Springdale Officials Move Toward New Airport Access Road

SPRINGDALE -- It can take 30 minutes to an hour to drive down Airport Avenue if parents are picking up or dropping off children at Jones Elementary School.

A new access road to the Springdale Municipal Airport could solve the problem if the project is approved by federal officials, said Sam Weathers of the Springdale Airport Commission. Commissioners voted to move forward with the project Thursday.

The project was awarded to Co-Bar Contracting of Little Rock, said Adam White, project manager for Garver Engineering, the firm designing the street. The project is tentative until approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A 20-year project outlook for the airport hangs on a wall of the City Council Chambers. It shows the new access road discussed at the meeting, which will be built south of the current street. The new street will come off Powell Street, wind behind a couple businesses and end in a one-way loop near the entrance to the airport terminal.

The project will cost $840,981, said Neil Johnson, commission chairman. Officials will pay for the project with a $678,000 grant from the FAA and a matching 10 percent grant from the Arkansas Aeronautics Board.

The original estimate for the project was $920,981, and officials needed to cut some costs, said Wyman Morgan, city director of finance and administration. They ultimately cut $80,000.

They did so by eliminating elements that can be added later, Johnson said. The cuts include a couple of parking spaces, curbs and gutters.

The project will help children attending Jones by lessening traffic around the school, said Rick Schaeffer, communication director for the Springdale School District. Less traffic in the area will make it safer for students who walk to and from school.

"Any congestion that could be taken away from that area would be terrific," he said.

Officials want the work done during dry summer-like weather, Johnson said. They will begin construction as soon as approval is received, which should happen within a month.

"Everyone's moving forward with the assumption it's going to be done," he said. "We're not spending any money right now."

The outlook document shows another access road to the airport, one not discussed at the meeting, which would connect Robinson Avenue to Powell Street. Weathers said the route is only being discussed.

Commissioners also discussed the terminal renovation. Officials are applying for a $400,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics, Johnson said. The additional money would cut the city's estimated costs in the project by 40 percent.