ROW acquisition continues for Highway 7 expansion

A property owner with right of way needed for the expansion of Highway 7 south is challenging a condemnation order issued in October for a 0.99-acre section between Trabecca Circle and the Highway 290 junction.

Bishop Investments LLC exercised its option last week to show cause why the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department’s $30,100 offer of compensation is insufficient. The 0.99-acre section is the largest right of way piece sought thus far for the 1.72-mile project that will widen Highway 7 south to four travel lanes and one two-way turn lane from the south shore bridge over Lake Hamilton to Highway 290, according to the highway department. The $7.7 million project also includes bike lanes and sidewalks.

According to property records, the highway department has acquired 21 of the 58 property sections needed for the expansion, including two from Bishop Investments totaling less than onetenth of an acre. It’s spent more than $700,000 to acquire more than 2.5 miles of right of way. The 0.07-acre section of a car dealership at 5585 Central Ave. has been the only property acquired through a condemnation order, paying the property owner $16,350.

The highway department filed three condemnation actions this week, one for two pieces totaling 7,800 square feet in the 5300 block of Central Avenue, another for 0.01 acre in the 5700 block and a third for 0.15 acre in the 5500 block. The declaration of taking filed Friday for the 5300-block property near the south shore bridge estimates $62,900 as just compensation for the two pieces and two temporary construction easements.

Declarations of taking filed Wednesday esti-

mate $32,700 as just compensation for the 5500-block property and $2,700 for the 5700-block property.

According to the highway department, condemnations are used as a last resort after “all attempts to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement through negations have failed.”

The engineering firm the city contracted for $98,800 earlier this year to design, bid and inspect the relocation of four water and sewer mains to accommodate the expansion estimated $2,415,390 in relocation costs. According to the city’s engineering department, the city will be reimbursed for the relocation of main segments outside the current Highway 7 south right of way. The engineering firm estimated $310,434 of the $2.4 million is eligible for reimbursement.

The project is beyond the city limits, but a large portion of the city water and sewer system’s 145-square mile footprint sprawls beyond the corporate boundaries. More than half the 35,000 meters it serves are outside the city.

In addition to city water and sewer lines, infrastructure owned by AT&T Arkansas, CenterPoint Energy, Entergy Arkansas Inc. and Resort TV Cable will have to be relocated, according to the highway department.

Bids for the expansion project are expected to be let next summer. The highway department anticipates the expansion will be completed in fewer than three years once a contractor is selected.