TRAFFIC ALERT: I-49 Missouri/Arkansas Connector in McDonald County OPEN to Traffic Sept. 30

Where: I-49 Missouri/Arkansas Connector in McDonald County between Pineville and Missouri/Arkansas state line

When: as of 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30

What: Final five (5) miles of I-49 in McDonald County between Pineville and Missouri/Arkansas state line is OPEN to traffic. With completion of the project, drivers can now travel the 290 miles between Kansas City and Fort Smith, Arkansas on a new four-lane divided interstate highway.

Project Information: A project to build the final five (5) miles of I-49 in Missouri began in April 2020 after the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the project.

The transformation of U.S. Route 71 to I-49 in Missouri has taken decades to accomplish. Planning for the final series of projects was begun in the late 1980s, with construction beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through 2012 when construction ended near Pineville.

Work on the final leg of I-49 began when MoDOT’s regional partner, Northwest Arkansas Planning Commission (NWARPC), received a $25 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) federal grant. Those funds were added to approximately $45 million from MoDOT to complete the project.

A celebration to mark the completion of the I-49 Missouri-Arkansas Connector was held Thursday, September 30 hosted by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on the Missouri/Arkansas state line near Jane.

 

(For more information, call MoDOT in Springfield at 417-895-7600 or visit www.modot.org/southwest)

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Districts Involved
Southwest