Put recent highway news under the what-goes-around-comes-around category.
Missouri voters last week defeated a proposed amendment for new highway money, stalling completion of that state's connection to the Bella Vista bypass.
A lot more than the comparatively small stretch of Interstate 49 is affected by the vote in our neighboring state, but that's the loss for Northwest Arkansas.
Completion of the long-awaited alternative route won't happen anytime soon.
A couple of years back, Missouri had put a priority on the project, intended to bypass the congested U.S. 71 through Bella Vista, providing a safer, faster route between the two states for an ever-growing stream of interstate traffic.
Missouri had the necessary $50 million earmarked for its portion, which is smaller than Arkansas' $150 million part of the project but nevertheless critical to completion. Arkansas couldn't come up with its money at the time, and Missouri redirected its millions to other needs. Southwest Missouri's loss became Kansas City's gain as the money was reallocated to that area.
No one could blame authorities there for the decision. Arkansas' money for the bypass was nowhere to be seen.
That changed, of course, when Arkansas voters later approved a half-percent sales tax for highway improvements, including money for the Bella Vista project.
Arkansas promptly began constructing parts of the project, albeit a two-lane version rather than the long-envisioned four-lane highway.
Last week's vote in Missouri could have provided that state an estimated $540 million annually for road and highway construction. But Missouri voters rejected the proposed three-quarter percent sales tax. The Missouri connection to the Bella Vista bypass was one of more than 800 projects Missouri had listed for the tax receipts.
No money, no highway, at least not now.
The Arkansas portion has inched along, marked most by the completion of a three-mile section in April and ongoing work on other sections. So, what was to be this superhighway around Bella Vista has been reduced for the time being to a local relief road.
An Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department spokesman explained recently the two-lane road under construction does serve the people in western Bella Vista, Gravette and Hiwasse.
Four lanes just aren't necessary until the link between Arkansas and Missouri can be completed and opened to true interstate traffic.
Missouri's progress toward the four-lane objective stops short of the state line and so does Arkansas' effort.
There's no real clue when the situation could change or when the dream road -- the full four-lane link in a north-south Interstate 49 tying Canada to the Gulf of Mexico -- will be a reality.
Danny Straessle, AHTD spokesman, summed up the situation:
"The ultimate four-lane is really only going to serve a good purpose if you have that through-traffic coming down through Missouri. And it doesn't look like we're going to have that in the foreseeable future."
That's precisely why Arkansas highway planners may reconsider money for the last few miles of the bypass. It would literally be a road to nowhere until Missouri completes its part of the road.
The $20 million allocated to those last miles could end up being used elsewhere, just as Missouri's 2012 money was reallocated to other use.
Then there's still that other $50 million Arkansas would need to spend to get the two-lane road converted to four lanes. That's not in the cards at this moment, either.
No matter what priority Arkansas has for the Bella Vista bypass, there's no way so much highway money can sit unused in Arkansas until Missouri is able to pay for its part.
Like it or not, reallocation elsewhere is logical, just as Missouri's decision was two years ago.
What goes around comes around.
BRENDA BLAGG IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME JOURNALIST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
Commentary on 08/10/2014