Bella Vista Bypass opening is great news

We receive a lot of correspondence here at The Weekly Vista.

I would say a lot of Letters to the Editor, but these days it is more like Emails to the Editor. And we still get plenty of phone calls to the office as well.

I enjoy these lifelines to the public, not only the feedback on something that we’ve written but also the opinions given on some topic that may or may not have been covered previously in one of our editions.

We also receive many news releases and notices of upcoming events. Those are vital in helping us relay news and information that is important to our readers.

Each of these means of communication can bring either good news, bad news, or even what some might consider neutral news (when in reality every piece of news is important to someone). By the same token, opening up each one can also bring a smile, a frown or even a neutral emotion.

I received an email a week or so ago that, when I read it, evoked a sigh of relief.

And I’ve only been around here for a few weeks. I can’t imagine how happy it must have made longtime residents of Bella Vista and this portion of Benton County and even those living in southwest Missouri.

The email in question announced a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass to be held Thursday, and Friday’s subsequent opening of said bypass.

Now, this doesn’t mean construction of this stretch, especially the portion located where I-49 passes over U.S. 71, is finished. What it does mean is that we’re a step closer to days of easier navigation through our fair city.

In an article that appears on the front page of today’s edition, a 2015 study is referenced that stated U.S. 71 through Bella Vista was one of the most congested corridors in the region. It is hard to imagine a similar study today not listing that same stretch as No. 1.

I’d rather hear shouts of “We’re No. 1!” coming from Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Last week a news source estimated 20,000 vehicles a day were entering Bella Vista from the Arkansas-Missouri state line with that number reaching over 54,000 by the time traffic reaches I-49 in Bentonville.

No matter how you slice it, that’s a lot of vehicles. And at first glance, it might seem as though a new bypass would spell disaster for Bella Vista merchants. I’ll have to admit that, at first glance, and because of where I’m from, that was the way I saw the situation.

Before I entered the third grade, my family moved up the mountains from Clarksville to Harrison. After I graduated from high school in 1980, I left town for college, moved back to Boone County in 1994 and stayed until 2018.

I followed closely the workings of that city’s chamber of commerce and advertising and tourism folks and the issues they dealt with in trying to bring visitors to town and entice them to help prop up the local economy with their vacation and tourism dollars.

It was a constant battle trying to get those destined for Branson, Mo., and beyond to stop in Harrison for a meal, a side adventure or day trip off the beaten path.

Population growth, travelers passing through and local traffic has led to heavy congestion on the main roads, which has triggered more talk of a bypass that would divert not only traffic — but also potential tourism dollars — all the way around that city.

So, yes, when I rolled into Bella Vista and heard the term “bypass,” my thoughts rekindled the old discussion that’s simmered in my hometown for years.

This, however, is different.

High traffic volume? Yes.

But in this case, a bypass won’t be scooting the

tourists around Bella Vista, instead it will be the big rigs and commuters who will be finding smoother sailing around — and not through — our city.

Now the only reason for a semi to be rumbling up and down U.S. 71 between Bentonville and the Missouri line will be to make a delivery and get back out of town. Commuters will experience an easier trip to and from work as they avoid that same stretch of road.

Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass is big news. And Friday’s opening is great news.

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Bennett Horne is the managing editor of The Weekly Vista. He can be reached via email at bhorne@nwaonline.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.