iowhogs

I hope Dickson Street doesn't end up doing something like the parking fiasco in Columbia, MO. I asked a few folks up there about their monster of a new garage and to a person just laugh, shake their heads and say "what a joke". Hopefully we can avoid the same situation while still building a reasonable structure.

US 71 in Missouri is essentially to interstate standards and KDOT has stated that US 71 in Missouri is "20 to 30 years ahead of US 69" and they intend to keep it that way because US 71 has already been anointed as High Priority Corridor #1 in Washington (aka I-49). The term "High Priority Corridor" generally indicates it's not a "pipe dream". MoDOT doesn't consider it a "pipe dream" either considering the millions of dollars they have pumped into upgrading the road even if it only leads to "non major destinations". Truck percentages (from 2008, thanks to the "up-to-date" AHTD) along US 71 in West Arkansas shows 30%+ of traffic is trucks. That's a lot of shipping to "non major destinations" such as I-44, Kansas City, I-29, etc.

The argument can be made that if you remove the trucks with a Western Bypass the four lane facility becomes more manageable. Removing trucks would help with wearing the pavement of I-540/US 71 as well, since a single 18-wheeler does the damage of 9600 cars. I have looked at the projections from the NWARPC through 2030 and such and they project ridiculous overloads in some areas. With the completion of I-49, more trucks yet will be using I-540/US 71 and the problem will worsen without a facility to remove the through traffic. (Yes I already know the funding isn't there, but its what NWA needs)

I was there, and it was amazing how all the bureaucrats acted as if they had something to do with the project. You'd think LaHood was going straight back to Washington to write Arkansas a big fat check the way he talked.

Fayetteville has begun a project to re-sign the city, replacing the "BLOCK AVE" signs with "Block Ave" (just an example, they're doing all streets). After emailing, I have found out that the city is only replacing the signs as they wear out or if they get hit by cars. A good example is on Mt Comfort Rd, which has all new signs. I like the new look more, but it will take an eternity to re-sign the city at this rate. There are still signs that from the resigning project before that!

This is coming from a former Iowan that is puzzled by the AHTD...why does Arkansas have the 16th largest system of highways despite being 29th in area and 32nd in population? Look at any Arkansas county map, you will find five spare segments of numbered state highways that lead to nowhere. And why does the highway department have these "districts"...why does the delta get the same treatment as NWA? The whole department seems ineffecient and useless. I have emailed them on many occasions with various queries and the emails I get back usually say "I don't know" or "We don't really have a standard for ____" or "Its kind of arbitrary how we ____". These responses speak volumes to me. This 4-lane grid is just another solution in the same mold: they have to treat every corner of the state equally because of the district approach, when in reality no one thinks NWA and the delta are equal.

The AHTD STIP includes $6.5 million for cable barriers from the AR 112/AR 265 Razorback Rd/Cato Springs Rd interchange north to US 62/AR 102 (24.45 mi), to be let in 2012. Also, there is $5 million for the I-540/MLK interchange "improvements", which I read elsewhere would be completed in November 2011. http://www.arkansashighways.com/stip/Final%20STIP%202010-2013%20%20Web%20Version.pdf

Also, Whats going on at the MLK/540 intersection area? I see they are adding another on ramp north bound or they are just replacing the existing one I believe when you exit I-540 southbound, there will be two left turn lanes and two right turn lanes, currently there is only one right turn lane. They moved the stoplight that faces east such that it is now at an angle that maybe indicates a continuous right movement. Also, it appears they are looking to modify the southbound on-ramp and the northbound off ramp. Once the northbound on ramp is moved upflow, it would be a lot easier to replace the red overpass bridges...but I don't know if that's in the works.

Just poking around online! It's great to see that the NWA boards are some of the most active. Normally Arkansas seems poorly represented online.

New student at the University of Arkansas, civil engineering major interested in city planning and road developments.