Residents navigating parts of Interstate 540 in Fort Smith and Van Buren should expect delays Monday morning as work begins on the interstate. Left lanes going north and south between Arkansas 22 to Interstate 40 will be intermittently closed starting Monday, according to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
Work is expected to begin after 8:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes near Arkansas 22 extending north. Southbound lanes will follow from Interstate 40 going south.
Work is expected to last three days and will includethe reconstruction of the shoulder in northbound lanes and the construction of temporary crossovers and ramps in the median, according to a news release.
The construction is part of a $78.8 million project that includes the reconstruction of nine bridges, replacement of driving surfaces on two bridges and raising the bridge that carries Arkansas 64 traffic over the interstate. The roadway will also be rubberized to create a drainage layer and overlaid with asphalt.
The contract, awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. of Fort Worth, is the largest in state history.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 01/26/2013