Interstate 540 Arkansas - Interstate Travel Information
Interstate 540 Arkansas
Routing
Interstate 540 begins at U.S. 271 in southern Fort Smith, travels northeast through Fort Smith to Interstate 40, and follows Interstate 40 east for five miles to Exit 12. From Exit 12, Interstate 540 follows a new freeway alignment to Bentonville, ending at its interchange with U.S. 71 (Exit 93). The freeway passes through the only highway tunnel in Arkansas, the Bobby Hopper Tunnel (0.3 miles long; opened in 1999 and named for a former Arkansas Highway Commission director). All of Interstate 540 lies on High Priority Corridor 1 (Future Interstate 49), and once it connects to another Interstate at the other end, it is possible that portions of Interstate 540 will become recommissioned as Interstate 49.
History
Originally commissioned as a spur from Interstate 40 at Van Buren southwest toward Fort Smith, Arkansas, Interstate 540 was signed as an east-west route. This routing lasted from the early 1970s (based on Rand McNally maps of Fort Smith) and remains in place today.
However, this was to be just the starting point for a much longer Interstate 540, which was extended in lieu of designating the highway north of Interstate 40 as Interstate 49. The freeway section was initially signed as Arkansas 540 as the freeway was built in stages during the mid to late 1990s. While Arkansas 540 was initially denied for the Interstate 49 designation on April 25, 1997, it was approved as Interstate 540 by AASHTO on November 14, 1997. This section of Interstate 540 would extend from the former northern end of Interstate 540 to Business U.S. 71 north of Fayetteville. The condition of the November 1997 approval was that Interstate 540 would be initially signed as a future route. Once the new designation was approved, Interstate 540 was signed as north-south on both segments on either side of Interstate 40; the Interstate 540 extension was made official on January 8, 1999, when the complete route was opened from Interstate 40 north to Fayetteville.
Interstate 540 continued to grow. On April 7, 2000, the Route Numbering subcommittee of AASHTO approved the extension of Interstate 540 from Business U.S. 71 north of Fayetteville to the interchange with U.S. 62 in Rogers.
Interstate 540 was extended northward to Fayetteville and Springdale in 1999, taking over the route of Arkansas 540 (the first segment of which opened to traffic in 1995 between Interstate 40 and Mountainburg; a subsequent extension in 1998 brought the Arkansas 540 freeway to Fayetteville, thus connecting that city to the Interstate Highway System for the first time). As a result of this tremendous extension northward, Interstate 540 was forced to share a three-mile duplex with its parent, but the extension via Arkansas 540 was tremendous, with the rest of the addition consisting of a new freeway parallel to U.S. 71 northward through the Boston Mountains. At no time did Interstate 540 or Arkansas 540 carry the U.S. 71 designation; U.S. 71 is routed along the Boston Mountains Scenic Byway. This freeway is an engineering marvel, as it has major cuts through the Boston Mountains and passes through the Bobby Hopper Tunnel between Exits 34 and 45.
On May 16, 2000, Interstate 540 was extended again, this time to U.S. 62 at Rogers.2 At the time, Highway Commissioner Jonathan Barnett indicated that the "ultimate goal is to upgrade the entire Highway 71 corridor in western Arkansas to an Interstate" standard facility. 2 In 2001, Interstate 540 was extended once again, this time to the city of Bentonville (perhaps best known as home of Wal-Mart) at Exit 93 (U.S. 71).
An extension of the Interstate 540 freeway (along with an improved U.S. 71) is currently planned as a toll road around Bella Vista, a few miles south of the Missouri State Line. The Bella Vista Bypass Interstate 540 extension would cost $248 million, and a completion date is unknown (due to the funding gap in Arkansas). Completion could not occur any earlier than 2012. This 20-mile extension is currently planned as a toll road, with toll approval reached by the state of Arkansas on April 13, 2006. Subsequent traffic studies question the amount of toll revenue generated by the bypass, and that led to a gap in funding of $139 million. Missouri official then removed funding for the bypass once they learned of the gap for the Arkansas section, but that does not mean the project is dead; it is delayed. It is likely that the Interstate designation will continue north as additional freeway segments are constructed.4, 5 By connecting with the already existing U.S. 71 freeway, Interstate 540 could extend all the way north to Interstate 44.
The future of Interstate 540 lies within High Priority Corridors 1 and 37: Interstate 49, the North-South Corridor. Interstate 49 is proposed for construction from Shreveport, Louisiana, north to Kansas City, Missouri, via the U.S. 71 corridor. The segment of Interstate 540 from Interstate 40 Exit 12 northward to the Missouri state line will eventually be a part of the northern extension of Interstate 49 (currently no portions of Interstate 49 exist between Fort Smith and Texarkana). The section of Interstate 540 from Interstate 40 to Interstate 44 would likely be officially designated after the Bella Vista Bypass is complete.
Interestingly enough, the original Interstate 540 in Fort Smith is not a part of the Interstate 49 project. Furthermore, when the Arkansas 540 freeway was submitted for inclusion in the Interstate System, Interstate 49 was originally submitted. It was rejected because at that time the freeway did not connect to the Interstate System to the north. That will change as ongoing construction results in a freeway link to Interstate 44 in Missouri within the next several years, so it will be interesting to see how the new segments of freeway are designated.
