King Expressway project underway
The Arkansas Department of Transportation says it has secured all 62 right of way pieces needed to extend the King Expressway from the U.S. 70 east interchange to the junction of Arkansas 5 and Arkansas 7 north.
Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Randy Ort said McGeorge Contracting has begun excavating the more than 2 million cubic yards of dirt the 5-mile, two-lane extension will displace from the rugged backcountry east of Hot Springs National Park. He said about 300,000 cubic yards have been moved so far.
The mountain Promise Land Drive winds around on the southern end of the alignment is being excavated to make way for the extension.
McGeorge was awarded the $75.15 million construction project in November. Garland County contributed $30 million through the $54.6 million bond issue voters approved in a June 2016 special election. Voters authorized a 0.625% countywide sales tax to secure the bond issue.
The Connecting Arkansas Program is paying for the state’s share. Underwritten by the 0.50% state sales tax voters approved in 2012, the program is projected to have supported $1.8 billion in highway construction when the sales tax expires at the end 2022. A legislatively referred constitutional amendment to make the tax permanent will be on the ballot in the November general election.
Ort said the summer of 2022 is the estimated completion date for the project, which will include access ramps at Mill Creek Road.
The north end of the extension will tie into Arkansas 5 and 7 north at a roundabout, which is part of the project to widen 4.17 miles of Park Avenue from the roundabout to Gorge Road. Ort said 82 of the 111 right of way pieces for the project have been secured. The project is expected to be put out for bid in September.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation awarded a $6.7 million project to Cranford Construction Co. in January for improvements to a more than 3-mile stretch of Arkansas 7 north from Bryant Road to Arkansas 298. The project includes surface improvements, drainage structures and the addition of centerline rumble strips and shoulders. It’s expected to be completed by early next year.
Ort said all 80 right of way sections have been secured for the 1.65-mile widening of U.S. 270 west from the Mountain Pine Road junction to Fleetwood Drive. The project, which will also be financed by the Connecting Arkansas Program, is expected to be put out for bid in November.
He said 87 of 89 right of way pieces are in hand for the 3.79 miles of safety improvements to Arkansas 7 south from Arkansas 290 to Mitzi Parkway. The project is expected to be put out for bid next month.