CLAY COUNTY | November 6, 2024
The public is invited to join elected officials, members of the Arkansas State Highway Commission, Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials, and other community leaders in Corning at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 14, for a ground-breaking to celebrate the beginning of construction on the Corning Bypass.
The event will be held at the former ARDOT Weigh Station, 6584 U.S. Highway 67, in Corning.
The 4.1-mile bypass will be built on new location that will tie into the Future Interstate 57 (I-57) Corridor, a critical pathway for commerce and economic development in Arkansas.
The Corning Bypass is the next phase of Future I-57 from Walnut Ridge to the Missouri State Line; I-57 currently stretches from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge.
The south end of the bypass will begin at U.S. Highway 67 just south of Corning, near County Road 135. It will stretch northeast, connecting back to Highway 67 north of Corning, near County Road 146. An overpass at County Road 139 will provide a north-south connection for local traffic.
The new roadway will be a four-lane divided highway with inside and outside shoulders.
“When complete, the I-57 corridor will increase mobility between the south-central United States and the Midwest, while also connecting most of your major east-west routes across the United States,” said Arkansas State Highway Commissioner Alec Farmer. “Building out this corridor in Arkansas will result in safer transportation, faster transportation, and potential economic growth for the region.”
“We are thrilled to have earned official I-57 designation along Highway 67 from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge, and we are committed to finishing the missing link between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri State Line,” said ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “Constructing the Corning Bypass is the first step in that mission, and we’re excited to celebrate this important milestone.” This $55 million project was awarded to Koss Construction Company out of Topeka, Kansas. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. Work is scheduled to be completed in late 2027.