Transportation Projects, Roads, Light Rail, etc

[Snaple4]

http://www.nwacc.edu/web/stunewspaper

Little tidbit about the 8th street exit that's coming.

[zman9810]

How far north of the 102 interchange is the 8th St. project? It sure isn't 1 mile. Not saying anything wrong with that but when other requests come before the AHDT it needs to be remembered what was decided here.

[Snaple4]

Its about 1/2 a mile... Depending on where the actual center of the interchange will be. I didn't realize that they were going to have the exit head east as well. Thought it would be a West bound exit only. It will force NWACC to stay within a much smaller space unless they want to cross a major thoroughfare to get to the rest of campus. It will also change that neighborhood a lot when all of that traffic dumps onto that road.

 

On the side, is the construction by the Lowell exit part of the expansion to 6 lanes through there? I drive through there several times a day and am terrified each time. People don't pay attention and end up in my lane while they are passing me going 80. 

Edited January 21, 2014 by Snaple4

[comreguy]

Its about 1/2 a mile... Depending on where the actual center of the interchange will be. I didn't realize that they were going to have the exit head east as well. Thought it would be a West bound exit only. It will force NWACC to stay within a much smaller space unless they want to cross a major thoroughfare to get to the rest of campus. It will also change that neighborhood a lot when all of that traffic dumps onto that road.

 

On the side, is the construction by the Lowell exit part of the expansion to 6 lanes through there? I drive through there several times a day and am terrified each time. People don't pay attention and end up in my lane while they are passing me going 80. 

yes part of the expansion

[zman9810]

I didn't think it was a mile although I realize urban freeways are required to have that mile distance between exits. I Guess they are going to extend 8th over to Watertower Rd. That will indeed hem in NWACC. I don't if they have plans to grow much larger at that location, if they do it may have to be vertically.

[TRB]

I thought they wanted to build a campus in the Springdale area possibly in the new overlay district around Arvest, if that's still the goal, the campus in Bentonville might not need as much room

[strmchsr77]

The Rupple Road extension in West Fayetteville got the go ahead to be a 4 lane street instead of 2 lanes.  It will extend Rupple from near the Owl Creek school area southward to MLK.  This will provide a great North-South thoroughfare for the west side of the city.  Currently you have to know the "back ways" or use the interstate.  Eventually it will continue north from Wedington to Hwy 112 and provide a nearly solid 4+ lane loop around the entire city.  Construction is set to start in early 2015. 

[Mith242]

The Rupple Road extension in West Fayetteville got the go ahead to be a 4 lane street instead of 2 lanes.  It will extend Rupple from near the Owl Creek school area southward to MLK.  This will provide a great North-South thoroughfare for the west side of the city.  Currently you have to know the "back ways" or use the interstate.  Eventually it will continue north from Wedington to Hwy 112 and provide a nearly solid 4+ lane loop around the entire city.  Construction is set to start in early 2015. 

Probably the best thing to do.  I do like Petty's ideas for College Ave.  But not sure if it was a good idea to try to fund it by taking away from this project.  Especially when a four lane was originally promised.  

[IronScott]

Probably the best thing to do.  I do like Petty's ideas for College Ave.  But not sure if it was a good idea to try to fund it by taking away from this project.  Especially when a four lane was originally promised.  

This is pretty much my feeling. I like the College Ave. ideas but the Rupple Rd project was voted on and allocated. He certainly wouldn't like money taken from one of his pet projects to do something else.

 

Some people believe this will only increase growth to the west. I think that growth will happen regardless. I think this new road can only help everyone EXCEPT someone wanting to take funds from rightful citizens and pushing them to other citizens (or businesses/councilmen as the case may be).

 

When the people vote on something it shouldn't be derailed by a squeaky councilperson.

[Mith242]

Won't have to worry about a possible roundabout for Wedington in Fayetteville after all.  One source I read said they changed their mind because they didn't think it could handle the traffic load.  But another source I read said it was because they didn't think they had enough right-of-way for a roundabout that size.  Sounds like the current plans is to add a circle loop for eastbound traffic wanting to head north on I-540.  Same for the MLK interchange in Fayetteville as well.

[TRB]

That does nothing to address the backup in the afternoon going westward and....

 

Wait, what, MLK?

 

I remember the Highway Dept's  best solution concept for MLK, It involved taking out the Red Roof, The gas station and I think it even got the bank on the NE corner. Then we got the Stimulus work that finished up last year. What a let down. Now, there's plans to negate the work just done? Not that's it's a better solution but I'm just sick and tired of wasting millions. This is just like the median cable barriers they knew they were going to take down nearly as soon as they went up on 540. The AHTD's excuse was that they were going to reuse the cable elsewhere but that doesn't account for the millions that went into the labor and the concrete footings. This is what's wrong with the Federal Gov't and the states just going along for the money grab ride.

