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Interstate 49
I-49 highlighted in red, AR 549 highlighted in blue
Route information
Length	124.31 mi[1] (200.06 km)
Existed	2014–present
NHS	Entire route
Southern segment
South end	I-49 at theLouisiana state line
Major intersections	I-30 inTexarkana
North end	US 59 /US 71 inTexarkana
Northern segment
South end	I-40 /US 71 nearAlma
Major intersections	US 62 /AR 180 inFayetteville US 412 inSpringdale US 62 /AR 102 inRogers
North end	I-49 at theMissouri state line
Location
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Counties	Miller,Sebastian,Crawford,Washington,Benton
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage
←AR 48 AR →US 49 ←I-540 AR Hwy. 549 →I-555

Interstate 49 (I-49) is anInterstate Highway in the U.S. state ofArkansas. There are two main sections of the highway across different sides of the state. The southern section starts at the Louisiana state line, then runs toTexarkana, at theTexas state line. The northern section begins atI-40 and atU.S. Highway 71 (US 71) inAlma and runs north to the Missouri state line, where the freeway continues into Missouri. An additional small section south ofFort Smith is currently designated asHighway 549 (AR 549) until it is extended northward to the I-40 interchange, at which point it will become part of I-49.

I-49 enters the state fromLouisiana betweenIda andDoddridge. The first interchange in Arkansas is with US 71 at exit 4. The Interstate passes near the town ofFouke, where it has another interchange with US 71. The highway entersTexarkana and has an interchange withHighway 151 and runs along the eastern portion of the Texarkana Loop. BetweenUS 82 andUS 67, I-49 passes near theTexarkana Regional Airport. The Interstate has an interchange withI-30 before leaving Texarkana. I-49 turns to the west near the Sanderson Lane exit. The Interstate terminates atUS 59/US 71. In theTexarkana area, I-49 is known as the Hickerson Freeway, named after Prissy Hickerson.^[2]

The Interstate begins again at exit 12 along I-40, one mile (1.6 km) west ofAlma, continuing for over 65 miles (105 km) throughCrawford,Washington, andBenton counties. It goes through theOzark Mountains and crosses several large gorge bridges. Just north of the Crawford–Washington county line is theBobby Hopper Tunnel which is the only large highway tunnel in Arkansas. Notable cities along the route areFayetteville,Springdale,Rogers, andBentonville. From I-40 north to Fayetteville, I-49 runs roughly parallel to US 71. Just south of Fayetteville, I-49 combines with US 71 and US 62, forming the major expressway through thenorthwest Arkansas metro area. US 71 separates from I-49 just south of the Bentonville–Bella Vista city line, where it continues northwest into and throughBella Vista as Bella Vista Way, the city's main thoroughfare. I-49 instead continues westward then northward known as the Bella Vista Bypass, running just to the south and west of the city before continuing intoMissouri.

Jefferson Lines provides intercity bus service along the length of I-49 in Arkansas serving Fayetteville and Fort Smith.^[3]

The first portion of what would become I-49 was completed in the late 1990s and was opened toMountainburg asAR 540.^[4] On January 8, 1999, the road was fully opened to traffic and was re-designated part of an extension ofI-540, with the name "John Paul Hammerschmidt Highway", in honor of a former US Representative from Arkansas.^[5] Having been planned since the early 1970s,^{[citation needed]} it created a bypass for the older US 71. The state of Arkansas had originally asked theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to allow this extension, between Fort Smith and Bentonville as I-49, to emphasize plans to extend the route fromShreveport, Louisiana, through Arkansas toKansas City, Missouri.^[6] AASHTO denied the request, and the route instead opened in 1999 as a northern extension of I-540.^[6] However, this route would eventually be redesignated as I-49 in 2014 when the first leg of the Bella Vista Bypass opened.^[7] The exit numbers are still numbered from when it was I-540. FromAR 72 (exit 88) toAR 16 (exit 62), the highway was upgraded to a 6-lane freeway (3 lanes in each direction).^[8]

AHTD conducted a feasibility study of adding an interchange atAR 162 in Van Buren in 1991, with the results adopted by the Arkansas State Highway Commission in 1992.^[6] TheArkansas State Highway Commission (ASHC) studied a designation for I-540 between Mountainburg and Fayetteville as anArkansas Scenic Byway in a meeting on November 17, 1998.^{[citation needed]} One of the requirements of designation is "an active organization composed of various private and governmental groups, businesses, and agencies who are interested in preservation, enhancement, marketing, and development of the route's scenic, cultural, recreational, and historic qualities". The ASHC deemed that, since the highway was a new location route, it did not have sufficient businesses to satisfy the requirement, so the ASHC deemed itself a partner organization and proceeded with a designation study.^[9] The route was added to the scenic byway system the following year.^[10]

I-49 between I-30 and US 71 was finished in May 2013. The route to the Louisiana border was completed and opened on November 10, 2014.^[11] The segment was originally going to be designated asI-130, but it was changed to I-49 in 2013.^[12] The route to the Missouri border was completed and opened on October 1, 2021. On May 15, 2023, work began to renumber the northernmost four exits to correlate with the correct log mile designations.^[13]

Highway 549 (AR 549) is a temporary designation theArkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) is currently using to designate opened sections offreeway that have not yet officially become part of I-49. There are three instances in which ArDOT has used this designation.

