Northwest Arkansas transportation projects awarded over $15 million in federal money

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission announced Wednesday (May 27) that $15.76 million will be allocated for 24 transportation projects across Northwest Arkansas.

The money comes from three federal programs that support transportation improvements for federal fiscal year 2027.

Following are the largest awards among the road, trail, sidewalk and pedestrian safety projects funded across Northwest Arkansas.
$4 million for the Bentonville/Centerton Greenhouse Road improvements project from Arkansas highways 12 to 102.

$2 million for Bentonville intersection improvements at Highway 12/Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard and Arkansas Highway 279/South Vaughn Road.

$1.8 million for Lowell’s Monroe Avenue extension project from Oak Street to Arkansas Highway 265.

$1.07 million for phase three of the Gene George Boulevard project in Springdale and Johnson.

Link here for a commission PDF that includes all funding awards.

“This year’s funding cycle reflects both the continued growth of Northwest Arkansas and the increasing need for transportation investments that improve connectivity and safety across the region,” said Tim Conklin, executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. “The projects selected for FFY 2027 funding will help communities advance roadway improvements, expand trail and sidewalk connections, improve pedestrian safety and support long-term regional mobility.”

The planning commission received applications requesting more funding than was available for the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. A selection committee toured and scored projects in April before completing recommendations in May. The awards were announced at the planning commission’s meeting Wednesday.

The federal money comes from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program-Attributable, Transportation Alternatives Program and Carbon Reduction Program. The funding amounts for the three programs are $12.42 million, $1.78 million and $1.54 million, respectively. The first program supports road projects. The second supports sidewalk and trail projects. The third supports projects to reduce transportation-related emissions.

The funding remains subject to congressional approval. If the Carbon Reduction Program funding is not approved, the Northwest Arkansas projects that were to receive this funding would be prioritized during the planning commission’s federal fiscal 2028 funding cycle or incorporated into the other federal programs as funding allows.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is a government organization that has grown to include 38 governmental units and other public agency partners across Benton, Madison and Washington counties, and a part of McDonald County, Mo. The commission serves as a forum for cooperative decision-making, develops federally-mandated transportation plans, convenes stakeholders to address shared planning challenges, and provides information and staff resources to member agencies and the public.

The commission is the region’s metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and oversees the continuous, cooperative, and comprehensive (3C) transportation planning process, a federally mandated framework regions must use to qualify for federal transportation funding.