The reassignment of a highway in southwest Arkansas will require several changes, including the route around a city and the renumbering of some exits.
A corridor of what is currently Highway 245 will be re-designated as Highway 549, stretching from Doddridge to Texarkana, a news release from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department states.
Exit numbering on the Highway 549 corridor will begin on the southern end of the highway with 12 off-ramps being effected, according to the release. The exit changes will start with exit 1 and end with exit 41.
The opening of Highway 549 and subsequent changes to the exit assignments will go in to effect within a month, with the official opening date to be announced at a later time, the release states.
The roadway will begin its path along an existing stretch of Highway 245. When the roadway reaches Arkansas Boulevard in Texarkana, the new Highway 549 will extend northeast and cross Interstate 30. The passage will then turn west, intersecting with what is currently Highway 71, just north of the city.
The changes are in accordance with the future Interstate 49 project, which will link the Gulf of Mexico with Canada through the western part of the state, according to the release.
