Interstate 49 in Missouri

Currently, the southern terminus of this portion of Interstate 49 is located near Pineville, Missouri, but construction is underway to extend the freeway to the border with Arkansas and connect it with the Bella Vista Bypass.[2][3][4][5]. It passes through many smaller communities before reaching Joplin. In Joplin, I-49 junctions with I-44 and begins a short overlap with I-44 for exits 11 through 18.

Just a few miles east of Joplin, I-49 leaves I-44 and heads north and enters Carthage. I-49 then passes through Nevada and other communities before reaching the Kansas City area. I-49 intersects with I-470 and I-435 which provides connection to I-70 and I-35 and I-29.

In south Kansas City, at Bannister Road just north of the Grandview Triangle, the I-49 designation ends, and the expressway continues as US 71, which proceeds into downtown Kansas City as Bruce R. Watkins Memorial Drive.

Southern terminus of I-49 as seen in 2011, near Pineville, Missouri. A future connection is under construction from this point to Arkansas Highway 549 west of Bella Vista, Arkansas

Arkansas and Missouri pursued an I-49 designation for US 71 and I-540 for a number of years. In the early 2000s, there were plans by both states to rename the roadway as such between I-44 west of Joplin and I-40 at Fort Smith once new roadway had been completed around Bella Vista, Arkansas, and north to Pineville, Missouri.[6] However, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering denied the I-49 designation at their annual meeting in September 2007 because none of the new roadway was under construction.[7]

The I-49 upgrade involved removing all at-grade intersections and constructing interchanges and overpasses at 15 sites between Harrisonville and Lamar. The two-year project represented a shift in funding priorities for MoDOT which in 2007, had announced the indefinite postponement of its portion of the Bella Vista bypass project, citing a $139-million funding gap in Arkansas between construction costs and toll revenues, and Arkansas' commitment to only a two-lane bypass constructed over six years.[8] MoDOT announced the Joplin-to-Kansas City upgrade of US 71 in August 2010, to be done with the intention of bringing the I-49 designation to Missouri.[9]

MoDOT began installing I-49 trailblazer signage (without shields) plus gantry signs and mile markers, about 1200 signs in all, in February 2012. Signage bearing I-49 shields were covered or turned from view until the I-49 designation was given final approval by the Federal Highway Administration. This includes mile markers at 0.2-mile (0.32 km) intervals along the entire alignment apart from I-44.[10]

The I-49 designation in Missouri became official at noon on December 12, 2012.[11] The designation applies to 180 miles (290 km) of current US 71 between Bannister Road (Route W) in south Kansas City and Route H at Pineville (McDonald County) which was upgraded to Interstate standards beginning in 2010.[9] The last of the upgrade projects were completed in December 2012, but some designations about seven miles (11 km) north of the Arkansas state line still have not been built to meet interstate standards.

In 2012, Missouri had $40 million available for its portion of the Bella Vista bypass,[12] but moved the money elsewhere in 2013. They planned on using money from a proposed constitutional amendment which would have raised the sales tax; however, this was defeated by voters in August 2014. Arkansas has announced it will not extend its section to Missouri until construction begins on the Missouri section.[13]

In March 2019, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the remaining funding needed to complete the Missouri portion of Bella Vista Bypass.[14] On April 1, 2020, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded the construction of the 5 mile Missouri portion of the Bella Vista Bypass to Emery Sapp & Sons Inc for $58.7 million. The new estimated completion date is September 30, 2021. Construction started May 11th, 2020. [15]