The transportation, housing and urban-development appropriations legislation that passed the U.S. Senate on Thursday included a provision by U.S. Sen. John Boozman that would allow parts of U.S. 67 to be designated as "Future Interstate 57."
The Rogers Republican's amendment would affect the 120-mile stretch of road between North Little Rock and Walnut Ridge.
"The provision would also give Arkansas the ability to request that any segment of the road that is built to interstate standards be officially added to the federal interstate system as 'I-57,'" a Boozman news release said.
"Arkansas has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to make Highway 67 an interstate-quality road, and this brings our state one step closer to calling it what it is, Future Interstate 57," the senator said in the release.
Several communities along the highway had passed resolutions in favor of the provision, a Boozman spokesman said.