Cranes will migrate to day’s task

Dear Sherlock Roads: I’m curious about something. Before the snow, I noticed the cranes working on the Interstate 30 Arkansas River bridge. Why there was only one on the west side and about seven on the east? — Mystery Buff

Dear Buff: The Arkansas Department of Transportation has solved the riddle.

The crane on the west side of the bridge was used in a project different from 30 Crossing, the Mother of All Projects, part of which is to replace the bridge. It was there for the repair of the pier protection cell on the existing bridge. This crane has since been moved.

Multiple cranes on the east side are used to construct the foundations for the new eastbound I-30 bridge.

Eastbound? That makes us think of Jerry Reed’s song “Eastbound and Down” from the original “Smokey and the Bandit” movie.

Imagine how much space could be freed up in our brain if only we could wash away all those song lyrics. We might actually become useful.

Dear Mahatma: Why is there a sign on U.S. 67/167 telling folks that if they want to get to downtown North Little Rock to take the Pike Avenue/Arkansas 365 exit? The JFK Boulevard or 15th Street exit would be better. — Another Mystery

Dear Mystery: Mark Trickey is ArDot’s alternative project delivery coordinator. What a great title. For most of our newspaper career, our title was “Hey, you.”

Trickey reports that the sign only suggests an alternate route for commuters to downtown North Little Rock. Arkansas 365 is suggested because of its larger traffic capacity and because it’s a state highway.

Traffic can exit Interstate 40 west and take Arkansas 365 south, a five-lane route, and travel through the roundabout to take either Broadway or Riverfront Drive to downtown North Little Rock and Simmons Bank Arena.

If Arkansas 107 or 15th Street is a better route for a driver, they are available.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

Revisiting a topic from last week, note that when God was passing out brains, your correspondent was in the line at the mess hall.

To add an emergency contact number to a driver’s license, a great help to law enforcement, a citizen can visit a Revenue Office. Or use a Department of Finance & Administration website. This latter information was incompletely described last week, causing several readers to remark unfavorably on our IQ.

First, go to mydmv. arkansas.gov.

Second, scroll down and see four buttons, left to right — “Buying or Selling a Car,” “Renewing Your Registration,” “Getting a Driver’s License or State ID,” and “CDL/IRP/IFTA.”

Third, click on “Getting a Driver’s License or State ID.”

Fourth, scroll to the bottom of the page, and one of the options in the final row is “Emergency Contact Info.” Click on this and follow the directions.

Remember, the contact number won’t appear on the driver’s license, but will be in a database accessible to law enforcement.

Vanity plate: DEFENSE.