New Arkansas Highway To Be Dedicated

It's only a four-and-a-half mile stretch of highway, but South Arkansas leaders are hoping its completion will be the beginning of an interstate project to bring economic growth to the region. Tuesday, the two-lane highway -- designated Arkansas 530 on the new state map -- will be dedicated. It goes from Highway 278 near Wilmar to Highway 35. Many see it as a sign of things to come, in particular a four-lane road connecting Interstate 530 at Pine Bluff to the future Interstate 69. The proposed interstate is to pass by Wilmar on its way to becoming a highway stretching from Mexico to Canada. The Federal Highway Administration approved the I-69 route through much of Arkansas last month. But there is still no funding for the road.