Planners OK 25-year road plan

SPRINGDALE — The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission approved a new long-range transportation plan and a four-year transportation improvement plan Wednesday.

Northwest Arkansas’ population is projected to double over the next 25 years, according to Tim Conklin, senior planner with the commission. Any project that gets federal money has to be documented in the plan.

“In 25 years, we’re going to build a whole new Northwest Arkansas,” Conklin said. “It’s no longer the big four or five, it’s other cities being impacted by the growth, and we need facilities to deal with that growth.”

The 2040 Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Transportation Plan along with the 20162020 Transportation Improvement Plan were both approved. There may be some changes based on state Highway and Transportation Department plans and the new federal highway program. Any changes will be added later by amendment.

The 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan will replace the 2035 NWA Regional Transportation Plan. The plan provides a long range, comprehensive look at transportation needs and implementation strategies for highways, transit and bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Northwest Arkansas planners adopted the 2035 Plan on April 7, 2011. The plan is updated every five years.

The Transportation Improvement Program includes projects for the region expected to be completed by 2020.

The plan includes a list of 66 highway and transit improvement projects and four major trail projects, about $500 million worth. That number includes the remaining Interstate Rehabilitation Program and Connecting Arkansas Program projects in the two-county region.

Projects include an access road to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, extending the Bella Vista Bypass to the Missouri line, a major interchange at Interstate 49 in Bentonville, extending the Arkansas 265 corridor north from Springdale, connecting Razorback Road to Garland Avenue in Fayetteville, a major interchange improvement to I-49 at the Fulbright Expressway in Fayetteville and improvements to Arkansas 102 from Bentonville to Dixieland Road in Rogers.

Both the plans are available at the regional planning offices and online at www.nwarpc.org.