BEEBE, Ark. — The message behind Thursday's designation of the Interstate 57 corridor was celebrating transformation.
Officials such as U.S. Congressman French Hill (R) and Rick Crawford (R) were among the many city and state leaders who gathered to celebrate the progress.
"This is a tremendous benefit to businesses, the average individual, trucks who are hauling and moving," Rep. Jim Wooten (R) said. "This will connect Chicago and Little Rock with a direct four-lane highway."
Interstate 57 will stretch 400 miles north to south from Chicago to Sikeston, Mo. Thursday's event focused on Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) initiatives to convert 110 miles of U.S. Highway 67 to I-57, providing access for drivers between North Little Rock and Walnut Ridge.
"You take a town like Pocahontas, Corning, Walnut Ridge and others," Crawford said. "They can say this means the world to us to be able to attract new businesses along this corridor."
For cities like Searcy, which currently has our exits along Highway 67, I-57 is said to bring much more access to the town. Mayor Mat Faulkner spoke highly about what is set to come in the near future, stating that the change will bring needed traffic to the area.
"For those coming in from Missouri, Little Rock, or Memphis, we're accessible," Faulkner said. "This is really going to help encourage that momentum as we continue to grow and flourish."
There was much more than the big reveal that shined during Thursday's event. It was the acknowledgment of the interstate's importance to the whole state.
"I think it means there are more services that are going to recruit, more retail will be available to people who live in those homes, and it'll make those neighborhoods safer," Hill said. "Growth brings just that economic effect, so I think you'll see families and businesses benefit from the corridor."