How We See It: Bypass Tries To Find Its Way In Missouri

After years and years of discussion and funding efforts, Bella Vista has finally been bypassed.

Unfortunately, the bypass that matters in this context doesn't involve asphalt; the push to create a highway loop around the west side of the Benton County town can currently be described as lost, at least in Missouri. If Arkansans driving north typed in "construction of the Bella Vista bypass" into a GPS navigation unit, its calm, dispassionate voice could offer one message: "Recalculating ... recalculating ... recalculating ... ."

What’s The Point?

The funding issues with Bella Vista bypass are frustrating, but every mile is a step toward realization of a full Interstate 49 connection to the north.

It's fair to say the effort has been all over the map, and it's hard to discern whether Arkansas and Missouri have any idea how to reach the ultimate destination.

Hey, let's not suggest there haven't been major milestones along the way in Arkansas. A three-mile, $19.9 million segment that bypasses downtown Hiwasse toward the south opened in April, a first step toward creating the bypass. Work is under way on a $13.7 million contract to extend the highway from Hiwasse north to Benton County 34. Work on a six-mile, $52.6 million segment of the Bella Vista bypass from U.S. 71B to Arkansas 72 is also happening right now. Workers are building two lanes of what Arkansas and Missouri hope will one day be a four-lane link of previously completed parts of Interstate 49 in both states. Much of the current work in Arkansas was funded by the statewide 10-year, half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2012.

So where did the project get lost? Once upon a time, Missouri had a pile of cash ready to dedicate to building its portion of the bypass in McDonald County, just north of the Arkansas border. All it needed was a commitment from Arkansas to do its portion. For years, Arkansas couldn't make that commitment because it had no funding source. Then, Arkansas voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 2012, part of which would fund Arkansas' share of the Bella Vista bypass. But Missouri officials had in the interim committed its cash to other projects.

Then, Missouri voters were asked on Aug. 5 to approve a statewide, three-quarter cent tax for highways. With approval, Missouri would have again had the cash to build its portion of the bypass. Voters, however, rejected the new tax.

This bypass has been fully funded in both states now. It's just never been fully funded at the same time. Now, Arkansas waits for more developments in Missouri. The final 2.5 miles of the bypass in Arkansas, from Benton County 34 to the border, won't be built until Missouri finds new money for its part.

We commend the efforts in both states to get this highway built. It's eventually going to happen, just not as efficiently as one might hope. It's hard to be too frustrated with Missouri, which waited for a long time on Arkansas. It's just going to take a while for both states to match up their funding timelines.

We do have one recommendation once funding is in place: Engineers should double- and triple-check the alignment as construction crews build toward the state line. With the Bella Vista bypass' history, it wouldn't be hard to imagine the two roads just missing each other.

Commentary on 08/20/2014

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