Voters in the US state of Arkansas have approved a proposal to raise $575m in federal bonds to repair around 400 miles of interstate highways.

The state government said about 80% of respondents voted in favour of the bond programme.

The bonds will support about $1bn of road rehabilitation around Arkansas interstate highways, without requiring any new taxes or a tax increases.

The bond programme will help repair and widen sections of nearly every interstate, including I-540 interchanges between Fayetteville and Bella Vista.

Madison Murphy, Highway Commission Chairman, said work on the repairs will likely begin in late 2012 or early 2013.