A big new highway is coming to Northwest Arkansas, but what will that mean for you? More importantly, what does that mean for land or buying homes? Today, we’re talking about the new highway that’s been recently announced.
The big new highway coming to Northwest Arkansas west of, and adjacent to, I-49. It will connect Highway 612 to the Bella Vista Bypass, which is currently part of I-49. However, they don’t know yet whether it will be a two-lane or four-lane highway.
What will this mean for buying homes in the area? Stick around, as I’ll discuss this and several other things you’ll need to know about this new highway development.
New Highway In NWA
ARDOT confirmed several years ago that they’re developing a new highway that will run adjacent to the west side of I-49, which is the main interstate highway that connects all of Northwest Arkansas from Fort Smith up to Kansas City, Missouri.
Anytime you’re traveling in NWA, you get on I-49, which is a 6-lane toll-free highway, and it takes you wherever you need to go, as it’s the main artery for NWA–for now.
So ARDOT has talked for years about creating another main artery that connects a different part of NWA near the airport, and it will be west of I-49. They’ve done the feasibility study and will release the results. But we will talk about that now before they do that so you know what to expect.
What Will This Do?
There are a couple of cities on the west side of Northwest Arkansas, such as Gentry, Decatur, Siloam Springs, and Gravette. While these cities are in NWA, they don’t get the attention they deserve due to a lack of easy access from a highway. They’re struggling with growth right now, but a new highway that connects these cities might help in that area.
Essentially, they will connect the north part of I-49 and run that past XNA, which is our airport, past 612, all way to 412 by Tontitown. It’s going to go west of XNA, but it’s going to be another major highway that will allow people to travel and go to areas like Decatur.
This will help NWA build out in those areas due to a major highway.
Things to Expect
While they haven’t yet confirmed the new highway, it’s well-known in the area, and we all know it’s going to happen sooner than later. Northwest Arkansas is the diamond of the state, and with NWA’s growth, a lot of money is being used and budgeted to develop this area.
And because they’re budgeting money for this area, it’s going to bring in a lot of revenue for the state.
Buy Land West of 49
From an investment standpoint, if you haven’t bought land in NWA yet and want to, it’ll be best to buy it west of I-49. Several factors are involved with this, of course, such as how flat or hilly the land is, the trees, and other similar factors.
There’s a different avenue for buying land, of course, but if you’re investing on the west side of I-49, there’s going to be a lot of growth in that area. I’m not saying that the highway will cut through there, but maybe 5-10 years from now, or sooner, developers are going to start buying up land and building houses in that area.
But you don’t want to buy just an acre parcel–you’ll want to buy a larger parcel for obvious reasons. No matter how much you buy, you’re going to do very well in the upcoming years.
Don’t Buy Homes Near the Airport
If you’re purchasing land west of I-49 and want to be off the grid a little bit, you’ll want to avoid buying homes or land near the airport. The reason for this is that when the new highway is built, there are going to be several new potential roads that will be developed along with the highway.
While this might happen in 5-10 years, it will happen. XNA, our airport, is growing, and many new roads connecting to the highway are inevitable.
The bottom line is that if you’re looking for some peace and quiet off the grid in NWA, you’ll want to be away from the airport, as there are going to be some potentially huge developments in that area.
Good Home Prices
DR Horton and other builders/developers are currently building housing developments in this area that I would consider affordable at the moment. But when the new highway development is officially announced, this might not be the case before or during its development.
Now obviously, properties that are closer to the highways and commercial development with easy access are more expensive because of the easy access. If you want something with more equity and don’t mind purchasing a little further from the main part of NWA, I highly recommend it.
But if you buy anything on the west side of I-49, remember that your equity will increase when they start developing the new highway.
Buy Near the Far West Side of NWA
The last thing you need to be aware of when you’re looking to buy land or houses in Northwest Arkansas is that you’ll find more peaceful and serene areas in towns like Decatur, Gravette, or Gentry.
These are on the far west side of NWA and are going to eventually grow. However, properties in those areas are still affordable and will be for quite some time.
But the new proposed highway won’t cut through those towns, which means that any property that you buy will still keep the peaceful and serene lifestyle that you want. Highway 59 cuts through those towns, but it’s not a fast-paced highway by any means. It’s mainly a way to get to and from I-49, 412, and Siloam Springs.
When they build the new highway, it won’t be through these towns, as there are several stop signs, and it won’t be economical for large trucks to travel through. So those areas will remain untouched for a long time.
Conclusion
It’s exciting that NWA will get a new highway. However, there are some things to keep in mind when this happens.
Remember to stay west of I-49 so that you can take full advantage of the equity of easy access to the highway. Or, if you want to stay in a peaceful, untouched area, buy properties in the far west side of NWA, as it’s unlikely any highway will go through there.
If you will be in the area, let me know, and I can give you the $10 tour, and we can look at these areas if you’d like.
