Arkansas Department of Transportation talks importance of Interstate 49 extension in River Valley

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — An Arkansas joint transportation committee is supporting a $250 million grant that will help pay for a project to extend Interstate 49.

Currently, I-49 runs north to south from Missouri to Louisiana but there’s about a 200-mile gap in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation showed a presentation to the committee on Thursday about the importance of extending it from Alma to Barling.

After the presentation, the committee voted to send a letter of support for the project to the congressional delegation.

“We think that having this project completed to Texarkana and thus having a completed i49 will have one of the biggest economic impacts on the state of Arkansas of anything right now,” ARDOT Highway Commissioner Keith Gibson said.

The 14-mile stretch is expected to be built in seven years and the next project would extend I-49 from Greenwood to Y City.

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