Portion of the Razorback Greenway in Bentonville to be moved

Expansion of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will cause a portion of Northeast A Street to be closed, possibly for two years.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)
Expansion of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will cause a portion of Northeast A Street to be closed, possibly for two years. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)

BENTONVILLE -- A portion of the Razorback Greenway trail will be moved because of construction associated with the expansion of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Museum officials announced in 2021 the expansion of gallery and education spaces by adding 100,000 square feet to the north side of the building, according to a city news release.

The safety of people who use the trail will be impacted when construction begins this spring, so the trail will be moved.

The city will close Northeast A Street from Northeast Park Street to Northeast Cub Circle to vehicular traffic starting today. The anticipated timeline for the closure is up to two years, according to the city. The work to start the trail detour started March 28 and will go into effect Friday, said Dennis Birge, city transportation director. Vehicle traffic will detour onto Northeast Seventh Street.

A defined path using barriers will be set up along Northeast A Street, a two-lane road. The path will be 10 to 12 feet wide, Birge said.

Although plans haven't been finalized, city staff are working closely with Crystal Bridges officials on designs for moving the trail, according to the city.

The 200,000-square-foot Crystal Bridges opened Nov. 11, 2011, on 120 acres.

Safdie Architects of Boston, the museum's original designer, will work with the expansion to ensure consistency in the design, Rod Bigelow, Crystal Bridges executive director, said late last year.

Construction is planned from early 2022 to 2024 and will increase the museum's gallery space by 65%.

The city's Traffic and Sign Committee decided to move the trail segment based on the safety of area residents, according to the city. The committee was established to designate, place and maintain traffic-control devices and regulate traffic for the city. The committee handles all signs, traffic calming, temporary street closing and any other traffic control issues, according to the city.

The trail segment experiences 450,000 bicycle/pedestrian users annually. Roughly 220,000 vehicles travel this section of Northeast A Street a year, according to the city.

The Razorback Greenway is a 40-mile, primarily off-road, shared-use trail that extends from south Fayetteville to Bella Vista. The trail links dozens of popular community destinations, according to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission website.

About 11 miles of the greenway are in Bentonville, said David Wright, parks and recreation director.

Wayfinding maps will be posted while construction is underway. Additional updates and announcements will follow as improvements continue and the construction phase of the project comes to a close.

The museum will pay for the trail move, Wright said. The detour could last up to two years, he said.


More info

For more information, visit the city of Bentonville’s website at www.bentonvillear.com or call (479) 254-2028.

 



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