Third option proposed for Illinois River bridge

■ Live online meeting is scheduled for Tuesday

Arkansas Department of Transportation is proposing a third option for the replacement of the aging Arkansas Highway 59 bridge over the Illinois River.

Two options were presented during an online public involvement meeting and comment session in November and the comment session was ultimately extended until Dec. 9. The revised design for option three was made in response to comments received in November and December, according to an email from the Department of Transportation’s Roadway Division.

An online public involvement meeting about the proposed design modifications for option three is underway, according to a press release. The public can listen to a video presentation, view meeting materials and provide written comments on the following link, tinyurl.com/ajyatk74.

Community members will also have an opportunity to ask questions and make comments during a live virtual presentation from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, the release states. Community members can continue to submit comments until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, it states.

The third option will make changes to a half-mile of roadway and will replace the existing Highway 59 bridge structure with a new bridge, according to the online presentation. The bridge will be built with a new

alignment 95 feet east of the current bridge structure and traffic will be maintained during construction, it states.

The new construction will begin after Lake Francis Road on the south side of the bridge and continue past Old Goforth Road on the north side, the presentation states. Parts of Old Goforth Road will be rerouted, it states.

The bridge will consist of two 12-foot lanes and an eight-foot paved shoulder, and will be designed for a speed of 55 miles per hour, the presentation states. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2022.

Improvements for option one would have followed the current route of Arkansas Highway 59, crossing the river approximately 70 feet west of the existing structure, while improvements for option two would have followed a straighter path toward a new bridge location 500 feet east of the current bridge.

Neither of the first two options are still a possibility, according to the email from the Department of Transportation’s Roadway Division.

More information about option three and public comment forms are available on the Arkansas Department of Transportation website. Comment forms can also be printed and mailed to P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 72203-2261.

Contact Karla Simms at 501-569-2000 or karla. sims@ardot.gov to ask questions about the proposed project and how to access project information.

File photo ThH ArkDnsDs DHSDrtPHnt of TrDnsSortDtLon SroSosHd D thLrd oStLon for thH rHSlDcHPHnt of thH DgLng ArkDnsDs HLghwDy 59 brLdgH ovHr thH ,llLnoLs RLvHr. A lLvH vLrtuDl quHstLon Dnd DnswHr sHssLon Ls SlDnnHd for 5:30 to 6:30 S.P. TuHsdDy, MDrch 2.

Arkansas Department of Transportation A map shows the proposed route for the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s third option for the replacement of the aging Arkansas Highway 59 bridge.