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I-49 & I-540 in Fort Smith, AR — Getting Around the River Valley

For a mid-sized city, Fort Smith has an unusually consequential highway story — one that’s still being written. The interstate network here connects the River Valley to Interstate 40 and the national freight system, and a long-planned extension of Interstate 49 through the area is finally under construction. If you’re new to town or trying to understand why “I-540” and “I-49” both show up on local maps, this guide untangles it.

I-540: the local spur

The interstate that most Fort Smith residents drive every day is Interstate 540, a spur that loops off Interstate 40 near Van Buren, crosses the Arkansas River, and runs down the east side of Fort Smith. It’s the main north-south artery tying the city into the interstate system, funneling commuters and freight between Fort Smith, Van Buren, and I-40.

There’s a historical wrinkle that confuses newcomers. For years, “I-540” also referred to the highway running north from Alma up to Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville–Bentonville). That northern stretch was redesignated Interstate 49 in April 2014. So the old northern I-540 is now I-49, while the shorter Fort Smith spur off I-40 kept the I-540 designation. If an old map or a longtime local says “540” and means the road to Fayetteville, that’s why.

The bigger story is that Interstate 49 is being built through the Fort Smith area to close a gap in a corridor meant to run from Kansas City, Missouri, all the way to the Gulf Coast. With the Bella Vista Bypass finished in 2021, I-49 became continuous from the Missouri line down to Alma — but south of Alma, through the Fort Smith metro, the interstate didn’t yet exist as a through route.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is now filling that gap. The planned segment runs roughly 14 miles from Highway 22 in Barling north to I-40 near Alma, east of Fort Smith, broken into multiple construction projects. A centerpiece of the full segment is a new bridge across the Arkansas River — a major engineering component of the corridor.

When complete, this extension will route long-haul I-49 traffic around the east side of the metro through Barling and Chaffee Crossing, improving freight access for local manufacturers and logistics companies and reshaping development patterns on that side of the region.

US-71 and the older route

Before the interstates, the primary north-south road through western Arkansas was US Highway 71, and it still runs through the Fort Smith area as a key surface route — south to Greenwood and north through the Boston Mountains. Much of the I-49 corridor parallels the old US-71 alignment, and US-71 remains a useful alternative and a connector to towns the interstate doesn’t directly serve.

Why it matters locally

Better interstate access is a quiet economic engine. Fort Smith’s economy leans heavily on manufacturing and logistics — including ArcBest, headquartered here (see major employers) — so a completed I-49 corridor that ties the metro directly into the national freight network is a genuine competitive advantage. It also opens land east of the city for industrial and residential growth, particularly around Barling and Chaffee Crossing, where the new interstate and river bridge will land.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between I-49 and I-540 in Fort Smith? I-540 is the spur off I-40 that serves Fort Smith and Van Buren. I-49 is the longer national corridor; the stretch north of Alma to Northwest Arkansas was renamed from I-540 to I-49 in 2014, and a new I-49 segment is now being built through the Fort Smith metro.

Is I-49 finished through Fort Smith? No. As of 2026 the segment from Highway 22 in Barling to I-40 near Alma is under construction in phases, including a new Arkansas River bridge. It is not yet a continuous through route.

Why is Interstate 49 important to the region? Once complete, it will give Fort Smith’s manufacturers and logistics firms a direct interstate link within a corridor running from Kansas City toward the Gulf, and it opens the east side of the metro for new development.