Business Loop I-49 - Joplin, Webb City, Cartersville and Carthage

Traveling 22.53 miles overall, Business Loop I-49 follows old U.S. 71 northwest from Exit 33 to Joplin and Webb City and Route 171 east from Cartersville to I-49 at Carthage. The route was established in place of U.S. 71 Business on December 12, 2012.

Beginning opposite Route 175 (old U.S. 71 south to Route 86 and the Neosho business route), Business Loop I-49 winds northwest along Gateway Drive, a locally maintained roadway, to become Rangeline Road through the city of Joplin. A diverging diamond interchange (DDI) joins Business Loop I-49 with I-44 at Exit 8.

Rangeline Road forms a commercial boulevard northward across the east side of Joplin to Business Loop I-44/Route 66 and Northpark Mall. The former route of U.S. 71 used to have a second business route, which looped west via 32nd Street (Highway FF) and north via Main Street (Business Loop I-44/Route 43) to Downtown Joplin. The original U.S. 71 Business took a stair stepped route back to U.S. 71 from Broadway Street to Zora Street at Oakland Park.

Business Loop I-49 continues north from there into Webb City along Madison Street to Route 171 (5th Street), where the route turns east along an expressway to the freeway along Route 249 bypassing Webb City.

The remainder of Business Loop I-49 overlaps with the freeway on Route 171 east through Cartersville to the Jasper County seat of Carthage. The business route combines with Route 96 ahead of the diamond interchange (Exit 53) with Interstate 49 at Central Avenue. There Route 171 ends and Route 571 begins as I-49/U.S. 71 bypass the city to the west.