[USA] United States Interstate Highways

[Penn's Woods]

Originally Posted by g.spinoza

Happy 75th birthday Golden Gate Bridge!

Originally Posted by Road_UK

That's brilliant, but it's not on an Interstate. :-P

[geogregor]

Where can I find full list of interstate highways under construction? I mean new roads not just upgrade of the old ones or redesignation of the US highways.

So far I know about I-49 in northern Louisiana and I-69 in southern Indiana. I also know there were some plans for extending I-540 on the Arkansas Missouri border, around Bella Vista. Is anything happening there?
Any more green-field interstates under construction anywhere?

[ChrisZwolle]

I-580 from Reno to Carson City is under construction too. Furthermore, I-269 around Memphis and I-22 near Birmingham are under construction as "Future Interstates".

[geogregor]

According to Wikipedia there is construction going on along the I-49 from Texarcana to Fort Smith, with some bridges already finished.

I couldn't find anything on the Arkansas DOT website.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by I-275westcoastfl

Don't get me wrong I love European motorways, but like in Poland the new motorways have sound barriers on most of them.

What is a sound barrier?

[Xusein]

I don't really like them because they block the cities and scenery that you are driving through. Very common here in Connecticut.

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by geogregor

According to Wikipedia there is construction going on along the I-49 from Texarcana to Fort Smith, with some bridges already finished.

I couldn't find anything on the Arkansas DOT website.

There is some construction going on at the Texarkana eastern bypass, including an extension to US 71 north of Texarkana.

I'm not aware of any further freeway construction between Texarkana and Fort Smith.

[DanielFigFoz]

Originally Posted by Xusein

I don't really like them because they block the cities and scenery that you are driving through. Very common here in Connecticut.

You can get see through ones too

[ScraperDude]

As I travel everyday from downtown to the burb of Lees Summit for work I traverse the Grandview Triangle everyday.

Here is a checklist of changes as of recent for 71 to 49 conversion and the interstate that feed into the Grandview Triangle.
1. NB 71 has a new sign: End (space for 49 shield) continue on 71 North

2. Exits from Grandview Triangle(for those that don't know is the 71/435/470 interchange) to Joplin now have exit numbers.

3. New BGS on 470 WB / 435 SB / 435 EB / 71 SB that have a new space next to the left of the 71 shield to make room for the 49 shield.

4. The control city has been changed on some BGS from the South suburb of Grandview to
Joplin.

5. Last weekend took a road trip to Tulsa and the I-49 mile markers are installed and turned facing away from the road. In some areas they can be seen from the frontage roads.

[ScraperDude]

Here is a pic I took today of the END 49 sign awaiting the shield

[Nexis]

Originally Posted by Xusein

I don't really like them because they block the cities and scenery that you are driving through. Very common here in Connecticut.

But living next to a highway is very loud and annoying....so residents which in CT are raped by the high property taxes deserve a little peace and quiet.... CT plans on capped I-84 and few other highways over the next few decades....along with other states. At least where Interstates or Major Highways run in cuts or depressions...

[Paddington]

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

There is some construction going on at the Texarkana eastern bypass, including an extension to US 71 north of Texarkana.

I'm not aware of any further freeway construction between Texarkana and Fort Smith.

According to this site:
http://www.interstate49.org/

There are some bridges and junctions under construction around Fort Smith. I looked on Google earth and there is something visible east of current I-540. Is it some new Fort Smith bypass?

[Jschmuck]

There are some bridges and junctions under construction around Fort Smith. I looked on Google earth and there is something visible east of current I-540. Is it some new Fort Smith bypass?

Yea, I-49 will be completely different allignment from I-540 south of I-40, obviously some of it is done...What helped was the closing of Ft. Chaffee a couple years ago as some of this completed road cuts through the closed base. So yes there is slow I-49 construction east of Ft. Smith.

Arkansas has a lot of new interstates approved and underconstruction; I-49, I-530 extension south of Pine Bluff to Monticello though it will open only as a 2 lane facility first, and I-69. I-49 is probably most difficult because of the terrain it is proposed to traverse. As others have mentioned I-49 by Texarkana is mostly complete.

BTW the new I-49 east of Ft. Smith will cross and connect with I-40 at the existing I-40/I-540 east interchange 3-level stack.

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by Jschmuck

Yea, I-49 will be completely different allignment from I-540 south of I-40, obviously some of it is done...What helped was the closing of Ft. Chaffee a couple years ago as some of this completed road cuts through the closed base. So yes there is slow I-49 construction east of Ft. Smith.

Arkansas has a lot of new interstates approved and underconstruction; I-49, I-530 extension south of Pine Bluff to Monticello though it will open only as a 2 lane facility first, and I-69. I-49 is probably most difficult because of the terrain it is proposed to traverse. As others have mentioned I-49 by Texarkana is mostly complete.

BTW the new I-49 east of Ft. Smith will cross and connect with I-40 at the existing I-40/I-540 east interchange 3-level stack.

How about bridge across the Arkansas River? Is it under construction?
Any dates? When the Ft. Smith bypass is going to be finished?

[Jschmuck]

I don't have any schedule or dates on I-49 as funding is extremely tight and being approved in sections, but my feeling/belief about the schedule is 10 to 20 years. Same with any bridge over the Arkansas River.

I just found out that there is a tiny 2-mile section of the Bella Vista, AR bypass portion of future I-49 underconstruction southwest of the village, noticeable on google maps as well.

If you want to see other interstate construction of the other interstates i mentioned in Arkansas you can see some on Google Maps by the Pine Bluff area with the I-530 south extension under construction.

And then partially unrelated to interstate discussion is in the Springdale, Arkansas area US412 will bypass Springdale to the north of the city but will interchange with future I-49/I-540 with a 4-level stack.

[ChrisZwolle]

The lack of funding and the subsequent snail's pace of non-tolled projects in the United States is appalling...

If it was a toll road the entire road was likely constructed in 4 - 6 years.

[geogregor]

Few shots from I-79 heading north towards Pittsburgh

[geogregor]

Entering Pennsylvania






Traffic was very light (much lighter than I expected but maybe because it was Saturday afternoon) and it was really pleasant route to drive

PS. Sorry for bugs on the windscreen

[Penn's Woods]

[rant on]
Gotta love those obscure control cities....

If we insist on having signs with only one "control city," it could at least be some place people have heard of.

The choice of "Washington" for 70 west/79 north is particularly helpful to people who might be at that point trying to get to Washington, D.C.,...(because you'd actually want to take 70 east)
[rant off]