Highway 549
Location	south ofTexarkana-Texarkana
Length	41.94 mi (67.50 km)
Existed	2004–2014

The first section of road to be designated as AR 549 is now the section of I-49 in the southern part of the state. AR 549 was first opened to traffic in December 2004 as a 29.49-mile (47.46 km) route between Texarkana and Fouke.^{[citation needed]} A second section, between Fouke and Doddridge, opened on October 21, 2005.^{[citation needed]} A third section between Arkansas Boulevard inTexarkana andUS 71 north ofTexarkana opened on May 15, 2013.^[14] A fourth section 14 miles (23 km) long opened on November 10, 2014, when it officially became part of I-49.^[11] At its final length, it was 41.94 miles (67.50 km).

Highway 549
Location	Benton County
Length	9 mi (14 km)
Existed	2014–2021

The second section of road to be designated as AR 549 was the Bella Vista Bypass in the northern part of the state. It bypassesBella Vista, Arkansas hence the project name. The Bella Vista Bypass was first opened to traffic on April 22, 2014, as a three-mile (4.8 km)two-lane freeway bypassingHiwasse, now part of the town ofGravette.^[15] The route was eventually extended to Rocky Dell Hollow Road west ofBella Vista on May 13, 2015,^{[citation needed]} and I-49/US 71 inBentonville in 2017 with ribbon cutting on May 10, 2017, which included aroundabout at the US 71 and then terminus of I-49.^[16] The Bella Vista Bypass was planned to be expanded to four lanes, connect directly into I-49 at its south end, and extend north into Missouri, having an interchange withMissouri Route 90 and rejoining US 71 nearPineville, Missouri. The groundbreaking on the final section between Rocky Dell Hollow Road and the Missouri state line occurred on October 15, 2019.^[17] The bypass opened to traffic on October 1, 2021, following a ceremonial ribbon cutting held the previous day, perArDOT. With that, I-49 is now continuous fromKansas City, Missouri, toAlma, Arkansas. Additionally, as part of the project, the interchange with US 71/U.S. Highway 71 Business (US 71B) on the southern end of the 19-mile (31 km) bypass was reconstructed from atrumpet interchange into asingle-point urban interchange, the first interchange of its type in Arkansas. The interchange was temporarily reconfigured as aroundabout interchange during construction on the bypass. The roundabout that opened in 2017 was removed.^[18] The existing Bella Vista Bypass was upgraded to a four-lane highway.

Highway 549
Location	Fort Smith
Length	6.49 mi (10.44 km)
Existed	2015–present

The third section of road to be designated as AR 549 is a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) orphaned section bypassingFort Smith. The section, which runs between US 71 andAR 22 andAR 255, opened to traffic following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 14, 2015.^[19] The designation is planned to be replaced with I-49 when the new roadway is constructed from AR 22 to I-40.

Eventually, I-49 will cross the entire state. It will cross into Texas for about 5 to 10 miles (8.0 to 16.1 km) and then cross over a not-yet-built bridge across theRed River into Arkansas. It will eventually reachDe Queen, Arkansas, in the near future.^{[citation needed]}It will then run near the western border of the state from De Queen to Fort Smith and will run parallel to US 71.

The stretch near Fort Smith is funded because voters passed Issue 1, the Connecting Arkansas Program (permanent extension of 0.5-cent road tax approved in 2012). It would have lasted for ten years (until June 30, 2023). At that time, it raised $1.8 billion. The annual impact for one year: an estimated $300 million.The estimated cost of this stretch is at $787 million, including the bridge over the Arkansas River ($300–$400 million).^{[citation needed]}

In July 2021, ArDOT announced that they will be progressing to the next phase of development on the 13.6-mile (21.9 km) segment between AR 22 in Barling (project start point) and I-49 in Alma (project end point). This segment needs to be reevaluated because the approval was issued in December 1997 (named "US 71 relocation" in those documents) and has since essentially expired.^[20] The I-40 to AR 22 segment was reevaluated in 2021. This likely means that the section from Fort Smith to Texarkana (approved at the same time also) will also need to be reevaluated. The segment will connect to the existing AR 549 on the northern end. The department is also cooperating with theFederal Highway Administration (FHWA) on this project.

