Bella Vista Bypass Construction Traffic Builds Complaints

BENTONVILLE -- Work on the Bella Vista bypass is creating problems for some travelers and the county's Road Department.

County Judge Bob Clinard recently met with state Highway Department officials and project contractors to try to find a way to alleviate dump truck traffic on county roads.

The contractors said they are willing to help, but the dump truck traffic likely will continue for several weeks if not for the next few months, Clinard said.

Clinard would like to see the county at least kept informed on such projects, since they will affect county roads. Talks will continue in the coming weeks.

"That's a tremendous, large-scale project," Clinard said. "You've got to have a plan for how you're going to take 2.8 million cubic yards of dirt and rock out of that site and haul it to the construction site."

Mike Bray, president of the Waterloo Estates Property Owners Association, said his neighbors in the area just off Punkin Hollow Road deal with a steady stream of dump trucks -- both loaded and empty -- that run from an excavation site near U.S. 71 to construction areas along the bypass route.

The truck traffic presents a safety hazard and other dangers as well, Bray said.

"There's just a constant running of trucks along Punkin Hollow Road," Bray said. "They're just screaming through there. I'm all for progress in Benton County, but these trucks are going through there with loads of rock and they aren't covered. My family has had three flat tires on that road."

Jeff Clark, public services administrator and Road Department head, said the county has done some temporary repairs to the roads being used by the trucks. Those roads include Peach Orchard Road, Punkin Hollow Road and Short Road. The route being used -- about 8.6 miles -- is the shortest and most direct for the contractors. The shortest alternate route is about 10.6 miles.

Repairs will be temporary patches until dirt hauling is completed, he said.

"We have done some temporary work with some base material," he said. "We're not doing any asphalt work."

Clark said he couldn't say what the cost to repair the roads will be. The work isn't in the budget for 2014, he said.

Danny Straessle with the Highway Department said the state doesn't direct contractors as to what roads they can use, other than to ensure they comply with weight regulations. Straessle also pointed out county dump trucks also take dirt from the site and have used the same route. Clark confirmed that, but he said county trucks are now sent on alternate routes.

Straessle said he didn't know how many trucks the contractor is using to do the work. Clark estimated the number of daily trips is between 20 and 50.

The contractor is taking dirt from the east end of the route and filling on the west end of the route where a "haul road" is being built in the construction zone for the bypass. The heavy truck traffic will be off county roads once that's done, Straessle said.

"The contractor's trucks have every right to use public roads," Straessle said. "As long as they're not weight restricted we can't stop them from using those roads. We do not dictate the contractor's work plan for that type of work. If they're stirring up dust or dropping gravel, we can control that."

The dump trucks weigh about 72,000 pounds when fully loaded, Straessle said. None of the county roads being used are weight restricted, Clark said.

"The trucks are legal on the county roads," Straessle said. "They're legal on city streets and they're legal on state highways."

Steve Curry, justice of the peace for District 11 and chairman of the Transportation Committee, said the county has little recourse in dealing with the state.

"It would be a good idea, but I don't know if you can say, 'You're driving on county roads so you have to fix it,'" Curry said. "It'd be nice. It would be welcome. But I don't see how we can do anything about it."