New Tulsa Interstate (US-412)

[Just the facts]

Extremely unlikely—the longest three-digit route in the system is I-476, which is 129 miles long. Perry to Springdale is roughly 181 miles.

Because the major routes get two-digit numbers, politicians generally prefer them for what essentially boils down to marketing reasons.

If it went all the way to Perry then a single 3 digit designation wouldn't make sense, but a 335 to Perry and a 344 to Arkansas would

[scottk]

If it went all the way to Perry then a single 3 digit designation wouldn't make sense, but a 335 to Perry and a 344 to Arkansas would

Might as well push it all the way to Enid, or have a spur to Enid with 50k people and Vance AFB.

[fortpatches]

The new section of I-49 will be 13.6 miles long and cost an estimated $787 million. It requires a new bridge over the Arkansas River expected to cost $300 million to $400 million. The work is expected to be done in several phases.--Northwest Arkansas Democrat, February 7, 2022

Project: $787 million - 13.6 miles long

This is likely the I-49 on the East side of Fort Smith, AR, extending from like Greenwood, AR to Alma, AR where it will connect in with I-49 heading North to Fayetteville. They have the portion in Greenwood/Fort Chaffee done - and it has been for quite a few years now. It is the oddest / most awkward thing to drive right now, it is an Interstate that is only a couple miles long and seems to start and end nowhere.

[jompster]

No, I-49 is working its way up to Kansas City.

[BG918]

No, I-49 is working its way up to Kansas City.

I-49 replaced US 71 from Joplin to Kansas City. The stretch between Texarkana and Fort Smith needs a LOT of work and will be very expensive due to the rough terrain. I don’t see I-49 being “finished” for decades.

[MagzOK]

49 is great from Texarkana all the way south through Louisiana. We take this route to BTR instead of the old way through Dallas and it's a heck of a lot easier. One they finished between TXK and SHV, we started taking 40 east to the Indian Nation south to Paris then over 82 to 49. No fighting on 35 and no battling the trucks on 20. Traffic on 49 is so light you can pretty much travel on cruise control all the way down to Lafayette and north of SHV I've often wondered if it really was necessary because you may not see another vehicle for 10 minutes at a time.

[BG918]

49 is great from Texarkana all the way south through Louisiana. We take this route to BTR instead of the old way through Dallas and it's a heck of a lot easier. One they finished between TXK and SHV, we started taking 40 east to the Indian Nation south to Paris then over 82 to 49. No fighting on 35 and no battling the trucks on 20. Traffic on 49 is so light you can pretty much travel on cruise control all the way down to Lafayette and north of SHV I've often wondered if it really was necessary because you may not see another vehicle for 10 minutes at a time.

Sounds like the Indian Nation Turnpike. Very scenic though, I bet it was expensive to build through the mountains.

If you've never been take Hwy 1 from Alexandria to Baton Rouge. It winds around oxbow lakes and swampland and there's a cool bridge over the Atchafalaya River. Good hole-in-the-wall Cajun restaurants in some of the small towns too.

[MagzOK]

^^
Oh absolutely! My dad is from Alexandria and we frequented BTR from west Texas to see family while I was growing up. I remember taking HWY 1 from SHV all the way down -- a teeny tiny 2-lane for the majority of it and people fishing for crawfish in the ditches just inches from the highway! I remember I was 15 when they opened a big portion of 49 between SHV and AEX because I had just received my learners permit and I was able to drive the family on it.

Agree on the food options! Try Lea's Lunchroom in LeCompte if you haven't. Though not cajun, it has some of the best ham and cheese sandwiches and homemade pies. My grandpa is in numerous pictures on the wall with Mr. Lea.

[Plutonic Panda]

Open house with a survey on June 6th

Description
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) are initiating a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study of U.S. 412. The study is being performed in coordination with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The PEL Study limits are from I-35 in Noble County, Oklahoma to I-49 in Benton County, Arkansas, a distance of 190 miles. The overarching goal is to develop a master plan to support the transition from a U.S. Highway to an interstate, in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
ODOT and ARDOT anticipate incorporating recommendations made as part of the PEL Study into future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies, per Title 23 of the U.S. Code, Part 168.

- https://oklahoma.gov/odot/programs-a.../20230606.html

[Hollywood]

Stumbled upon this topic and I am stoked. I commute every week between OKC and our farm in McDonald's County on the Missouri side of the border from Bella Vista and Bentonville and this could theoretically save me a chunk of time compared to taking 60 through Fairland and Seneca.

[BG918]

It's been mentioned but Arkansas has the most work to do to make this a reality. The Cimarron Turnpike and 412 is already mostly "interstate-grade" from I-35 through Tulsa. There are a handful of interchanges that need to be rebuilt east of the Creek Turnpike and then the Cherokee Turnpike is mostly "interstate-grade" from the Neosho River to just west of the AR state line. Arkansas needs to rebuild the highway around Siloam Springs and through Springdale to connect to I-49.

[TornadoKegan]

I 50 Maybe i am thinking I-48

[Plutonic Panda]

I wish it would be I-50. An I-50 interstate from I-49 all the way to I-25 would be amazing. One can dream.

[BG918]

I wish it would be I-50. An I-50 interstate from I-49 all the way to I-25 would be amazing. One can dream.

