I-435 and terminates north of I-435 and south of Bannister Road (Route W) around the 190.0 mile marker. From this point north, US 71 follows Bruce R. Watkins Drive, a parkway which directly connects the

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

/

I-670 Interstate 670 may refer to: * Interstate 670 (Kansas–Missouri), a connector highway within Kansas City * Interstate 670 (Ohio), a spur highway connecting Columbus, Ohio, to Gahanna, Ohio {{road disambiguation 6 ...

interchange in downtown Kansas City, as well as the

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

/I-29/I-70 interchange just to the north, to south Kansas City and I-435, I-470, and I-49. I-130, a former future designation from 1999–2000, was removed and no longer exists as part of the Texarkana Loop.

Southern Arkansas segment

A temporary designation of Highway 549 had been assigned to I-49 between US 71 north of Texarkana and Doddridge, from the state line. I-49 has now been completed to the state line. "Future I-49" segments extending northward from Texarkana, Arkansas, plus segments from Doddridge south into Louisiana were shown on the official Arkansas 2013 Highway Map. The route was completed and signed as I-49 in late 2014.

Bella Vista Bypass

North of I-40, I-49 previously ended south of Bella Vista, about south of the Missouri state line. Here, motorists were forced to travel north on of four-lane US 71 with intersections, traffic signals, lower speed limits, and congestion before the present northern segment of I-49 began at Pineville, Missouri. Motorists were eager for the completion of the "Bella Vista Bypass" between

Bella Vista, Arkansas Bella Vista is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. First established in 1917 as a summer resort destination, Bella Vista has evolved and redesigned itself over the succeeding years. Bella Vista became a retirement community in 1965 ...

, and

Pineville, Missouri Pineville is a city in and the county seat of McDonald County, Missouri, United States. The population was 791 at the 2010 census. History Pineville was originally named Maryville, and under the latter name was laid out in 1847. The name was c ...

. A major hurdle to the construction of the bypass over the years was funding. The 2010 TIGER grant application submitted by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) estimated the total cost for completion in Arkansas as $291.8 million (equivalent to $ in ). The document states the portion of the bypass in Arkansas is "proposed to be constructed as a toll facility, while the Missouri portion of the Bypass will be constructed as a free route". On August 11, 2010, the

US Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States an ...

(USDOT) announced $10 million (equivalent to $ in ) in

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), previously called Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD), and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER), is a supplementary ...

(TIGER) grant funding to construct a portion of the new four-lane bypass, though the funding covered only a two-lane segment long. Groundbreaking occurred on July 8, 2011, with a public ceremony that included Transportation Secretary

Ray LaHood Raymond H. LaHood (born December 6, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Par ...

, Arkansas Governor

Mike Beebe Mickey Dale Beebe ( ; born December 28, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 45th governor of Arkansas from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Born in Amagon, Arkansas, Beebe is a graduate of Arkans ...

, and Senator

Mark Pryor Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is an American attorney, politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator from Arkansas from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to becoming senator, he was Attorn ...

. The USDOT news release refers to the project as part of the "I-49 corridor", effectively ending questions about how the new highway would be numbered. The following year, the segment between AR 72 north and County Road 34 was let. , AHTD anticipated completion of this first segment between AR 72 north and AR 72 south in spring 2014, and the next section in autumn 2014. AR 549 between AR 72 and County Road 34 opened on August 22, 2015. Following the passing of a ten-year half-cent sales tax measure in 2012, AHTD had acquired sufficient additional revenue to fund the southbound half of the Bella Vista Bypass without tolls. Since design work had been completed prior to passing the measure, AHTD was able to let the segment between AR 72 and U.S. Highway 71 Business (US 71B) in February 2014 as the first job of the Connecting Arkansas Program. AHTD anticipated completion of this project in 2016. In 2012, Missouri still had $40 million (equivalent to $ in ) available for construction of its portion of the Bella Vista bypass from Pineville to the Arkansas state line. MoDOT's I-49 project manager said in an interview that " oDOT hastold Arkansas that whatever schedule it sets, we will meet them at the state line." However, once Arkansas began building toward the state line, it was revealed that Missouri was $25 million (equivalent to $ in ) short of the necessary funds to complete their section. A ballot initiative was defeated in August 2014 in Missouri, which put the project on hold for nearly five years. The only Arkansas project remaining for a fully operational two-lane bypass was the section between County Road 34 and the Missouri state line; however, was is listed as TBD by AHTD. Design work was complete for the roadway project and was anticipated to be complete in 2015 for the interchange. Construction of the roadway was anticipated to be complete in 2017, assuming a one-year delay related to Missouri funding. Construction on the interchange was tentatively scheduled to be complete in 2018. The final segment from Rocky Dell Hollow Road to the Missouri border was scheduled to be completed with all four lanes by late 2021 to meet up with the Missouri segment. Widening this segment was begun in 2020. On May 10, 2017, a segment of the bypass between the existing segment near Hiwasse, Arkansas, and a new temporary roundabout interchange with I-49 and US 71 near