Planned Improvements
A couple of new interchangea were built on Interstate 540 north of Interstate 40 since the freeway was first constructed. The first new interchange was constructed near milepost 21 to serve the town of Alma. The intersecting highway is Collum Lane (Crawford County Route 19). The next interchange northward is three miles away at Arkansas 282 and to the south is the Interstate 40/540 junction. Grading for the northbound off-ramp was in progress as of September 2003.1 A second new interchange was created for Exit 82, Promende Boulevard.
Mileage
State
Mileage
Cities
Junctions
Arkansas
80.72
Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Bella Vista
Interstate 40
Source: October 31, 2002 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
Western Terminus - U.S. 271 - south of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Perspective from Interstate 540 west
The last Interstate 540 mainline exit is at Exit 14. The interchange serves U.S. 271 north into Fort Smith and Arkansas 253 south to Bonanza. The original segment of Interstate 540, from the Oklahoma state line to Interstate 40, sees its mile markers backwards from the standard south to north or east to west convention. Thus, the southern most interchange is Exit 14 instead of Exit 1. The zero mile-marker is posted at Interstate 40 instead of at the Oklahoma state line. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Continuing beyond Exit 14 of Interstate 540 sees U.S. 271 enter the divided highway and proceed to the state line. This photograph looks at a southbound reassurance shield at the Oklahoma border. The asphalt roadway is in the Sooner State. The next significant destination for the highway is in 29 miles at the Poteau. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Perspective from U.S. 271 north
Northbound on U.S. 271, just prior to the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line. If Interstate 540 begins where the asphalt changes to concrete, it is a hidden start. The eastern terminus of Oklahoma 9 occurs at the state line with U.S. 271. The cross-state highway begins at the Texas state line near the town of Badge. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Perspective from Interstate 540 east
The first northbound exit of Interstate 540, the northern terminus of Arkansas 253 at Exit 14. This interchange sees U.S. 271 leave for its final two plus miles into Fort Smith itself. The northern terminus of the federal highway occurs with Business U.S. 71 at Zero Street. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
The first Interstate 540 reassurance shield, posted just past the Exit 14 departure of U.S. 271. Interstate 540 will pick up U.S. 71 in two miles, carrying the federal highway through to Interstate 40. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Perspective from U.S. 271 south
U.S. 271 southbound at the Exit 14 diamond interchange of Interstate 540. The directional signs indicate that Interstate 540 travels to the north only, strongly suggesting this exit marks the terminus point. Continuing straight takes one onto the southbound beginning of Arkansas 253. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Original Eastern Terminus - Interstate 40 - Van Buren, Arkansas
Perspective from Interstate 40 east
Prior to the 1999 extension, Interstate 540 terminated at Interstate 40 seven miles from the Oklahoma state line. This vidcap shows Interstate 40 eastbound where Interstate 540 began its south-southwesterly trek toward Fort Smith. The original 14 mile segment of Interstate 540 is signed east-west. Vidcap taken by Alex Nitzman (05/28/95).
Perspective from Interstate 40/540 west
Westbound Interstate 40 and 540 and U.S. 71 southbound, as they draw to within one mile of their split. U.S. 71 departs Interstate 40 via Interstate 540 south. A Business U.S. 71 counterpart comes into play at Exit 1 of Interstate 540. The business route represents the original U.S. 71 as it overlaps with U.S. 64 on a parallel alignment of Interstate 40/540 to the east. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/19/02).
0.25 miles from the historic eastern terminus of Interstate 540/Exit 7. There are two Van Buren exits of Interstate 540 before the freeway crosses into Fort Smith over the Arkansas River. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/19/02).
The historic westbound beginning of Interstate 540 departs Interstate 40 west. The next westbound interchange also serves Van Buren as it connects with Arkansas 59 at Exit 5. Interstate 540 also has an interchange with this state highway at its Exit 3. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/19/02).
Southbound Interstate 540 at Interstate 40 - northeast of Fort Smith
This photo shows Interstate 540 southbound at its interchange with Interstate 40 northeast of Fort Smith. Although this interchange was never a terminal point for Interstate 540, it was the former southern end of Arkansas 540, and it may serve as a temporary southern end to a two-digit Interstate, pending when the section of Interstate 49 from Texarkana north to Fort Smith is constructed. Photo taken by Jeff Royston (08/15/04).
Current Northern Terminus - U.S. 71 - Bentonville, Arkansas (Exit 93)
No photos of this terminus are currently available; if you have one to share, please contact us.
Former Northern Terminus - U.S. 62 - Rogers, Arkansas (Exit 86)
Perspective from Interstate 540 north
Two views of the northern terminus of Interstate 540 near Rogers. Interstate 540 used to officially end at Exit 86/Arkansas 102, which is the departure of U.S. 62 eastbound to Rogers. The U.S. 71 freeway however, continues northward another seven miles around Bentonville. Photos taken by Jeremy Lance (Fall 2000).
Perspective from U.S. 71 south
U.S. 71 southbound at Exit 86/U.S. 62 east/Arkansas 102. This exit marks the northernmost point in which the expressway is signed as Interstate 540. North of this exit the remaining seven miles of the expressway is merely signed as U.S. 71. As with the other end, there is no 'End' sign at the terminus. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (12/09/02).
Footnotes:
Backlin, David. "New Interchange u/c I-540 (AR)." Online posting, misc.transport.road, September 17, 2003.
