Regional planners Thursday began looking at ways to spend an influx of new cash for highways and transportation.

State voters in the past two years have approved a bond program for interstate highway rehabilitation and a half-cent sales tax for highways. The region became eligible last year for its own share of federal highway money.

Highway projects took center stage Thursday. Lorie Tudor, assistant chief engineer for planning at the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, outlined the department’s major projects in the region and what money will be used to build them.

The projects are familiar: the Bella Vista Bypass, U.S. 412 Bypass and access road to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, Interstate 540 improvements and an eastern north/south corridor extending Arkansas 265 from its present terminus at the Benton/Washington County line into Rogers.

The Bella Vista Bypass construction is under way. Two lanes are planned initially but right of way is being acquired for four lanes. Sales tax money will pay for the $100 million project. The department is cooperating with their counterparts in Missouri to connect with I-49. Tudor said the plan is to let more bids this fall, possibly for all three remaining sections.

Work on the U.S. 412/Springdale northern bypass is also under way. Some archeological evaluation, environmental evaluation and evaluation of the Cave Springs recharge area remain to be done. Sales tax money will pay for the $150 million project.

The airport access road is estimated to cost $93 million. The department has $11 million on hand for the project. Other money is expected to come from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

The I-540 corridor has 17 projects either completed, planned or in progress in a 26-mile span. The estimated cost is almost $370 million with the money coming from interstate rehabilitation bonds, sales tax money, federal highway money and local matches. The plan is to get every segment under way during the first five years of the state’s highway improvement program.

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard said the bigger traffic jams are on the north end of I-540 and it would seem logical to start where the cars are.

“We would like to see that end get done first,” Clinard said. “We’d like to have some input on how the projects are prioritized.”

Tudor said the projects will be spread out with a number of factors determining when each can be started. There will be local input, she said.

“We appreciate all the partnering agreements we’ve gotten from up here in Northwest Arkansas,” Tudor said.

The eastern north/south corridor is expected to cost about $25 million and federal highway money will pay for it. Officials said they have a preferred route for the extension of Arkansas 265 and will announce the decision next week.

Regional planners are expected to create a list of road and transportation projects that will be paid for with $6.5 million in federal highway money the region begins receiving this year as a result of the urban population reaching 200,000. The money has to be spent during the fiscal year so projects have to be construction ready.

Planners also resolved to reiterate to the highway department the Regional Mobility Authority’s willingness to serve as a tolling authority should voters approve tolling to help pay for the final two lanes of the Bella Vista Bypass or additional segments of the U.S. 412 Bypass.

They also want staff members to look at any available funding scenarios for the projects, including requesting additional federal money.

The authority is also available to serve as an implementing agency for multijurisdictional projects involving various member cities and counties.