In 2022, some studies to reduce the cost was made. The height of the planned bridge over the Arkansas River was shortened. The new roadway will open as a 4-lane meaning it can be designated as I-49. In addition, the existing roadway designated as AR 549 will be redesignated as I-49. On October 13, 2022, groundbreaking began on the proposed southern extension of Future I-49 with construction expected to occur 2025 and should be completed by 2035 at latest.^[21][22] Phase 1 will be fromAR 22 to H Street. Phase 2 will be from H Street toI-40.^[23][24] The Issue 1 approved in 2020 helped fund the project. This segment was estimated to cost $800 million, almost half of which is going to the bridge over theArkansas River,^[25] although a more recent estimate priced the bridge at $250 million,^[26] raising up to $1 billion in 2024.^[22]ArDOT has mentioned that, after this project, they may work on extending to I-49 southward toY City.^[20][27][28]

On May 25, 2023, ARDOT announced the proposal of a new north–south route to connectAR 612 near theNorthwest Arkansas National Airport to the Bella Vista bypass (I-49) nearCenterton.^[29]

This sectionis missing mileposts for junctions. Please helpadd them.

State	County	Location	mi[30]	km	Old exit[13]	New exit[a]	Destinations	Notes
Arkansas	Miller	​	0.00	0.00			I-49 south –Shreveport	Continuation intoLouisiana
		​	4.27	6.87		4	US 71 –Doddridge
		​	7.15	11.51		6	CR 197
		​	16.73	26.92		16	US 71 –Fouke
		​	18.34	29.52		18	North Fouke Road
		​	23.93	38.51		24	CR 10 –Ferguson
		​	26.58	42.78		26	AR 237
		Texarkana	28.87– 29.72	46.46– 47.83		29A	US 71 –Texarkana	Signed as exit 29 southbound
						29B	ToUS 59 (I-369 north) –Dallas,Houston	Access viaAR 151; exit number not signed southbound
			31.19	50.20		31	AR 196 (Genoa Road)
			32.42	52.17		32	US 82 (9th Street) to 19th Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			33.12	53.30			19th Street toUS 82 (9th Street)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			33.66	54.17		—	US 67 –Texarkana	Closed
			34.59	55.67		35	Four States Fair Parkway / Arkansas Boulevard	Access toTexarkana Regional Airport
			36.64	58.97		37	I-30 east –Hope,Little Rock I-30 west –Texarkana,Dallas	Signed as exits 37A (east) and 37B (west); exits 3A-B on I-30
		​	39.95	64.29		41	Sanderson Lane
Arkansas–Texas state line	Miller–Bowie county line	​	41.49	66.77		42	US 71 north (US 59) –Ashdown,Fort Smith US 71 south (US 59) –Texarkana	Current northern terminus;at-grade intersection; exit number not signed; Texarkana not signed
Texas	Bowie	​				44	I-369 south –Houston	Proposed[31]As of 2025[update], completion of the NE segment (I-369) of the Texarkana Loop extension remains an unfunded proposal.
		​				46	CR 2320 (Hush Puppy Road)	Proposed[31]
Red River					Bridge overRed River Bowie–Little River county line Texas–Arkansas state line
Arkansas	Little River	​				51	CR 23	Proposed[31]
		​				55	AR 32 –Ashdown	Proposed[31]
		​				57	AR 108	Proposed[31]
		Wilton				60	AR 234 –Wilton	Proposed[31]
	Sevier	​				84	US 59 /US 70 /US 71 /US 371 –De Queen	Proposed[31]
		​				93	CR 41 (Tower Road) –Gillham	Proposed[32]
	Polk	Grannis				98	CR 3 –Grannis	Proposed[32]
		​				102	US 278 –Wickes	Proposed[32]
		​				108	AR 246 –Vandervoort	Proposed[32]
		​				121	Boundary Road -Mena	Proposed[32]
		​				126	AR 88 –Mena	Proposed[32]
		​				132	CR 70	Proposed[32]
	Scott	"Y" City				143	US 71 /US 270	Proposed[32]
		​				157	AR 80 –Waldron	Proposed[32]
		​				160	AR 28	Proposed[32]
		​				165	AR 378	Proposed[32]
		Mansfield				171	US 71 –Mansfield	Proposed[32]
	Sebastian	​				175	US 71 –Huntington	Proposed[32]
		​				183	AR 10 –Greenwood	Proposed[32]
		​	0.00	0.00		187	US 71 –Fort Smith	Opened July 14, 2015 as AR 549;[19] current southern terminus of AR 549; future southern terminus of I-49; at-grade intersection
		Fort Smith	3.04	4.89		190	Massard Road	Opened July 14, 2015 as AR 549[19]
			4.47	7.19		191	Roberts Boulevard	Opened July 14, 2015 as AR 549[19]
