Ark. DOT studies possible first toll road for state

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Updated Jan 5, 2018
A photo of construction of the I-49/Highway 412 Bypass interchange in October 2016.A photo of construction of the I-49/Highway 412 Bypass interchange in October 2016.

A future Interstate 49 and whether it will become Arkansas’ first toll road are being considered, with public meetings likely coming in early 2018, reports KFSM news station.

The interstate section being considered would stretch from Barling to Alma over the Arkansas River. The Arkansas Department of Transportation has commissioned a study on charging tolls on the future highway section.

The study is scheduled to be completed next fall, and public meetings are expected at the first of 2018 to get public input on the project, the station reports.

Interstate 49 would eventually stretch from New Orleans to Kansas City, where it would link with Interstate 29, which extends to Winnipeg, Canada. Portions of the highway have been constructed elsewhere and are being constructed in Arkansas.

The Interstate 49 International Coalition says the highway is about 80 percent complete, with the Arkansas portion between Texarkana and Fort Smith among the remaining pieces to be built. The state is still trying to come up with the $2.5 billion needed for the project.