Interstate 530

 

The route begins at a high volume interchange with I-30/I-440/US 65/US 67/US 167 in southeast Little Rock.^[4] This intersection handles over 100,000 vehicles per day on average.^[5] I-530 runs south with US 65 and US 167 through marshland, entering Saline County briefly to split with US 167 south (exit 10).^[6] At exit 10, the junction can only accessed by southbound I-530. Northbound I-530 must take exit 9 then come back southbound to access exit 10. After returning to Pulaski County, I-530 has an exit at Hensley with Hensley Road (exit 15, which also connects to AR 365) before entering Jefferson County.^[4]

I-530 continues south, passing through forested land and clear cut areas, also running parallel to AR 365. I-530 intersects AR 46 (exit 20) in Redfield before entering White Hall.^[7] After an intersection with AR 256 (Holland Avenue, exit 32), the route runs south to serve as the eastern terminus for US 270 at exit 34. This exit also contains Highway 365 Spur (AR 365 Spur) eastbound to White Hall and Sheridan Street. Continuing south to Pine Bluff, I-530 serves as a beltway around the city. I-530 skirts the city to the southwest, including exits for AR 190 (West 19th Street, exit 37), US 79/U.S. Highway 79 Business (US 79B, South Camden Road, exit 39), and US 63/AR 463 (South Olive Street, exit 43).

The Interstate ends at a very large junction with US 63/US 65/US 65B/US 79/US 425/AR 190, after which the roadway continues south as US 65/US 425 toward Dumas.

This Interstate Highway is unusual in that its exit number increase south rather than north. However, the standard for spurs is to increase from the beginning at the parent.^{[citation needed]}

I-530 is designated as one of ten Arkansas Scenic Byways for 15 miles (24 km) from AR 256 northwest of White Hall to US 65 in southern Pine Bluff.^[8] The route passes over Bayou Bartholomew and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The southern portion was formerly a wetland preserve, but now the land is being developed.

• Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame
• Arkansas Railroad Museum
• Pine Bluff Commercial Historic District

The current route was formerly designated as US 65. Today, I-530 and US 65 run concurrently as a four-lane freeway spur. The route formally gained the I-530 designation after a full Interstate-grade bypass of Pine Bluff (known locally as the Wiley Branton Highway) replaced an expressway section of US 65 through Pine Bluff that contains at-grade intersections. This segment (known locally as the Martha Mitchell Expressway) was redesignated US 65B; US 65 was rerouted to the bypass before gaining the I-530 codesignation.

Highway 530
Future I-530 SIU 28 of Interstate 69
AR 530 highlighted in blue; future section in pink
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
Existed	October 22, 1986–present
Southern segment
South end	US 278
North end	AR 35
Northern segment
South end	AR 11
Major intersections	AR 114   AR 212
North end	I-530 / US 63 / US 65 / US 79
Location
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Highway system
Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage

A planned extension of the route pushes the Interstate south to US 278 in Wilmar. The first segment of the extension from US 278 north to Highway 35 opened as a two-lane expressway designated Arkansas Highway 530 (AR 530) on June 6, 2006.^[9] This extension is intended to connect to the proposed southern extension of I-69; US 278 at Wilmar also provides four-lane access to the future I-530 from the larger cities of Warren and Monticello, thus allowing both to champion its completion. Though sufficient right-of-way was provided and grading done for interchanges at both ends as well as two additional lanes, this segment presently has stop signs at both ends and an intersection with Bradley County Road 96 (CR 96)/Barkada Road.

The second segment of the extension opened in September 2013. It connects the I-530 interchange in Pine Bluff with Highway 11 in Lincoln County and is 18 miles (29 km) in length. Currently, the segment is two lanes until further funding is available.^[10][11]

The remaining segments between Highway 35 and Pine Bluff will also be built as a two-lane expressway, similar to the existing Highway 35–US 278 segment and Pine Bluff intersection to Highway 114 segment. Initially, the only full interchange will be with the present I-530 at Pine Bluff; grade crossings will be built at other planned interchanges, but the stretches between grade crossings will be true two-lane freeways with grade separations and service roads where needed. The route includes sufficient right-of-way to build interchanges and two additional lanes later; the Pine Bluff interchange will be a full freeway-to-freeway facility designed for the future four-lane freeway. On August 18, 2015, the next segment—Highway 114 to Highway 11—was opened to traffic.^[12] The segment from AR 11 to AR 35 is not yet built. Eventually, the route will connect Pine Bluff and Little Rock to I-69.

All exits are unnumbered.

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Drew	​			I-69 – Monticello	Proposed southern terminus
	​			US 278 – Monticello, Wilmar, Warren	Current southern terminus; at-grade intersection
	​			AR 35 to US 63 / US 425 – Rye	Current northern terminus; at-grade intersection
Gap in route
Lincoln	​			AR 11	Current southern terminus; at-grade intersection
	​			AR 114 – Star City, Monticello, Palmyra	At-grade intersection
	​			AR 212 to AR 54 – Star City	At-grade intersection
Cleveland	No major junctions
Jefferson	​			I-530 south / US 65 south (US 63 north / US 79 north) – Dumas, McGehee, Lake Village	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exit 44 on I-530
				I-530 north / US 65 north (US 63 south / US 79 south) – Little Rock	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access       Unopened