New Walmart campus spurs ARDOT plan to widen part of Highway 102 in Bentonville
by December 12, 2023 1:21 pm 5,500 views
The Arkansas Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on a 1.1-mile project to widen Highway 102 to six lanes between Interstate 49 and J Street. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area because of the new Walmart Home Office.
ArDOT will host a meeting on the project from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 14) at the Bentonville Community Center at 1101 S.W. Citizens Circle. Link here for the virtual meeting. Comments on the project will be accepted through Dec. 29 and will be used to guide the design process.
ArDOT recently started its environmental study and public engagement process for the project. Another public meeting is planned after the environmental process is completed.
According to the virtual meeting, the widened segment of Highway 102, or 14th Street, will have a raised median between the east and westbound lanes. Up to two left turn lanes will be included at intersections. A 10-foot-wide sidepath will be installed on the north side of the road, and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk will run along the south side of the road.
Highway 102 provides a main east-west connection from I-49 in the east and residential areas in the west, according to the project website. The new Walmart Home Office is being built south of Central Avenue, north of Highway 102 and east of J Street. It’s expected to open in 2025.
Since 1990, Highway 102 has experienced a 220% increase in daily traffic.
According to ArDOT traffic data, the segment of Highway 102 that will be improved has between 32,000 and 34,000 vehicles per day.