FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Department of Transportation is set to hold two public input sessions in the coming week on its plans to widen Arkansas 112.
The in-person public involvement meetings will address the portion of the road from U.S. 412 north to Bentonville. The meetings will focus on location and design of the road. There's also a proposed environmental assessment.
Steve Lawrence heads up District 9 for the Department of Transportation, which includes Benton County. He said it's important residents view and discuss the potential changes for Arkansas 112. Representatives from all the pertinent divisions within the department will be on hand to discuss the options and gather information from local residents.
"It's also an opportunity for locals to point out potential problems or things that we may not be aware of," Lawrence said. "People that are potentially being affected will have access to department personnel who will be able to give insight as to how the process works and what they can expect as the process moves forward."
Tim Conklin, assistant director at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, also urged people to check out the plans.
"We're excited to see proven safety countermeasures, complete streets, access management and the proposed Heritage Springs Trail incorporated into the proposed Highway 112 projects," he said.
Plans call for the road to be widened from two to four lanes divided by a 15-foot raised median with four, 11-foot lanes, a 5-foot sidewalk with a 3-foot greenspace on one side and a 12-foot side path with a 6-foot greenspace on the other side.
Here's the schedule for the public input sessions:
• U.S. 412 to the Springdale Northern Bypass -- 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at Elm Springs United Methodist Church, 118 N. Elm St. in Elm Springs.
• Springdale Northern Bypass to Arkansas 12/West Wallis Road -- 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Bentonville Community Center, 1101 S.W. Citizens Circle in Bentonville.
Comment periods for both sessions run through Jan. 27.
The public may also view meeting materials on the Transportation Department's website and provide written comments at www.ardot.gov/publicmeetings.
Previous input sessions have been heated at times. Residents of several Bentonville subdivisions in particular have aired concerns about the proposed route, including flooding and the proximity of the road to their homes hurting property values and putting their children at risk.
The Transportation Department already has made several proposed changes to its original plans in response to those concerns.
The agency will take input from the meetings, fine-tune its design and come back again for more input before completing the design, according to agency officials.
Between U.S. 412 and the Springdale Northern Bypass, a distance of 4.4 miles, eight roundabouts are planned at existing intersections, two of which would connect to the Springdale Northern Bypass interchange ramps.
The road would mostly follow the existing alignment except in Elm Springs, where there are two alternatives. One would have the road offset slightly to the east of the current road to reduce the number of properties impacted downtown. A second alternative would follow a new alignment even further east avoiding much of downtown.
Between there and Wallis Road, 3.5 miles, five roundabouts would be constructed at existing intersections and at each end of Cave Springs. The widening would mostly follow the existing highway alignment except for new alignment around the west side of Cave Springs to avoid downtown.
Between Wallis Road and Arkansas 12, a distance of 4.1 miles, four roundabouts would be constructed at existing intersections and to connect new alignments back to existing highway. One alternative would follow the existing highway alignment until moving to a new alignment east of St. Valery Downs subdivision and would tie back into the existing alignment south of Arkansas 12. Another alternative would move the new alignment farther east of St. Valery Downs subdivision.
More than 200 people turned out for an input session Dec. 1 in Fayetteville to see how the plans to widen and improve a portion of Arkansas 112 might affect their homes and lives and when construction might begin.
Making Arkansas 112 a major north/south connection in the coming years is part of the regional Transportation Improvement Program for Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas 112 is the only north-south highway serving local and regional traffic between Fayetteville and Bentonville west of Interstate 49, which makes it critical for regional mobility as the area continues to grow, according to the planning documents. It also connects to other major routes, including Arkansas 12 and 264, the Springdale Northern Bypass and U.S. 412, as well as I-49.
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 responsible for the work.
The primary purpose of the Arkansas 112 widening is to allow the road to carry significant local and regional traffic, according to the planning documents.
The work is expected to be done in phases. Work on the road could begin sometime in 2024, department officials said.
The region's population is projected to be close to 1 million by 2045.