City seeks state help for turn lane

HOT SPRINGS — A resolution adopted last week by the Hot Springs Board of Directors signaled the city’s willingness to partner with the state in adding a second northbound left-turn lane to the Higdon Ferry Road and Central Avenue intersection in front of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

The city said it has $64,513 in the account used to widen Higdon Ferry from the south end of Central to Crawford Street. The money could be applied to the city’s 20% match for the project from Vineyard Street to Higdon Ferry’s northern intersection with Central.

City Engineer Gary Carnahan said the Arkansas Department of Transportation has about $500,000 left in its Higdon Ferry account.

“This is part of an old earmark for Higdon Ferry Road,” said Dave Park, public information officer for ArDOT. “ArDOT was working on a plan for the repurposed earmark. We received a request from the city of Hot Springs wanting the remainder of the earmark for this work. We sent them a letter asking them to adopt a resolution and sign a new agreement for the project. Once we receive the signed documents we’ll program the job.”

The city said half the northbound traffic into Hot Springs uses Higdon Ferry. Parker said according to a study ArDOT did last year, Higdon Ferry south of its northern intersection with Central had a daily traffic count of 11,000.

“The traffic volumes on (Higdon Ferry) have fluctuated between 11,000 and 12,000 for the past decade, so it is probably at maximum capacity,” he said.

The city said the lack of a second left-turn lane causes traffic backups on the north end of Higdon Ferry.

“The traffic backs up all the way to Vineyard and even beyond while waiting for a green left-turn light at Central,” the engineering department said in its request for board action. “The proposed project scope would add a second northbound lane in this section and provide that both lanes could turn left at the traffic signal.”

Carnahan said the city hopes to bid the job by 2022.

“We’ll have to do a study, a design and an engineering review,” he said. “All those steps will have to follow ArDOT review and procurement procedures. We don’t know if we’ll have the money to do the project, but it’s something we want to try and do. Until we get our engineering and surveys, we don’t know what the cost of the project is going to be.

“We’re hopeful that we can get that all done next year. If everything works out, we could build it in 2022.”

The city said the project will require additional right of way. City Manager Bill Burrough told the board part of the island north of the intersection may need to be acquired.