Upgrades set for heavily traveled streets

Soon, heavy-volume traffic areas will see a much-needed makeover as paving and striping are set to begin in the next few weeks.

Tom Bennett, director of the Pine Bluff Street Department, recently received approval from the City Council for contractors who will perform the work.

Council member Glen Brown Sr. has been an advocate for such a project and has publicly complained about the lack of visibility and potholes on many streets. Bennett said this work will correct the problem and enhance visibility.

According to Bennett, the project will cover Cherry Street, South Hazel Street and West 42nd Avenue.

“We want to start improving the roadways in the city,” Bennett said, adding the Street Department has a budget item for overlay.

Starting first with major traffic corridors from Fifth Avenue and South Cherry Street going all the way to 42nd Avenue, Bennett said not every area will receive overlay but the entire distance will be striped. “We’re going to patch, mill and overlay just the bad areas,” he said.

On Hazel Street from West 13th to West 42nd, Bennett said that the entire area will be striped with the portion between West 32nd and West 42nd receiving milling and overlay.

“The Street Department will do the milling and the contractors will do the rest,” Bennett said.

Cato Trucking Asphalt and Pavement of Pine Bluff will perform the street resurfacing and overlay work for the principal sum of $707,839. Arkansas Fence and Guard Rail of Little Rock will perform pavement striping and paint for the principal sum of $108,744.

A unique approach to the job, according to Bennett, is thermal plastic striping that will glow in the dark, which will be used during modification of the streets.

“When cars go down the street, the light from the cars will reflect off the striping and it will give you 120 percent visibility at night of your striping line,” said

Bennett. “I’ve never seen this in Pine Bluff, but this is the striping of the future in the heavy traffic areas.”

Bennett plans to have the paving and striping project completed by the end of the year.

He is also working on putting a data sheet together to address other issues in each ward.

The Street Department was recently awarded $1.5 million to go toward future projects.

“We have a lot of issues to address,” said Bennett, who has asked each council member to submit a list of troubled areas regarding streets. “We try to get the priority issues first for the higher volume streets and work our way back. It’s going to take a little time and a little work on putting our list together.”

Nevertheless, Bennett said the Pine Bluff Street Department is making good progress and has recently received technology upgrades with more advances to come in the next couple of weeks.