Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Greenwood officials back bypass plan
State transportation department holds public meeting for traffic relief project
GREENWOOD — Local officials expressed support for a project designed to relieve long-standing traffic and safety issues in the city.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation held a public involvement meeting for the Greenwood bypass project in the Recreation Outreach Center at Greenwood First Baptist Church on Thursday.
Exhibits, such as preliminary design schematics, were available to help residents learn more about and understand the project as it is right now, as well as Department of Transportation staff. These residents could also give their thoughts on the project via comment forms, which the department will consider further in the design process.
Sonny Bell, Greenwood’s planning director, said he believes the project will eliminate some of the morning and afternoon school traffic congestion seen in the center of the city on Arkansas 10, which cuts through the downtown area. He explained there are two large schools on Greenwood’s eastern side and Arkansas 10 is the only way across the city.
Mayor Doug Kinslow said the project would provide a way for emergency services to get to the eastern side more quickly in the event of a vehicle wreck or a lost bridge on Arkansas 10.
Dave Parker, public information officer for the Department of Transportation, said the project consists of two parts: east and west. Both parts of the project are estimated at $50 million-$75 million.
The first, eastern part involves building a new bypass from the intersection of Arkansas 10 and Fowler Street to the intersection of Arkansas 10 and Arkansas 96, diverting traffic from downtown Greenwood, according to Parker. The bypass will include four travel lanes, a center turn lane, curb and gutter and sidewalks, according to material provided at the meeting.
This part of the project also consists of a connection to Main Street in the downtown area and widening both
Main and Center streets, the material states. The construction of three bridges, replacing two bridges and installing both a traffic signal and storm sewer system are being proposed as well. Money is available to build the bypass and replace two bridges, but not for the Main and Center street improvement.
The second, western part of the project entails widening Arkansas 10 from U.S. 71 to Fowler Street to four travel lanes with a center turn lane, curb and gutter, sidewalk and a shared-use path, according to the materials.
“There’s not money attached to that yet, but we are aggressively looking for ways to fund that, and we feel like by the time we’re ready to start that work, we’ll have the funding,” Parker said.
Construction for the first part of the proposed project is scheduled to begin in early 2024, according to Parker. The state anticipates it will take 1824 months to complete.
The entire project, which is in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the city, includes about 2.8 total miles of improvement.
Kinslow said the city agreed to provide the Department of Transportation a set, $5 million buy-in for the project. It also agreed to help secure a right of way, or easement, from a family for the first part.
Greenwood residents approved extending a quartercent sales and use tax for 35 years to generate the money the city needed for the project during a special election Dec. 10, 2019.
Bell said the project will also see the Department of Transportation overlay a section of Arkansas 10, or Center Street, and Arkansas 10 Spur after each phase. The sections would afterwards be turned over to the city and become city streets, rather than state highways.
Parker said the Department of Transportation will have another public involvement meeting for the project this summer.