High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Interstate 540 (I-540) is a long freeway spur route of Interstate 40 in the US state of Arkansas linking Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Bentonville. The total length is 80.72 miles (129.91 km). At first, Interstate 540 was a short spur connecting Fort Smith and Van Buren to I-40 as one of the original five Arkansas Interstates. The route ran just over 14 miles (23 km) to US 271 near the Oklahoma state line. The growing Northwest Arkansas area and the University of Arkansas needed an Interstate connection to Little Rock, and through traffic north to Kansas City had also outgrown the winding US 71 north from I-40. The route was extended north to Mountainburg in the late 1990s on an all-new alignment, with the route being completed to Bella Vista in January 1999. The Northwest Arkansas segment is proposed to become part of an expanded Interstate 49.