While dreaming add an extension of I-45 from Dallas to Tulsa to take the place of 75/69 (and bypasses Atoka, Henryetta and Okmulgee)

[Swake]

It's been mentioned but Arkansas has the most work to do to make this a reality. The Cimarron Turnpike and 412 is already mostly "interstate-grade" from I-35 through Tulsa. There are a handful of interchanges that need to be rebuilt east of the Creek Turnpike and then the Cherokee Turnpike is mostly "interstate-grade" from the Neosho River to just west of the AR state line. Arkansas needs to rebuild the highway around Siloam Springs and through Springdale to connect to I-49.

Here's the plan for the upgrades between Tulsa and the Cimarron Turnpike:
https://oklahoma.gov/odot/progress-a...signation.html

The total budget is $130 million of which $84 million is from a Federal INFRA/MEGA Grant. The project is under design now. Construction is set to start in mid 2025 and be completed by the end of 2028.

This will not include the section in Oklahoma from the end of the Cimarron to the Arkansas state line in Siloam Springs. I assume that little section will be an extension of the turnpike, but it will required a highway to connect with on the Arkansas side, which is likely a long way off, unless Arkansas starts allowing Turnpikes.

[Swake]

While dreaming add an extension of I-45 from Dallas to Tulsa to take the place of 75/69 (and bypasses Atoka, Henryetta and Okmulgee)

Yeah, that would be great, and would reduce traffic on I-35, speed the trip from Dallas to Tulsa (and I-44) and just make good sense. But it would cost way over a billion dollars, if not billions of dollars to upgrade US-75/69. The state really royally screwed up with the Indian Nations Turnpike going to Atoka instead of Durant.

[Plutonic Panda]

While dreaming add an extension of I-45 from Dallas to Tulsa to take the place of 75/69 (and bypasses Atoka, Henryetta and Okmulgee)

Yeah that would be ideal as well.

I also wish the soon to be interstate on the 412 would be toll free.

[scottk]

Yeah that would be ideal as well.

I also wish the soon to be interstate on the 412 would be toll free.

Keep wishing.

Pretty much all of I-44 in Oklahoma remains a turnpike with the interstate designation. Turner, H.E. Bailey, and Will Rogers.

A good chunk of I-35 in Kansas is on the Kansas Turnpike too.

[Wayward Memphian]

This should extend east of NWA through Northark to Jonesboro generally following US 412 and tie into I-55 near Jonesboro as an extension of I-22.

[UrbanistPoke]

This should extend east of NWA through Northark to Jonesboro generally following US 412 and tie into I-55 near Jonesboro as an extension of I-22.

That is the long-term plan, but I-49 is the priority for Arkansas DOT to finish first. Problem is the I-49 segment south of Fort Smith is VERY expensive to finish and the terrain east of Springdale for 412 to connect into Jonesboro is not an easier/cheaper to build through. I-40 needs an alternative route to and Memphis needs another bridge across the Mississippi. It would make sense to have a northern route around Memphis across the Mississippi that would hook into the Jonesboro extension that connects to NWA > Tulsa > I-35. Could even bring down a connection from the I-55/57/69 mess in Southwest Missouri/West Kentucky and hook into a new east-west interstate that could be a reliever from traffic coming from Ohio River Valley as well. Problem is always funding though. Likely will never happen in the next 20-30 years unless Congress ever starts taking infrastructure more seriously.

[Plutonic Panda]

If we’re talking a wishlist boy do I have a post to make about interstates I’d like to see and will post in a bit.

[Just the facts]

I wish it would be I-50. An I-50 interstate from I-49 all the way to I-25 would be amazing. One can dream.

There will never be an I-50 because of it would be located to close to US 50 which violates their numbering requiements.

[jedicurt]

There will never be an I-50 because of it would be located to close to US 50 which violates their numbering requiements.

i mean it just takes the Federal Highway Administration to approve it. so I wouldn't say it will never be. That was the position held by the FWA at the time of the initial building of the Interstate System. but there is no law that prevents it.

[Plutonic Panda]

i mean it just takes the Federal Highway Administration to approve it. so I wouldn't say it will never be. That was the position held by the FWA at the time of the initial building of the Interstate System. but there is no law that prevents it.

Yep. But unfortunately the reality is it is unlikely it will be I-50.

My plan would run this hypothetical intestate from I-55 all the way to an extended I-17 from Flagstaff to I-70 with a tunnel under Moab. The tunnel is sorely needed as Moab is packed with semis and UTVs along with tons of pedestrians on 191 downtown.

I-50 would roughly follow US-412 to I-25 running concurrent I-25 down to Bernalillo. To make it somewhat realistic it would have to run concurrent and follow US-550 to around Farmington somehow worming around to an extended I-17 around Monticello.

And yes, I’m aware we’ll probably have interstates on Mars before this plan but as someone who travels this area sometimes several times a month it is needed. Especially in the summer when traffic can get packed and annoying in northern Arizona and Utah.

[UrbanistPoke]

The new number of this interstate is 95% official and will be I-42. That's been the official request from Oklahoma DOT, Arkansas DOT, Regional chambers, etc. to USDOT/Federal Highway Admin. It aligns with 412 as well, you're just removing the 1 lol.

Arkansas DOT has done feasibility studies of 412 from Springdale to Jonesboro so it is on their radar to extend the corridor and connect it into Memphis eventually. That is a long, long way down the road though - just not the funding for it and I-49 is the priority for rural area construction projects outside of NWA & Little Rock priority projects.