Highway officials have updated plans for new access road to Northwest National

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is expecting to start right-of-way acquisition next year and hope to have an new, improved connection between the Northwest Arkansas National Airport and Springdale Northern Bypass in Benton County done within five years, officials said Tuesday evening.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is proposing a new, four-lane, limited-access road to the airport because it provides the most direct and reliable route. The proposed road reduces the likelihood of congestion, accidents or extreme weather events interfering with people getting to and from the airport.

The preferred route would be about 3.4 miles and have no entrance or exit ramps between the beginning and end. Almost 242 acres of right of way would be required. Construction is estimated to cost $79.7 million and right of way acquisition another $5.8 million for a total of $85.6 million. That compares to an estimated $66.7 million for a partial new route and $57.1 million to improve existing roads.

An earlier environmental assessment looked at several alternatives including doing nothing; building a new road; improving existing roads, including Arkansas 112 and Arkansas 264; and a combination of a new road and improving Arkansas 112 and Arkansas 264.

Airport officials wanted a new road to the airport from the beginning. The alternate routes came into play because the Federal Highway Administration, federal wildlife officials and the state transportation department, which all have to sign off on the road, require all reasonable alternatives to be explored.

The state Department of Transportation is expected to design, build and pay for the project as part of the highway improvement program approved by voters. The airport also has about $14 million in federal money earmarked for the road. The project is in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration.

The plans call for the airport access road to connect to the Springdale Northern Bypass west of the Arkansas 112 Interchange. Plans are to have the Springdale Northern Bypass extended west to connect with U.S. 412, close to Old Highway 68, within the next five years as well. Right-of-way acquisition for that project is currently underway.

Officials were not sure whether the two projects will be done concurrently or the Springdale Northern Bypass extension will come first. The access road project is dependant on the Springdale Northern Bypass extension.

On the northern end, at the airport, the new road will narrow to two lanes near Malone Road and there will be a signaled intersection at Airport Boulevard and Arkansas 264. Down the road, a larger interchange is envisioned to accommodate future traffic.

Most of the new road is being designed for speeds of about 70 mph, dropping to 55 mph near the airport. Traffic on the access road is expected to be about 25,000 cars a day in 2045.

Highway Department officials expect to begin buying the right of way needed for the new access road next year. Environmental work on the project is expected to wrap up late this year or early next year.

The proposed access road to the airport shouldn't significantly affect threatened or endangered species or environmentally sensitive areas if it's built in a direct line from the Springdale Northern Bypass and Arkansas 112 interchange, according to the environmental study. Sediment basins are planned to protect environmentally sensitive areas from runoff. There will be no fill placed in floodplains.

Overpasses would be at three roads -- Holmes Road, Haden Road, and Wager Drive. Bridges would also be constructed over Little Osage Creek and Osage Creek.