Dear Mahatma: I keep waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for the new Interstate 430 bridge rush-hour lanes to open. Last word was Thanksgiving. That's two months ago. -- Mr. Maumelle
Dear Mister: The wheels of justice turn slowly, but exceedingly fine. So, too, with the I-430 bridge over the Arkansas River.
Word has come from the Arkansas Department of Transportation that a setback has happened. A motorist in late December ran over a utility box, just off the shoulder, that houses electronics. Also, there's a wait for guardrails and for covers that will fit over the red and green lane indicators above the lanes.
Vanity plate: CRAZYOU.
All Hail, Drivetime Mahatma! As my daughter and I were driving on Interstate 630, we saw an unfortunate vehicle on the shoulder. The right rear wheel sans tire was planted on a slow cooker. We agreed that necessity is the mother. -- Sarah
Dear Sarah: A slow cooker as a replacement for a car jack. Ingenious, for sure.
As for slow cookers, we like butter beans and a ham hock, simmered for about eight hours. Cornbread, please. Hard pass on the collard greens.
Vanity plate: DR ROCK. Our correspondent wonders if this is a lead singer in a band? Geologist with a doctorate? Party or radio DJ?
Dear Mahatma: For those of us who drive to downtown on Interstate 30 from north of the river, the only exit now is at Ninth Street, and there's no way to turn right. Traffic on the access road has yield signs, but drivers don't stop. We need either enforcement of the yield or something saying there's no access to downtown Little Rock from this exit. -- Old Friend
Dear Friend: We once took this exit, found we could not go right into downtown, and were flummoxed. We hate being flummoxed.
There is, as you later discovered, a detour that takes a driver over Interstate 30 and then over a hill, a dale, past Grandma's house and into downtown.
David Nilles, our longtime source at the Arkansas Department of Transportation, offered up a glimpse of the future. That is, once the 30 Crossing project is complete, now projected to be the middle of 2025.
Some day, motorists coming into downtown from North Little Rock will get on the southbound distributor road before crossing the river. The distributor road will carry traffic to Fourth Street in Little Rock, from which drivers can go east or west. Or, drivers can use the Texas U Turn on Fourth Street to get back onto Third Street headed east.
There will also be a Ninth Street exit.
Confused? We are, but that's normal. Nilles suggests a visit to ConnectingArkansasProgram.com. Click on "I-30: Pulaski County Project Details." Scroll down to video titled "30 Crossing AM and PM Traffic Movements."
All will become clear.
Vanity plate on a Maybach: MAYBACH. Starting at about $185,000, by the way.