Benton's considering whether to pursue a second interchange with I-57. Here is the article in the Southern today. It would be north of the current interchange about a mile and would provide direct access to their industrial areas, including a boat factory my aunt used to work at (if that's still there).



I like this idea though not because it would help Benton, which I am sure it would some, but because it could provide a more direct access route to Rend Lake's dam and beach, which are highly underutilized because of their location. With a little highway building directly to the dam, this exit could really boost usage of that part of Rend Lake. With the marina and beach already there, this could actually bring in a lot of extra tourism without a lot of extra investment in Rend Lake facilities.