LITTLE ROCK — The Bella Vista bypass has plenty of competition for a federal economic stimulus grant, but not as much as some people thought it was going to have.
The U.S. Department of Transportation received 1,381 applications for the $1.5 billion that's available for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants, or "TIGER" for short. The program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Applications were due Sept. 15, and awards will be made in January.
The 1,381 applicants requested a total of $56.9 billion.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is asking for $145.4 million to help build its 14.1-mile section of the 18.9-mile bypass. The total bypass project is now estimated at $358 million, with Arkansas' segment estimated to cost $291.8 million. Construction of the bypass, at least anytime soon, depends on the Highway Department landing a TIGER grant.
Scott Bennett, assistant chief engineer for planning with the Highway Department, said he was surprised the number of applications wasn't higher.
"Before we turned ours in, I was guessing 5,000," he said.
Dick Trammel, Northwest Arkansas' highway commissioner, agreed.
"That's less than we thought," he said. "I was thinking there would be at least 2,500. I think we've got twice the chance now than before they announced that. There aren't nearly as many applications as we thought."
Trammel said the Bella Vista bypass application stands a good chance because it was the only one submitted by the state Highway Department, and most of the project would be paid for with other revenue streams, including tolls.
"I'm sure we're the only state highway department in the country that only has one application," he said. A news release issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Transportation didn't list individual applicants or reveal state-bystate numbers.
The law specified a $20 million minimum for the grant applications, but the federal government dropped the minimum amount, opening the door to 512 applications for less than $20 million from local governments across the country. The 512 applications in that category totaled $5.5 billion.
Of the total, 781 applications came from local and state governments requesting grants between $20 million and $100 million (which amounted to $35.1 billion of the total requests).
There were 83 applications seeking more than $100 million. Those 83 totaled $16.4 billion. Applications in that category will fall under additional scrutiny and must furnish an "economic benefit-cost analysis," which Bennett said was included with Arkansas' application.
Of the $56.9 billion in TIGER grants requested, 57 percent of the applications were for highway and bridge projects. Of the rest, 19 percent were for transit, 10 percent for railroads, 6 percent for port infrastructure and 9 percent fell into the category of "other," according to the Transportation Department news release.
The maximum grant amount will be $300 million, meaning at least five grants will be awarded.
If a grant isn't awardedfor the bypass, said Bennett, "the commission would have to meet to decide what the options are."
"It is what it is," Bennett said. "It's an opportunity for funding that doesn't come along every day. We have to take advantage of every opportunity for funding that we can."
The bypass would be a four-lane, interstate-quality highway south and west of Bella Vista. Currently, Interstate 540 ends at Bella Vista, becoming U.S. 71 through the city where some 38,100 vehicles per day run a course that includes nine stoplights.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11, 13 on 09/26/2009