Lane closings set for bypass work

LOWELL — Crews building ramps for the U.S. 412 Northern Bypass will require lane closings on Interstate 49.

Beginning Monday, lanes on I-49 will be closed between Wagon Wheel Road, Exit 76, in Springdale and Arkansas 264, Exit 78, in Lowell, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation officials. The inside and outside lanes of northbound and southbound I-49 will alternately be closed to allow the contractor to remove bridge safety platforms. One lane will be closed at a time, and if required, workers will close all lanes for 15-minute intervals.

Weather permitting, the lane closings will be from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Oct. 31.

The $100.6 million project is building 4 miles of the new four-lane highway, which extends from I-49 to Arkansas 112. The project is expected to be completed mid-2018 and will provide a principal east-west route north of the Springdale area.

Also, construction work to improve Old Missouri Road in Springdale will require overnight lane closings.

Weather permitting, crews will do asphalt work that will alternately close lanes between U.S. 412 and Randall Wobbe Lane in Springdale starting at 6 p.m. Monday. Lane closings will be nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. until the project is complete, which is estimated to be seven weeks.

In August, the Arkansas Highway Commission awarded a contract in the amount of $1.8 million to APAC-Central of Fayetteville for the project. The project will replace asphalt and stripe the road for a turn lane between East Mountain Road and Randall Wobbe.