Plans For Prairie Grove Bypass Under Way
Last updated Thursday, November 13, 2008 8:17 PM CST in News
By Randal Seyler
WASHINGTON COUNTY NEWSPAPERS
PRAIRIE GROVE — If all goes according to plan, the last public hearing on the proposed U.S. 62 bypass of Prairie Grove has been conducted, and utility relocation can begin in 2009.
Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department officials were in Prairie Grove on Thursday to present the planned southern bypass for U.S. 62 around the city and to take public comments.
“I think most of the business owners now see this as a good thing,” Mayor Sonny Hudson said. “Originally, I think they were worried, but now most people want to get the traffic out of downtown.”
Discussions for the bypass began in 1990, Public Works Director Larry Oelrich said. “There is definitely a need for this, and it has been a long time coming.”
About 50 people milled around the high school cafeteria Thursday looking at maps and asking questions, but officials said they had not heard any negative comments halfway through the hearing, and no official public statements had been recorded.
“The environmental impact study is still under way and is by no means closed,” said Bill McAbee, a state consultant with Michael Baker Engineering of Jackson, Miss. “This hearing is one of the final parts of the environmental study, though.”
Kevin Toblesky, a design engineer for the highway department, said plans are for the initial grading and structure phase to begin in 2010, and the bypass would be constructed in four phases.
Oelrich added that utility relocation would begin well before any ground is moved.
The department maps show Alternative 3 as the preferred route after consideration of the information contained in the assessment and the comments received at a public hearing in 2007.
The route would bypass Prairie Grove south of the city and would consist of four lanes that have open shoulders and are divided by a grass median. The route would meet the primary purpose of the project by adequately carrying the corridor’s projected traffic volume and would satisfy the needs of the area for the next 20 years, said Randy Ort, the public information director for the highway department.
The route is the shortest and least expensive of the alternatives, would not require an additional bridge over the Illinois River and had the highest number of supporting comments from the public, Ort said.
Several homes and businesses would be affected in the construction, and right of way will be purchased at 100 percent of the appraised value, said Jim Sanson, a right of way specialist for the highway department.
“We planned for more people,” said Ruby Jordan, an environmental specialist with the highway department. “We want to make sure people have plenty of opportunity to see the plans and ask questions.”
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pgjohnw wrote on Nov 16, 2008 8:14 AM: