Regional planners were told Thursday the ground breaking for the first 4.5-mile section of the long-awaited U.S. 412 Springdale Northern Bypass is set for April 15.
The new new route for U.S. 412 will run between Arkansas 112 and Interstate 49 north of the city.
Open Up
Here’s where you can participate online in the open space study being conducted by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission: www.nwaopenspace.com
For more information contact: Elizabeth Bowen, Project Manager, NWA Regional Planning Commission, 1311 Clayton St., Springdale, Ark., 72762; Office: 479-751-7125; Fax: 479-751-7150; [email protected]@nwarpc.org
Source: Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission
The bypass is intended to relieve congestion through Springdale on Sunset Boulevard, South Thompson and Robinson Avenue, the city's main east-west route, which is designated U.S. 412. Traffic studies say about 25,000 vehicles a day travel the route, according to highway officials.
The project includes divided highway, 12 bridges and new interchanges at Arkansas 112, just north of Marchant Road and Carrie Smith Road, and I-49 between Wagon Wheel Road and Arkansas 264. It includes the re-routing and replacement of side roads along the corridor, according to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
In December, Eutaw Construction Co. of Aberdeen, Miss., was the low bidder for the project at $100.6 million, the single largest road construction contract ever awarded by the Arkansas Highway Commission.
The project is expected to take about four years to complete and is being paid for with money from the 10-year, half-percent state sales tax approved by voters in November 2012.
The section is also the jumping off point for a proposed new access road to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.
The access road can connect where the bypass will intersect with Arkansas 112 rather than the airport road going south eight miles all the way to U.S. 412 as was originally envisioned. The connection point at Arkansas 112 will save about four miles of road construction.
The road to the airport will be a restricted access highway.
Airport officials are in the process of obtaining final environmental approval for an airport access road that will connect to the bypass. The airport has about $14 million in federal money for the estimated $30 million project and is working to find the rest.
Planners were also updated Thursday on a plan to identify, protect and promote the region's natural landscapes and open spaces to preserve the environment, livability and quality of life in the region.
"It's really about being able to continue to grow and keep our most important open spaces," said Jason Reyes of Alta Planning + Design, the firm working with planners to develop the open space plan.
Examples of open space include the regional trail system, national forests, state and national parks, wildlife management areas, areas around Beaver Lake, University of Arkansas agricultural property, city parks, properties held in trust and land owned by private nonprofit groups.
Planners estimate Benton and Washington counties will have about three-quarters of a million people by 2040 and planners want to make sure open spaces are preserved for public use as the region grows.
The resulting plan will be incorporated into the region's long-term master plan.
Planners have had two public input sessions, one in Fayetteville and another in Rogers, and are now meeting with various groups that have an interest in the project. More public input sessions are planned in June.
A video presentation has been developed to explain the project and planners expect to take their show on the road to various groups in the coming months.
A $350,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation will pay the entire cost for a study of the landscape of the region.
NW News on 03/20/2015