LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Construction of a bypass around the city of Corning, Arkansas, is expected to start in 2025, as part of the next phase of future Interstate 57 as it crosses the Missouri border.
A long-awaited decision on the route for that section of the corridor was released last week by the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
It marks great news for the progress of I-57, according to Bill Robison, chairman of the Highway 67 Corporation, which has headed efforts in Butler County for upgrades to Highway 67 north and south as part of the corridor.
“The progress that Arkansas is making on the I-57 Corridor is great news. This corridor is important as to safety and economic security as well as the movement of goods and services in our country, especially important to us in the Midwest,” said Robison.
A Record of Decision has been issued by the Federal Highway Administration regarding the selection of the route between the Missouri state line and Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.
This concludes the National Environmental Policy Act process and begins the final design and right-of-way acquisition phases for that part of the Arkansas project.
It will construct a 42-mile, four-lane interstate highway between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri State line. Design Public Hearings will be held for each construction project before construction begins to present more refined project design information.
The first phase of construction along this alignment will be the construction of the bypass Corning.
“The news of completing the environmental study, selecting the route location between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri state line and the start of construction at Corning in 2025 is remarkable. Seeing the 42 miles in Arkansas begin and be funded certainly provides us the opportunity and desire to continue on our quest to complete Missouri’s 12 miles.” Robison said, referring to the referring 12 miles of two-lane road awaiting expansion on Highway 67 south.
When completed, I-57 will stretch 347 miles between Little Rock and St. Louis, and 643 miles between Little Rock and Chicago, according to Robison.
Alec Farmer, chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission, explained the positive impact this will have on the regional economy.
“The Future I-57 corridor is critical for commerce in Arkansas and will increase mobility between the south-central United States and the Midwest. This route also will provide a better connection to an existing and underutilized interstate bridge across the Mississippi River,” he stated.
The Selected Alternative was chosen due to the high economic growth potential, fewer impacts to properties and farms, fewer stream impacts, close alignment with Highway 67, and being preferred by the public and the Missouri Department of Transportation, according to statements from ArDOT.
It begins at the Highway 67/Highway 412 interchange in Walnut Ridge, extends north across the Black River east of Pocahontas, then northeast towards Corning, and finally north to the Missouri state line.
Interchanges are proposed at County Line Road (Randolph and Lawrence Counties), Highway 304, Hile Road, Duck Levee Road, Highway 67 west of Corning, Highway 67 north of Corning, and State Line Road at the Missouri State line. An interim four-lane connection to Highway 67 was included in the document to provide a short-term connection to Highway 67 should Arkansas complete its portion of I-57 before Missouri.
The Selected Alternative, preliminary design, Final Environmental Impact Statement, and ROD documents can be viewed at the project website: future57.transportationplanroom.com