Interstate 30: 30Crossing – Little Rock/North Little Rock – Arkansas

The 30Crossing project has been one of the most ambitious highway infrastructure efforts in Arkansas history—and now that it’s complete, it’s dramatically transformed the driving experience along Interstate 30 through downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. In this video, we follow I-30 across the Arkansas River in both directions, including dedicated footage of the newly constructed collector-distributor lanes that form the backbone of this overhaul.

Our journey begins just south of downtown Little Rock at the interchange with I-440 and I-530, where I-30 starts its path north into the city. This stretch of freeway used to be a notorious bottleneck, especially at the junction with I-630. Merging traffic and poorly timed onramps led to daily backups that sometimes extended for miles. Now, thanks to the redesign, through traffic remains on the mainline while those entering or exiting downtown are diverted to new collector lanes. As we cross the Arkansas River into North Little Rock, we glide over a brand-new bridge designed to better separate local and through traffic. Our eastbound trip concludes with a smooth merge onto I-40, a key east-west artery across the state.

The next segment shows the same route in reverse. Starting just before the beginning of I-30 westbound, we head south from North Little Rock back into the heart of Little Rock. The improvements become immediately evident: there’s no more awkward lane juggling or sharp turns, and the entire corridor feels more open and navigable. As we approach the I-630 interchange—once a major headache for drivers—we’re funneled cleanly past the split before concluding again at the I-440/I-530 junction.

Segment three zooms in on one of the key components of the 30Crossing redesign: the westbound collector lane system. We begin just before the US-70 exit and follow the separate collector roadway southward. This lane now allows traffic heading to downtown Little Rock or Highway 10 to navigate without disrupting the mainline. Before construction, exiting to AR-10 (Cantrell Road) required a tight, right-hand turn that dropped vehicles onto Cumberland Street with little margin for error. Today, the ramp has been re-engineered to loop drivers up and around to 3rd Street, where they can more safely access Cumberland and continue west on AR-10.

Our final segment showcases the eastbound collector system. Starting at the eastern terminus of Interstate 630, we enter I-30 eastbound using the dedicated ramp system that now bypasses the chaos of old. This section leads into the collector lane, which separates local traffic from through drivers until we reach the US-70 exit in North Little Rock. The design not only helps traffic move more freely, but also makes it easier for travelers unfamiliar with the area to navigate confidently.

Throughout this seven-mile corridor, the 30Crossing project has added capacity, improved safety, and clarified what used to be an intimidating web of interchanges and ramps. Whether you’re just passing through Central Arkansas or heading downtown, the difference is night and day. And as we show in the video, there’s now a sense of flow and order to what was once a chaotic drive across the Arkansas River.

I-30 EB: 00:31
I-30 WB: 05:27
WB Collector: 09:59
EB Collector: 12:03

Interstate 30 WB prior to 30Crossing: https://youtu.be/ovyBwZsmr0Q
Interstate 30 EB prior to 30Crossing: https://youtu.be/-AHnytse5Ac

Special thanks to TBKS1 for providing footage for the collector roads and ramps.

🎵 Music: Track List