Deteriorated highway

We have traveled all over the country and although we’ve encountered our share of bad roads, we’ve never had to travel an interstate as bad as I-40 on the eastern side of Arkansas.

Yes, I know it has a lot of truck traffic. So does I-40 through Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, etc. And I-20 through Louisiana and Mississippi has heavy truck traffic and can be rough in spots, as can many high-traffic highways up north that endure lots of snow and ice.

But we have never been on anything to compare to our own I-40 East. It is a nightmare—for people and alignments, axles, etc. Keep your mouth closed tightly—your fillings may be jarred loose, and above all, don’t put your tongue between your teeth.

Seriously, there were no signs to warn drivers of huge holes or lanewide open cracks and trenches. There was no reduced speed and one can’t slow down much for fear of being smashed by a truck. On one bridge, there were numerous hubcaps up against the sides, knocked off, no doubt, by the punishing road.

Shame on us, Arkansas! What has happened to our usually good highways? I know when we lived out of state, we’d always be thankful to get back on Arkansas’ good highways. I saw our Legislature finally approved some highway matching funds before hundreds of millions in federal highway money went to another state.

What’s up? Why is 40 East so bad and why does it look like we aren’t doing a thing about it?

It sure gives a bad impression to anyone entering the state from east of the Mississippi. CAROL BURT Morrilton