I-69 updates; Pine Bluff road trip
Chris Lawrence
additional I-69 info over the weekend.
- I took a road trip from Oxvegas to Pine Bluff to read the SE Arkansas
I-69 Connector Final EIS document. Route:
MS 6 to MS 315 to US 49 to AR 1 to US 165 to AR 11 to AR 88 to
Rob Roy Rd" to US 63/79 to PB; then I-530 to I-30 to I-630 to I-430
to I-40 to US 67/167; then I-40 to I-55 to MS 302 to US 78 to MS 7.
(Phew!)
MS 6 is MS 6. Always has been, always will be.
MS 315 through Sardis Dam is reopened; however, you can't cross the dam.
It looked like they were doing some construction up there. They have set
up something like road blocks with portable jersey barriers at each
entrance to the area (not just the dam itself), but they were unmanned
and open to traffic. (Forgive me for sounding like an idiot, but it
seems to me that Sardis Dam is pretty much an impossible target for
terrorists... one, it's in Mississippi, so even if they blew it up nobody
would care, and two, blowing up earthen dams is hard.)
MS 315 the rest of the way "north" is actually a somewhat pleasant drive
"north" (actually west) of I-55. The pavement deteriorates somewhat, and
the banking isn't quite done right for 55, west of MS 3. At the
Quitman/Coahoma line, there is new pavement for the extension of MS 315
to the US 61/49 intersection. The "Rich bypass" isn't open yet; they
were still working on a bridge. Anyway, I was able to use the new MS 315
alignment to directly go to the 61/49 intersection, even though there was
a Road Closed sign for traffic coming from the other direction.
South/west of Helena, the US 49 four-laning is done.
AR 1 is a fun little drive across the White River; at least there are
trees there. The rest of the drive was pretty unredeemably flat. Since
I wasn't sure exactly which way would be fastest, I took the route
closest to the Arkansas River that I could: AR 11 to AR 88. AR 11 is one
of Arkansas' infamous "we're giving the route the same number on both
sides of the river, for when the martians come down and build bridges for
us" routes. It kinda dies at a three-way stop and AR 88 picks up from
there. I cut a little off the route by going on a local road that had
two huge potholes in it, causing me to spend 10 minutes looking for my
left front hubcap. Anyway, that got me over to US 63/79 (or "Hwy 15"
as the county post/street sign called it).
Not too much to say about PB itself. The public library is in what I
guess you'd call the "Civic Center" of town, with the excessive use of
concrete and open space one would expect from a place called a civic
center. (It fairly screamed "failed 1970s utopian revitalization scheme"
to me.) Anyway, signage was awful and I circled the block 2-3 times
before I figured out what building the library actually was in.
Eventually I found what I was looking for. The highlights:
The preferred alignment is approximately 38.5 miles long, including
interchanges at US 278 (nee AR 4), AR 35, AR 114, and I-530, along with
two new connectors from AR 11 to US 425 and from US 63 south of PB to the
freeway. Design speed is 70 mph. 2020 ADT is < 10k toward the south
end, rising to about 40k north of the 63 connector. It runs several
miles west of the US 425 route. Tying it into I-69 will be the job of
the EIS for that bit of I-69 (when you're first, you get to pass the buck
like that :-) Estimated retail value: $312 million dollars (including
ROW @ $9m). It will tie into I-530 just east of the US 63 interchange.
Anyway, it looks like a decent enough road, and makes a little more sense
now that it's a tad further west than I had thought. Still, I have to
figure the smart route from Shreveport would still be I-49 to I-30,
especially since LA seems more gung ho about getting 49 built than 69
(understandably, since 69 doesn't do a lot in Louisiana).
After PB, I drove up I-530, getting there via US 65B. A few miles of
I-530 look like they were originally built as a Super 2 (from the 167
split south to about the Pulaski county line), as there are 10' shoulders
on both sides of the northbound roadway. I-530 is also numbered
bass-ackwards for a N-S freeway.
I have to say I like I-630 in LR. Probably hell in rush hour, but
otherwise it's a nice design. 430 over the Arkansas River is also quite
a sight to see. Coming from the west on 40, it's hard to tell you're
even near Little Rock until about 2 miles short of the 30/40 merge.
Rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. AHTD was paving the way on 40 a
few places. TDOT is still futzing around with 55 through Whitehaven (it
looks like paving the center lanes and finishing the Millbranch overpass
is all that is left before MDOT can take over futzing around duties).
- Today, in the mail, I got some info from LADOTD I requested about I-69
around Shreveport, including a map of the 4 DEIS corridors.
Unfortunately it's 11x17, so it will be a pain to scan, but I'll try.
At some time I'll have to remember to post about my Tuscaloosa/Birmingham
trip earlier in the month.
Chris
--
Chris Lawrence <ch...@lordsutch.com> - http://www.lordsutch.com/chris/
texas
>Anyway, that got me over to US 63/79 (or "Hwy 15" as the county
>post/street sign called it).
