Transportation
Metropolitan Transportation Plan
Forward 2050 is the federally required Metropolitan Transportation Plan guiding Northwest Arkansas for the next 25 years. It sets the region’s vision, strategies, and investment priorities across all transportation modes—roads, transit, and active travel—while providing a coordinated framework for local governments, transit agencies, and regional partners.
Adopted in February 2026 by NWARPC with input from communities, stakeholders, and agencies, Forward 2050 balances regional goals with financial reality. It prioritizes safety, maintaining existing infrastructure, and strategic investments in new transportation projects, using data-driven research and performance-based planning.
Forward 2050 aligns with Arkansas and Missouri statewide transportation plans, ensuring coordinated, sustainable, and forward-looking solutions for the region’s growth and mobility needs.
What is Forward 2050?
Required by the federal government, this plan provides a policy framework for the region’s transportation system over the next 25 years. As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Northwest Arkansas region, NWARPC is required to update the regional transportation plan every five years.
The Forward2050 RTP relies on the following Principles:
- Aspirational, collaborative, comprehensive, and regional
- Respects and integrates local plans
- Protects and enhances Northwest Arkansas’ quality of life
The Forward2050 RTP incorporates the following Themes:
- Predictable and fiscally responsible development patterns
- A connected multi-modal region
- A safe and resilient natural and built environment
- Healthy, inclusive communities and thriving regional economy
Explore FORWARD 2050!
Explore the Forward 2050 RTP and key materials:
What we heard
During August 2024, Ariel Strategic Communications conducted a Regional Transportation Survey for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. Conducted every five years, the survey is a vital tool for understanding public perspectives on the region’s evolving transportation needs and priorities. Click here to view the survey findings.
NWARPC 2045 MTP
The 2045 MTP previously served as the 25-year regional transportation plan for the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan transportation planning area. It provides a long-range, comprehensive look at the region’s transportation needs and implementation strategies including, but not limited to highways, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
On March 24, 2021 the RPC/Policy Committee approved the 2045 NWA Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) by Resolution #2021-02.
MTP AMENDMENTS:
Amendment #1 – October 26, 2022 – Resolution #2022-13
Amendment #2 – February 22, 2023 – Resolution #2023-01
Amendment #3 – August 27, 2025 – Resolution #2025-14
Please see the following items for additional data, interactive maps, and links:
2045 MTP Public Input Summary
Cave Springs Area Karst Resource Conservation Study (Fall 2014-Spring 2016)
Congestion Management Process Report (May 2014-May 2015)
Eastern North/South Corridor Study (July 2011)
AR Hwy. 112 Corridor Study (June 2015)
NWA Regional ITS Architecture and Deployment Plan (Spring 2007)
NWA Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Regional Master Plan (2014-2015)
NWA Transportation Alternatives Analysis Study (2014)
Highway 71 Corridor Improvements Study – Bella Vista Bypass to Missouri State Line (2017)
Highway 72 Improvement Study – I-49 in Bentonville to Pea Ridge (2019)
Highway 62 and Highway 102 Study – Highway 102B to Highway 94 (2019)
Highway 412 Corridor Planning Study Update (Oklahoma to Missouri) (2020)
Previous Long Range Transportation Plans:
2020 Regional Transportation Plan for Metropolitan Northwest Arkansas
2025 Regional Transportation Plan for Metropolitan Northwest Arkansas
2030 Northwest Arkansas Regional Transportation Plan
2035 Northwest Arkansas Regional Transportation Plan
2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) – Appendices (A-G)