FAYETTEVILLE -- Alleviating traffic near the Northwest Arkansas Mall by way of connecting Van Asche and Shiloh drives remains a possibility after the Transportation Committee voted to leave the idea on the city's street plan.
The proposal to connect the east end of Van Asche Drive northward to the south end of North Shiloh Drive has been on, taken off and put back onto the plan as it has been updated.
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City staff have cited the cost of the project, the environmental impact of crossing Mud Creek and the connection's limited benefits as reasons to take it off the plan, which was adopted in 2011, according to a letter to the city from Senior Planner Jonathan Curth.
During Tuesday's meeting, city engineer Chris Brown said the project likely would cost about $2 million, the bulk of which would be the city's responsibility.
The city would be better suited to spend the $2 million on something else to alleviate traffic in the area, such as improving Mall Avenue, Brown said.
Committee member Alan Long, who serves as alderman for Ward 4, identified Mall Avenue as "one of the most dangerous places in Fayetteville" traffic-wise, adding anything to relieve congestion there would be a good idea.
Building the connection would entail constructing a bridge over Mud Creek and its trail. Doing so could damage or harm the stream bank, vegetation and water quality, Curth stated in his letter.
Long asked city staff whether the connection could be moved further east to create less intrusion in the wetland area. City Planning Director Andrew Garner said that had been discussed, but it'd be worth it to continue to evaluate the options.
City staff said it would be decades before the project could get going, considering all of the challenges associated with it.
Ward 2 Alderman Matthew Petty, committee chairman, said initially he was "double-minded" about leaving the proposed connection on the city's plan.
"I don't like keeping things on the map or on the books if we're just chasing unicorns," he said.
Garner said leaving the proposal on the plan wouldn't obligate the city to build the bridge by a certain time, which persuaded Petty to vote to leave it on.
Long made clear throughout the meeting his intention to leave the connection on the plan. Alderwoman Adella Gray of Ward 1 gave the third vote in support. Ward 3 Alderman Justin Tennant, the committee's fourth member, was traveling and couldn't make Tuesday's meeting.
NW News on 07/27/2016