Bella Vista bypass blasting set

BELLA VISTA — Rock blasting operations on the west side of McKisic Creek Road in Benton County will continue as part of Bella Vista bypass construction work, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department announced.

The blasting will begin Thursday and will occur several times a week between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for about the next five weeks, weather permitting.

Traffic will be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time on McKisic Creek Road and U.S. 71B during the blasting. Traffic on Interstate 49 may be slowed or momentarily stopped as a safety precaution during the blasting.

The pedestrian trail along McKisic Creek Road also will be closed for about four months, according to a news release from Bentonville Parks and Recreation issued Tuesday.

“Due to the current road construction on North Walton Blvd., beginning Tuesday, May 31, the Wishing Spring Trail will close for an extended period of time,” the release said. “The area affected with this closure begins just south of Walgreens on Benton County 40, and continues south to the Sunkissed art feature on the North Bentonville Trail.”

Wishing Spring Trail is a 1.6-mile trail that runs from Lake Bella Vista, underneath North Walton Boulevard to the North Bentonville Trail/ Slaughter Pen Trails area. The trail is part of the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Greenway.

For more information regarding the trail closing, call Bentonville Parks and Recreation at 479-464-7275.

The road project is constructing about six miles of the bypass, extending from U.S. 71B to Arkansas 72. The project involves the initial two lanes of a four-lane road.