Overpass Plan On The Move In Jonesboro
by January 6, 2015 8:49 pm 111 views
A plan to build an overpass at one of the busiest intersections in Jonesboro was given a green light Tuesday night by a key Jonesboro City Council committee.
The council’s Public Works Committee voted by voice vote to give its support in using a $1.2 million federal TIGER, or Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, grant to perform an environmental review and help design plans for the project.
The city, which will put up another $300,000 for the project, received the grant last September. At the time, Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said the overpass would be built over a railroad crossing at the intersection of Highland Drive and Nettleton Avenue.
In addition to helping with traffic issues at the intersection, which divides east and west Jonesboro, Perrin said the overpass will help address issues with trains blocking the intersection.
The city put a video camera at the intersection to show the delays, especially involving one train.
Perrin said a train blocked the intersection for almost an hour last year, with ambulances trying to navigate the area.
“It is a real major intersection. It sat there blocked for 58 minutes one day. The ambulances and school buses had to find a way to turn around,” Perrin said in September. “I thought about the fact that the trains are a mile long. What would happen if a kid were to walk in between those train (cars)? I’d hate to think. He could get dragged off.”
The next step involves waiting for the Federal Highway Administration to release the funding. Once that is done and the plan is approved by the full council, Perrin said the city would begin accepting bids for the project.
Perrin said the project is a key one for him this year, noting the company that receives the bid will have to be certified by state highway officials to do the work as well as putting their best effort forward to get the project done.
“They have to be able to handle the workload. They must be able to meet weekly to give an update,” Perrin said.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
• Approved the first reading to amend a zoning ordinance providing for changes from R-1 to I-1 for 0.32 acres of land in the 5400 block of East Nettleton Avenue, where a Love’s Truck Stop is being built.
• Approved setting up a holiday/longevity committee to discuss salary issues with city employees.
• Sent a request to the Nomination and Rules Committee to add council member Rennell Woods to the Finance Committee.