Following a ceremony in Beebe commemorating the conversion of 110 miles of U.S. Highway 67 to Interstate 57, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has announced the next phase of the Future I-57 Corridor.
ARDOT will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Corning Bypass at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the former ARDOT Weigh Station, 6584 U.S. Highway 67, in Corning.
The 4.1-mile bypass, a $55 million project, is the next segment of Future I-57 from Walnut Ridge to the Missouri state line.
The Corning Bypass will be built along a new route that will integrate into the future I-57 corridor. I-57 is a 400-mile north-south corridor stretching from Chicago, Illinois, to Sikeston, Missouri. ARDOT describes the corridor as “a critical pathway for commerce and economic development in Arkansas.”
The department said the entirety of the 240-mile Future I-57 Corridor from North Little Rock to Sikeston, Missouri, was designated a “high-priority corridor,” paving the way for it to become an interstate highway. Since then, work on the corridor has continued, with funding allocated for portions of the future link between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri state line.
ARDOT has released a video explaining the significance of Interstate designation, and what this moment means for Arkansas.
When I-57 is complete, ARDOT says regional mobility will be improved for all users of the transportation system. The interstate will reduce truck traffic congestion along Interstate 40 between West Memphis and Little Rock and along Interstate 55 between West Memphis and Sikeston, Missouri. It will serve as a direct connection between Little Rock and Chicago, bypassing both St. Louis, Missouri, and Springfield, Illinois, and spanning 640 miles.
The south end of the new Corning Bypass will begin at U.S. Highway 67 just south of Corning, near County Road 135, and stretch northeast, reconnecting with Highway 67 north of Corning near County Road 146. An overpass at County Road 139 will provide a north-south connection for local traffic.
The new roadway will be a four-lane divided highway with inside and outside shoulders.
Arkansas State Highway Commissioner Alec Farmer
“When complete, the I-57 corridor will increase mobility between the south-central United States and the Midwest, while also connecting most of your major east-west routes across the United States,” said Arkansas State Highway Commissioner Alec Farmer. “Building out this corridor in Arkansas will result in safer transportation, faster transportation, and potential economic growth for the region.”
“We are thrilled to have earned official I-57 designation along Highway 67 from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, and we are committed to finishing the missing link between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri state line,” said ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “Constructing the Corning Bypass is the first step in that mission, and we’re excited to celebrate this important milestone.”
ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor
This $55 million project was awarded to Koss Construction Company of Topeka, Kansas. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with work scheduled for completion in late 2027.
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