It was AR 15 until a couple of years ago. Are there still any AR 15
signs on it?
>It will tie into I-530 just east of the US 63 interchange.
I wonder if the extension will be I-530, or if the current 530 will
retain its number. If it is completed to I-69, could the whole thing be
numbered, say, I-51? It would be short for a 2di but longer than I-97.
It could also be an eventual extension of I-57, if the US 67 freeway is
ever completed.
>After PB, I drove up I-530, getting there via US 65B. A few miles of
>I-530 look like they were originally built as a Super 2 (from the 167
>split south to about the Pulaski county line), as there are 10'
>shoulders on both sides of the northbound roadway.
I've never noticed this, but good observation. I remember seeing an AHTD
map showing the freeway beginning at the 65-167 split, and US 65 as a
two-lane road coing south from the split.
>I-530 is also numbered bass-ackwards for a N-S freeway.
What do you mean? If you're referring to the even number, that is
only on 2di's. Several 3di's in AR are numbered like this (540, 430,
Future 130).
>I have to say I like I-630 in LR. Probably hell in rush hour,
It is.
> 430 over the Arkansas River is also quite a sight to see. Coming from
> the west on 40, it's hard to tell you're even near Little Rock until
> about 2 miles short of the 30/40 merge.
I'm glad you didn't say *in* Little Rock...as I-40 doesn't enter the
city of Little Rock (it enters North Little Rock)...a common mistake
that you didn't make ;)
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Chris Lawrence
> quango wrote:
>
>>Anyway, that got me over to US 63/79 (or "Hwy 15" as the county
>>post/street sign called it).
>
> It was AR 15 until a couple of years ago. Are there still any AR 15
> signs on it?
I saw one on the 65B multiplex. Just the one though, and only on a
reassurance marker.
>>It will tie into I-530 just east of the US 63 interchange.
>
> I wonder if the extension will be I-530, or if the current 530 will
> retain its number. If it is completed to I-69, could the whole thing be
> numbered, say, I-51? It would be short for a 2di but longer than I-97.
> It could also be an eventual extension of I-57, if the US 67 freeway is
> ever completed.
Hmm. I think 57 would make some sense, as it would be a "through" route.
I suspect it will get the 530 number in the interim, unless x69 makes an
appearance... though it may be built before I-69 is!
>>I-530 is also numbered bass-ackwards for a N-S freeway.
>
> What do you mean? If you're referring to the even number, that is only
> on 2di's. Several 3di's in AR are numbered like this (540, 430, Future
> 130).
No, the exit numbering. Starts at 46 in Pine Bluff...
>>I have to say I like I-630 in LR. Probably hell in rush hour,
>
> It is.
>
>> 430 over the Arkansas River is also quite a sight to see. Coming from
>> the west on 40, it's hard to tell you're even near Little Rock until
>> about 2 miles short of the 30/40 merge.
>
> I'm glad you didn't say *in* Little Rock...as I-40 doesn't enter the
> city of Little Rock (it enters North Little Rock)...a common mistake
> that you didn't make ;)
Yeah, I nearly flubbed it ;-) It's hard to believe you're even in
suburbs at that point. Similarly, coming N on 530 it's really impossible
to tell you're approaching a big city until you get to the 440/30
interchange.
Bobby Henderson
news:3c561...@news.vic.com...
> quango wrote:
>
> >Anyway, that got me over to US 63/79 (or "Hwy 15" as the county
> >post/street sign called it).
>
> It was AR 15 until a couple of years ago. Are there still any AR 15
> signs on it?
>
> >It will tie into I-530 just east of the US 63 interchange.
>
> I wonder if the extension will be I-530, or if the current 530 will
> retain its number. If it is completed to I-69, could the whole thing be
> numbered, say, I-51? It would be short for a 2di but longer than I-97.
> It could also be an eventual extension of I-57, if the US 67 freeway is
> ever completed.
I disagree with using a 2di numbering for that spur. If it stays
"intra-state" then it needs to remain as a 3di. Perhaps a switch to an even
numbered designation (like I-830 or I-669) might be fine. I'd feel
differently about a I-51 numbering if the road extended down into Lousiana
to Monroe or over eastward toward Vicksburg and perhaps down to Baton Rouge.
For some reason, Arkansas likes a lot of 3di's with the number 5 on the
front (you have I-540 in Fort Smith, I-530 in Little Rock to Pine Bluff and
then the future I-555 designation that will go to Jonesboro.
Bobby Henderson
US71
> quango wrote:
> >After PB, I drove up I-530, getting there via US 65B. A few miles of
> >I-530 look like they were originally built as a Super 2 (from the 167
> >split south to about the Pulaski county line), as there are 10'
> >shoulders on both sides of the northbound roadway.
>
> I've never noticed this, but good observation. I remember seeing an AHTD
> map showing the freeway beginning at the 65-167 split, and US 65 as a
> two-lane road going south from the split.
Yes... about 25-30 years ago. I have a vague memory of this from when
my dad was looking for work in Pine Bluff and took us with him.