Widening of Cantrell leg is near
Dear Mahatma: Several years ago, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department said it would widen Cantrell Road between Mississippi Avenue and North Hughes Street. When will this wonderful event occur? — Maxine
Dear Maxine: The plan is to widen Cantrell — Arkansas 10 — between Mississippi and Perryville Road to five lanes, including a center turn lane. This stretch is all of 0.65 mile.
The Highway Department tells us that design work is nearing completion and that a contract will be awarded in July.
July of next year? These things take time, Maxine. Two thoughts come to mind. First, that public meetings on the Cantrell Road plan were held way back in 2011. Second, that the first two words of W. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 19 are “Devouring Time.” The sonnet was about love, but it could easily refer to highway construction.
Dear Mahatma: My parents always told me to park on the same side of the street as I was driving. Is it OK to park on the opposite side facing traffic? If doing so is illegal, and if someone hits my car, would that be my fault? — Brad
Dear Brad: Your folks were right, especially regarding Little Rock, whose Code 32-304, Manner of Parking, says that parked vehicles “shall be stopped or parked with the righthand wheels of the vehicle parallel to and within 18 inches of the right-hand curb.”
Exceptions are made for one-way streets and for angle or diagonal parking.
As to fault, that’s a legal term that derives from the concept of negligence, or a failure to exercise reasonable care. Please also remember that our law degree comes from the back of a cereal box.
So let’s think of it this way. If you were parked on the wrong side, and someone hits your car, and the investigating officer gave you a ticket, you would — legally speaking — feel pretty funky.
Dear Mahatma: Can you explain the process for cars that are disabled and left on the shoulder? It seems that for safety the car should be given a set time, and then it should be towed. — Perplexing
Dear Plex: Your correspondent sees such things as well, mostly on the shoulders of interstate and other controlled-access highways. So we asked the Arkansas State Police about this and got in return two things.
First, Arkansas Code Annotated 27-50-1205, “Unattended/Inoperative vehicles.” It says officers shall order the immediate removal of any unattended, abandoned, disabled or inoperative vehicle that’s within 3 feet of the traveled surface of the roadway, or creates a hazard to the public.
Second, an applicable part of the state police manual says if the vehicle is not within 3 feet, a trooper should put an abandoned vehicle sticker on the rear or driver’s side window. If the vehicle isn’t gone in 24 hours, arrangements should be made to have it towed or removed. Before towing, an effort should be made to notify the registered owner.