Will I-49 follow the existing US 71 route? Why isn’t MO 249 being incorporated into the I-49 corridor?
The I-49 corridor will follow the existing US 71 from I-435 at the Grandview Triangle in Kansas City to I-44 at Fidelity in Jasper County.
The utilization of the current MO 171/MO 249 corridor as an interstate is not possible due to the presence of traffic signals at interchange ramps at US 71/MO 171/MO 96 near Carthage.
Bringing the MO 171/MO 249 corridor to interstate standards would require substantial additional funding.
Was the Kansas City-to-Joplin segment Missouri’s priority all along?
No. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission initially committed the funding for the Bella Vista bypass. However, after learning of funding shortfalls in Arkansas in 2008 the
commission and MoDOT began preparing for the possibility of utilizing the funding between Kansas City and Joplin.
After holding the funding for five years and only after Arkansas announced that it would be able to move forward with only a two-lane Bella Vista bypass over the next six years, the commission decided to shift part of the funding to the Kansas City-to-Joplin segment.
When Arkansas can fund the four-lane Bella Vista bypass, Missouri
will move forward with that project. All the necessary property has been acquired and the design plans are ready.
Why switch focus from Bella Vista Bypass to Kansas City-to-Joplin segment?
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) committed funding in 2005 in anticipation of Arkansas having the funding to move forward
with a four-lane Bella Vista bypass.
Five years later, that funding remains unused and Arkansas only has enough funding to move forward with a two-lane bypass over the next six years. The MHTC believes it should capitalize on the opportunity to bring I-49 to Missouri by using part of the funding to upgrade the segment between Kansas City and Joplin, while still matching the progress Arkansas makes on the Bella Vista bypass.
Why is the I-49 designation important?
We believe the interstate designation enhances economic opportunities for the state. A major factor in the decision-making process for locating businesses is access to quality transportation, particularly interstate highways.
The I-49 designation will ensure this factor is not an obstacle for the communities along the US 71 corridor between Kansas City and Joplin. Plus, the I-49 designation benefits Kansas City’s development as an “inland port” for the flow of freight throughout the country, and it serves the traditional
trucking hub in Joplin.
Traffic on the US 71 corridor between Kansas City and Joplin already consists of 30 percent trucks.
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