Comment period still open for Arkansas 112 widening in Northwest Arkansas

Traffic passes Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, along Arkansas 112 near Greathouse Springs Road in Johnson. The Arkansas Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for the widening of Arkansas 112 between Howard Nickell Road and U.S. 412 from two to four lanes with a raised median through portions of Fayetteville, Springdale, Tontitown and Washington County. Go to nwaonline.com/210926Daily/ for today's photo gallery.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Traffic passes Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, along Arkansas 112 near Greathouse Springs Road in Johnson. The Arkansas Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for the widening of Arkansas 112 between Howard Nickell Road and U.S. 412 from two to four lanes with a raised median through portions of Fayetteville, Springdale, Tontitown and Washington County. Go to nwaonline.com/210926Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for the widening of Arkansas 112 between Howard Nickell Road and U.S. 412 from two to four lanes with a raised median through portions of Fayetteville, Springdale, Tontitown and Washington County.

The agency wants to know what the public thinks of its plans.

Plans call for moving the highway slightly west of the existing alignment at the Blessings Golf Club, replacing the bridge at Clear Creek and straightening switchback curves north of Greathouse Springs Road.

The project would include four, 11-foot lanes, a raised median, a 5-foot sidewalk, a 12-foot side path, curb and gutter, roundabouts, and turnarounds every one-fourth of a mile.

The proposal consists of three jobs:

• Howard Nickell Road to Greathouse Springs Road begins north of Howard Nickell Road and ends north of Greathouse Springs Road. The project would include roundabouts at Hidden Acres Road, Clear Creek Boulevard and Greathouse Springs Road.

• Greathouse Springs Road to Tyson Parkway extension would begin north of Greathouse Springs Road and would end south of the proposed Tyson extension. The project would include a roundabout at the intersection of New Hope and Steele roads.

• Tyson Parkway extension to U.S. 412 would begin south of the proposed Tyson Parkway extension and would end south of U.S. 412. The project proposes roundabouts at the proposed Tyson Parkway extension, Apple Blossom Lane and the future Fletcher Avenue extension.

The project is expected to go out for bids in late 2023, according to Transportation Department officials. They expect construction to take 10 to 24 months.

A public input session was held Sept. 14, and a video of the meeting is available on the department's website. The website also has maps and descriptions of the project as well as a video tour and allows for questions and public comment.

The website will be available for comments until 4:30 p.m.Wednesday.

Another portion of Arkansas 112 will be widened from Trucker's Drive to Howard Nickell Road in Fayetteville. That is a separate project and has been moved back to 2024 because of conflicts with utilities, according to officials.

Making Arkansas 112 a major north/south connection in coming years is part of the regional Transportation Improvement Program for Northwest Arkansas.

Regional planners in January 2019 agreed to move forward with a vision for Arkansas 112 as a four-lane, north/south corridor with managed access. The Arkansas Department of Transportation is ultimately responsible for doing the work.

The primary purpose of the improvements is to allow the road to carry significant local and regional traffic, according to the planning documents. Arkansas 112 is the only major north/south route through the metro region west of Interstate 49, which makes it critical for regional mobility as the area continues to grow, according to the document.

The region's population is projected to be close to 1 million by 2045.

On either end, Bentonville and Fayetteville have already implemented raised medians, turn lanes, limited curb cuts, signal spacing and other access management strategies on portions of the road.

Traffic passes Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, along Arkansas 112 in Tontitown. The Arkansas Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for the widening of Arkansas 112 between Howard Nickell Road and U.S. 412 from two to four lanes with a raised median through portions of Fayetteville, Springdale, Tontitown and Washington County. Go to nwaonline.com/210926Daily/ for today's photo gallery.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Traffic passes Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, along Arkansas 112 in Tontitown. The Arkansas Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for the widening of Arkansas 112 between Howard Nickell Road and U.S. 412 from two to four lanes with a raised median through portions of Fayetteville, Springdale, Tontitown and Washington County. Go to nwaonline.com/210926Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

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How to participate

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is seeking online public involvement about the proposed widening of Arkansas 112 from Howard Nickell Road to U.S. 412.

Link to online meeting: https://vpiph02-job…" target="_blank">https://vpiph02-job…

To access the online public meeting, click on the link above. It will take you to the online neighborhood public meeting website. This website will provide project materials and handouts that would have been shown at in-person meetings. A separate link on that page will provide a Spanish version of the presentation. There will also be an option to send online comment forms to ARDOT staff, or you can print the form and mail it to, Environmental Division, 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209.

If you do not have internet access, please contact Karla Sims at (501) 569-2000 to ask questions about the proposed project and how to access project information at [email protected]

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