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is the tenth-largest city in Arkansas, United States and the county seat of Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers adjacent to the east. The city is the birthplace of and world headquarters location ...

, opened after three years of construction and costed over $50 million (equivalent to $ in ) to complete. In March 2019, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved funding for the completion of the Bella Vista Bypass. Construction bids were approved in early April 2020, and construction currently is expected to finish in Arkansas by late 2021. The remaining in Missouri were also slated to be completed by late 2021. Once Missouri completes this portion, the gap would be closed, and four contiguous lanes of freeway from the Kansas City region to the Fort Smith area will be completed. The Bella Vista Bypass opened to traffic on October 1, 2021.

Future

Southern Louisiana segment

The

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is a state government organization in the United States, in charge of maintaining public transportation, roadways, bridges, canals, select levees, floodplain management, port facili ...

(DOTD) is working to extend I-49 from Lafayette southeast to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

US 90, which is a divided four-lane highway between the two cities. Some portions, such as the freeway between Morgan City and the Raceland area, are already built to Interstate standards. Future corridor I49 sign

In the Lafayette area, the project is divided into two projects, the I-49 Lafayette Connector and the expansion of US 90 from Lafayette Regional Airport to the LA 88 interchange. The I-49 Lafayette Connector is currently undergoing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement study and Conceptual Design Study due to refinements to the alignment originally approved in the February 2003 Record of Decision. It is planned to be a six-lane elevated freeway, mostly utilizing the Evangeline Thruway corridor, except for a segment paralleling the

BNSF BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes tha ...

/

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

railroad line in order to serve the downtown area. The rest of the freeway from the airport to LA 88 will be an at-grade six-lane freeway with a segment of eight-lane elevated freeway through the suburb of Broussard. Much of US 90 between LA 88 and the Wax Lake Outlet bridge west of

Patterson Patterson may refer to: People * Patterson (surname) Places ;Canada * Pattersons Corners, Ontario * Patterson Township, Ontario *Patterson, Calgary a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta. ;United States of America * Patterson, Arkansas * Patterson ...

is already widened to Interstate standards, except for an at-grade intersection with LA 318 south of Jeanerette. Construction is now underway to convert that intersection to a grade-separated interchange with frontage roads for local access. From Wax Lake to the Atchafalaya River bridge at Morgan City, US 90 is a four-lane divided at-grade expressway. A Supplemental EIS is ongoing to expand that segment to interstate standards. The Raceland–New Orleans segment of the proposed I-49 South was originally approved in 2008 with a Record of Decision for a fully elevated freeway on a mostly new alignment along the entire length. However, in 2014, DOTD launched a study to consider less expensive alternatives and to expedite design and construction of that segment. The resulting design changes greatly reduced costs by incorporating much of the existing US 90 corridor, save for bypasses of Des Allemands and Paradis, as well as a revised connection with I-310/ LA 3127. A Supplemental EIS is ongoing for that segment to finalize these changes. In the immediate New Orleans area, I-49 is planned to follow the route of US 90 Bus., much of which is an elevated freeway. US 90 Bus. follows the Westbank Expressway through

Westwego Westwego is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located in Jefferson Parish. It is a suburban community of New Orleans in the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area and lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population of t ...

