A Step CloserOpening of Bella Vista Bypass anothermilestone in long I-49 journey

Interstate 49 began as a idea back in 1965. And for a long time, it seemed it might remain mostly in the hopes and dreams of supporters.

The idea was a north-south corridor connecting Kansas City to New Orleans. After a lot of hard work, I-49 is now a reality -- well, for the most part.

Construction began in 1981 in Louisiana. It progressed, if much more slowly than most expected or wanted. Over the years, there have been milestones -- most notably for our area in 2016 when I-49 between Texarkana and Shreveport opened to traffic.

And now with the recent dedication of the Bella Vista Bypass in Northwest Arkansas, the interstate highway is mostly complete. The only part of the puzzle still missing is the stretch of I-49 between Texarkana and Fort Smith, Arkansas.

That final leg is important to the Twin Cities. We are poised to become a transportation hub from the Southern ports to the Midwest and on to Canada.

Every mile of I-49 has been hard-won, Political will and funding don't always meet in the same place at the same time. The initial plan for the Interstate Highway System began construction in 1956. The original project was completed in 1992. It took 36 years. That's for a system of highways that criss-cross the nation.

Work has been going on for 40 years on I-49 alone.

We applaud those public officials and community leaders who have, over all that time, tenaciously fought for I-49. And one day -- hopefully sooner than later -- Texarkana will be hosting a ribbon cutting of it's own as the project is finally completed.

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