BENTONVILLE -- More than 6 miles of newly constructed lanes on the Bella Vista Bypass will open to traffic at 1 p.m. today.
The two-lane section will connect Walton Boulevard, U.S. 71B, west to Arkansas 72, as well as previously constructed portions of the bypass around Hiwasse, according to Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department officials. Motorists in western Benton County, southwestern Bella Vista and Gravette will be able to travel the 12.1 miles from I-49 to Benton County 34 without a stoplight.
Work began in April 2014 on the $52.7 million section of the bypass. A temporary two-lane roundabout has been constructed as part of the project to provide access to the bypass as well as I-49. A much larger interchange is designed and will be constructed to connect the bypass to I-49, however the Highway Department is holding off on that project until Missouri is ready to extend its portion of the bypass to the state line. To date, $128.6 million has been spent on the Bella Vista Bypass.
The project is part of the Connecting Arkansas Program, which is paid for through a 10-year, half-cent sales tax. More information is available at ConnectingArkansasProgram.com.
NW News on 05/17/2017