, Gretna, and Algiers. It then crosses

Crescent City Connection The Crescent City Connection (CCC), formerly the Greater New Orleans Bridge (GNO), is a pair of cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. They ...

over the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

into Downtown New Orleans and continues onto the

Pontchartrain Expressway The Pontchartrain Expressway is a parallel six-lane section of Interstate 10 (I-10) and U.S. Route 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, with a brief stand-alone section in between junctions with these highwa ...

to an interchange with I-10. "Future I-49" signage is visible along US 90 and US 90 Bus., although, , construction has yet to begin.

Shreveport segment

In addition to the southern extension, Louisiana officials are also working on the completion of I-49 from Shreveport to the Arkansas state line. Options for the remaining gap between I-20 and I-220 in Shreveport include the proposed Inner-City Connector, a direct connection between the completed portions of I-49. A no-build proposal is to reroute I-49 onto existing portions of LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) and I-220 through Shreveport.

Texas

North of Texarkana, I-49 will briefly venture into Texas for about before turning northwest, meeting I-369, and crossing the Red River of the South to re-enter Arkansas. How the mileposts and the exits will be numbered once the Interstate returns to Arkansas have yet to be determined.

Central Arkansas segment

The section between Texarkana and Fort Smith remains largely incomplete. Right-of-way has been acquired and engineering has been completed, but construction is contingent upon allocating funding to the corridor. After applying for and receiving assistance from the 2012

TIGER The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

grant program, ArDOT began construction on the new path for I-49 towards US 71 south of Fort Smith, bypassing Van Buren and Fort Smith. Work is now complete between US 71 and AR 22 near Fort Chaffee as the first and southernmost phase of the extension of I-49 bypassing I-540. The project is explicitly mentioned as an effort to complete I-49 in the TIGER grant application. Colloquially referred to as "Chaffee Crossing", this first phase was completed on July 15, 2015, at the AR 549 and AR 22 Interchange. I-49 is planned to follow the general route of US 71 through the state between I-30 and I-40.

Junction list

;Louisiana : in Lafayette. I-49 and US 167 travel concurrently to a point between

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 ...

and Washington. : east of Opelousas : south of Lecompte : in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...

. I-49 and US 167 travel concurrently into downtown Alexandria. : in Alexandria : southwest of

Coushatta The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territ ...

: west of Grand Bayou : in

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

. Freeway carrying through traffic bound for I-20 west and northern segment of I-49. : in Shreveport : Gap in route : in Shreveport : between Gilliam and Hosston ;Arkansas : south-southeast of Doddridge : south of Fouke : in Texarkana : in Texarkana : in Texarkana : in Texarkana ;Arkansas–Texas line : north of Texarkana ;Texas : Gap in route ;Arkansas : in Fort Smith : Gap in route : in

Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...

: in Fayetteville. The highways travel concurrently to Bentonville. : in Fayetteville. The highways travel concurrently to Bentonville. : in Springdale : in Bentonville ;Missouri : south of Pineville. The highways travel concurrently to

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. : in Neosho : south-southwest of Duenweg. The highways travel concurrently to

Fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of ''fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word ''fidēlis'', meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London ...

. : in Lamar : in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

: in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

References

External links

Interstate Guide: I-49I-49 Energy Corridor

I-49 North
(Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development)
I-49 Report

Interstate49.orgI-49 Inner-City Connector-Shreveport
Shreveport, LA) * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060101174622/http://www.i49connector.com/ I-49 Connector(Lafayette, LA)
Future I-49 South Pictures (Stephen Gantry)Future I-49 South Pictures (Andy P. Jung)Arkansas Highway & Transportation Dept. - Bella Vista Bypass

I-49 Lafayette ConnectorDOTD-launched study on Raceland–New Orleans I-49 segment
{{interstates 49 49 Transportation in Bowie County, Texas

Route description

Louisiana

Arkansas

Missouri

History

Louisiana

Arkansas and Missouri

Southern Arkansas segment

Bella Vista Bypass

Future

Southern Louisiana segment

Shreveport segment

Texas

Central Arkansas segment

Junction list

See also

References

External links