The first 4.5-mile section of the long-awaited U.S. 412 Springdale Northern Bypass is set for an April 15 groundbreaking.
The new new route for U.S. 412 will run between Arkansas 112 and Interstate 49 north of the city.
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 per day travel the route, according to highway officials.
The project includes a divided highway, 12 bridges and new interchanges at Arkansas 112, just north of Marchant Road and Carrie Smith Road, and at 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, which officials said will take about four years to complete, will be funded 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 Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.
The access road can connect where the bypass will intersect with Arkansas 112 rather than the airport road going south 8 miles all the way to U.S. 412 as was originally envisioned. The connection point at Arkansas 112 will save about 4 miles of road construction.
Metro on 03/21/2015