Rock blasting to begin in Benton County as part of bypass work

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has announced that construction contractor Kolb Grading will begin rock blasting operations on the west side of McKissic Creek Road in Benton County as part of the Bella Vista Bypass construction work.

Weather permitting, the blasting will begin Thursday (Aug. 14) and will occur several times a week for approximately 30 days.

During the rock blasting operations, traffic will be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time on McKissic Creek Road and U.S. 71 Business. The blasting will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Traffic on Interstate 49 may be slowed as a safety precaution, and the pedestrian trail along McKissic Creek Road will be closed during the blasting. Watch for warning signs and safety personnel during this operation.

This project is constructing approximately 6 miles of the bypass, extending from U.S. 71B to Highway 72 South. The project involves the initial two lanes of a four-lane facility. The project is part of the Connecting Arkansas Program (CAP), which is funded through a 10-year, half-cent sales tax.

The CAP’s 35 projects in 19 corridors are improving Arkansas' transportation system by expanding selected two-lane roadways to four-lane highways and adding new lanes to identified interstate highways.