ArDOT to host 3 virtual meetings for feedback on Highway 112 widening

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 2,489 views 

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) is seeking comments on revisions to the proposed alignments for the $87.9 million project to widen nearly 12 miles of Arkansas Highway 112 between Tontitown and Bentonville.

Construction was projected to start in 2023 with completion in 2025 or 2026. The two-lane highway will be widened to four lanes with a median and sidewalks. Virtual presentations on the design revisions are available online, and ArDOT will host three live question-and-answer sessions on them this month. The changes come after ArDOT hosted virtual meetings on the project in December.

The project segment from U.S. Highway 412 to Arkansas Highway 612 included three proposed alternatives. ArDOT has eliminated one from consideration, and the others were modified. In Tontitown, the modifications include dual left turn lanes in the northbound and southbound lanes at Highway 412. A median break was added at Jerome Drive. Also, the roundabout at Via Firenze Avenue was shifted west, and the roundabout at Barrington Road was moved north to Sabatini Road.

In Elm Springs, the modified design includes roundabouts at Water Avenue and School Street and at Jayroe Avenue and Elm Springs Road. A roundabout was added at Marchant and Carrie Smith roads. At the interchange with Highway 612, or the U.S. Highway 412 bypass, the on- and off-ramps will include roundabouts instead of traffic signals.

Additionally, a third alternative includes all the previously noted modifications.

A live question-and-answer session on this segment is expected to take place online from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 19. Comments on the project will be accepted through Aug. 6. Link here for the information on this segment.

In the segment between Highway 612 and Wallis Road north of Cave Springs, two of the three proposed alignments will no longer be considered, and the other was modified. The modifications include the addition of a roundabout at Wagon Wheel Road. Near the Creeks RV Resort, retaining walls have been added to the design. The modified design also includes a roundabout at Brown Road. The alignment runs west of Cave Springs but was modified to no longer run as far west as previously proposed and will include roundabouts at the intersections with Arkansas Highway 264. The connections with Shores Avenue and Evening Star Road also were changed.

A live question-and-answer session on this segment is expected to take place online from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 20. Comments on the project will be accepted through Aug. 6. Link here for the information on this segment.

Finally, the segment from Wallis Road to Arkansas Highway 12 in Bentonville included two alignments. ArDOT has removed one alternative from consideration and modified the other. The modified design includes a roundabout at Wallis Road. According to ArDOT, the design from Lillard Lane to Elk Road has been revised to “minimize impacts.” Roundabouts were added at Ozark Acres Drive and Elk Road. Lastly, the project has been extended to include the Southwest 41st Street intersection.

A live question-and-answer session on this segment is expected to take place online from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 22. Comments on the project will be accepted through Aug. 6. Link here for information on this segment.

Dave Parker, public information officer for ArDOT, said another round of public hearings on this project is possible after this round and before construction starts.