		Barling	6.49	10.44		193	AR 22 (Fort Street) /AR 255 –Barling	Opened July 14, 2015 as AR 549;[19] current northern terminus of AR 549
	Arkansas River				Bridge Sebastian–Crawford county line
	Crawford	​				196	ToAR 59 / Gun Club Road –Van Buren	Under construction; to be open by 2029[citation needed]
		Kibler				17	ToAR 162 / Clear Creek Road –Kibler	To be open by 2035
		​	19.23	30.95		20	I-40 (US 71) –Van Buren,Fort Smith,Alma,Little Rock	Signed as exits 20A (east) and 20B (west); current southern terminus of I-49; exit 12 on I-40
		Alma	20.31	32.69		21	Collum Lane
		​	23.67	38.09		24	AR 282 –Rudy
		​	29.10	46.83		29	ToAR 282 –Mountainburg	Access viaAR 282S
		​	33.53	53.96		34	AR 282 –Chester
	Washington	​	41.14– 41.44	66.21– 66.69	Bobby Hopper Tunnel
		Winslow	44.99	72.40		45	AR 74 –Winslow
		West Fork	52.78	84.94		53	AR 156 west /AR 170 –West Fork
		Greenland	57.88	93.15		58	Greenland
		Fayetteville	60.50	97.37		60	US 71 south (South Fulbright Expressway) /AR 16 east (Razorback Road) /AR 265 south (Cato Springs Road)	US 71 not signed
			61.98	99.75		61	US 71 south (South Fulbright Expressway) –Fayetteville	Southern end of US 71 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
			61.98	99.75			ToUS 62 west (West 15th Street) –Fayetteville[33]	Proposed; northbound exit and southbound entrance
			61.98	99.75		62	US 62 west /AR 180 east (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard)	Southern end of US 62 concurrency
			63.79	102.66		64	AR 16 west / AR 16S east (Wedington Drive)
			64.74	104.19		65	Stephen Carr Memorial Boulevard	Porter Road rededicated in July 2022[34]
			66.96	107.76		67A	AR 112 (Garland Avenue)	Access toUniversity of Arkansas
			67.43	108.52		67B	US 71B north (North Fulbright Expressway)	Interchange opened in November 2017; access to Washington Regional Medical Center and Fayetteville Historic District
		Johnson	69.88	112.46		69	Johnson Mill Boulevard
		Springdale	70.97	114.22		70	Don Tyson Parkway	Opened July 7, 2014[35]
			72.45	116.60		72	US 412 (Sunset Avenue)
			73.86	118.87		73	Elm Springs Road
	Benton		76.15	122.55		76	Wagon Wheel Road
			77.55	124.80		77	AR 612 west (Springdale Northern Bypass) /Future I-42 –Elm Springs,Cave Springs	Current eastern terminus and exit 13 on AR 612; Future eastern terminus of I-42
			77.55	124.80			AR 612 east (Springdale Northern Bypass)	Proposed
		Lowell	78.90	126.98		78	AR 264 (West Monroe Avenue)	Access toNorthwest Arkansas National Airport
		Rogers	81.01	130.37		81	Pleasant Grove Road
			82.79	133.24		82	Promenade Boulevard / West Pauline Whittaker Parkway
			83.90	135.02		83	Pinnacle Hills Parkway / West New Hope Road
		Rogers–Bentonville line	85.30	137.28		85	US 71B south (West Walnut Street) / SE Walton Boulevard
		Bentonville	86.80	139.69		86	US 62 east (Hudson Road) /AR 102 west (SE 14th Street)	Northern end of US 62 concurrency
			87.29	140.48		87	8th Street
			88.81	142.93		88	AR 72 east (East Central Avenue)	Signed as exits 88A (east) and 88B (west) northbound
			92.49	148.85	93	91	US 71 north –Bentonville,Bella Vista	Northern end of US 71 concurrency; access to Bentonville via N. Walton Blvd.;single-point urban interchange[36]
		Gravette	98.28	158.17	99	97	AR 72 –Centerton
			101.23	162.91	102	100	AR 72 –Gravette
		Bella Vista	103.63	166.78	104	102	CR 34 (Rocky Dell Hollow Road)
		​					I-49 north –Joplin	Continuation intoMissouri
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

• Boston Mountains Scenic Loop

• Media related toInterstate 49 in Arkansas at Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 49
Previous state: Louisiana	Arkansas	Next state: Texas
Previous state: Texas		Next state: Missouri

• Interstate Highways in Arkansas
• Interstate 49
• Transportation in Benton County, Arkansas
• Transportation in Crawford County, Arkansas
• Transportation in Miller County, Arkansas
• Transportation in Sebastian County, Arkansas
• Transportation in Washington County, Arkansas

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