 

Wedington screams the new diverging diamond design

Edited March 21, 2014 by TRB

[TRB]

Oh, jeebus, the state wants to "Siloam Springs" Wedington from the overpass to Salem. This is going to go over well.

Edited March 21, 2014 by TRB

[wmr]

Siloam's median section of 412 looks crappy, because at every curb cut, where drivers can enter the road, the have to put up a "OneWay" sign.  Its a concrete strip full of road signs.  This sounds like it will be similar.

 

It will probably function well as far as getting drivers quickly from I-540 to Salem and beyond, but unless the city gets the state to agree to a tree lined median, it won't look that great.

 

Maybe Siloam's is only that cluttered looking because it is 6 lanes worth.  This segment would be great for a secondary lane fronting the businesses, but I forget what those are called.  Kind of like a frontage road, except for a boulevard rather than a highway.

[JamesE]

Oh, jeebus, the state wants to "Siloam Springs" Wedington from the overpass to Salem. This is going to go over well.

 

The final decision to move forward with two-laning Rupple south to MLK should lessen the "need" for too much widening along Weddington.

[zman9810]

The thing about the I540 cable barriers and the widening work is that they didn't know they were going to get the sales tax money to do the widening until after the cable barriers project was in progress. Same with the minor work done at the MLK and Wedington interchanges. It would be nice if government was more flexible in how it implemented planning and construction but I think until they have a secure financing method it won't happen. 

[zman9810]

Time for a short rant: Traffic light cycles in NWA need to be timed logically. During rush hour, signals need to be timed to let as much traffic pass as possible before changing to let an intersecting street traffic through. Most signals seem to let a small numbers of vehicles through and then turn red causing a long line of vehicles to slow back down and grind to a halt. Then the light turns green again and traffic slowly speeds back up. The slowing down and speeding back up isn't an efficient method of traffic management. Most signals have traffic sensors so it should be possible to set signals so that the maximum amount of traffic can move through an intersection before the light changes. Having to sit through 3 light cycles shouldn't happen normally. Rant over.

[zman9810]

It didn't get any publicity but the newly widened section of Hwy 265 south from Hwy 412 to Fayetteville  city limits has opened. It is just a simple 5 lane job- would have been nice to see a median in the southern section of it but I guess a center lane is the norm unless otherwise requested.

[TRB]

That is the difference between Springdale and Fayetteville. The portion that ie Fayetteville's from the north edge of the lake to Joyce will be median for the vast majority. Springdale said there was to many businesses on their part and didn't want to cost share but I point out Wagon Wheel as a major failure compared to Don Tyson because it was to be with a median but a couple of land owners complained.

Edited May 27, 2014 by TRB

[zman9810]

That is the difference between Springdale and Fayetteville. The portion that ie Fayetteville's from the north edge of the lake to Joyce will be median for the vast majority. Springdale said there was to many businesses on their part and didn't want to cost share but I point out Wagon Wheel as a major failure compared to Don Tyson because it was to be with a median but a couple of land owners complained.

Yes, I remember that discussion about Wagon Wheel. The RV dealer made a big stink and the city caved. That road would have been ideal for a median.

[TRB]

Yep, had to have it. I think it had more to do with other properties that he may have owned along there because as you can see , he could have easily made an entrance off  the road that runs along his eastern boundary. The south side of Wagon Wheel  was the rear of a subdivision that has no impact from a Median.

Edited May 28, 2014 by TRB

[aerotive]

Couple of Zipcars are now on the university campus.  Free for students, usual cost for everyone else.  Have used the service a few times in big cities...don't see using these local ones much, if ever, but I could see it working for a decent number of people besides students.  Will at least give some competition to the local non-airport rental places.

 

http://www.4029tv.com/news/city-and-university-officials-unveil-zipcar/28195826?absolute=true

Edited September 23, 2014 by aerotive

[KJW]

"Razor rail?"

 

http://www.nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news/d/story/razor-rail-offers-unique-transportation-to-hogs-ga/16644/A6H6Us5GXEG9VncfoRE78Q

[Mith242]

"Razor rail?"

 

http://www.nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news/d/story/razor-rail-offers-unique-transportation-to-hogs-ga/16644/A6H6Us5GXEG9VncfoRE78Q

I heard something about this.  Considering how the passenger train rides do heading south, I'd wondered how long before they might try to get Benton County more involved.

[zman9810]

Here's a link that may have been posted before  but here it is again - the Connecting Arkansas Program page for the Northern Springdale Bypass from I49 to Hwy 112 project. I guess the large number of bridges are needed so that each county road will have a connection across the freeway. Something I haven't seen addressed is whether rightaway for frontage roads is in the plan. I49 would have benefitted greatly if frontage roads had been planned for when it was first conceived. Now development has made I49 frontage roads very difficult to be built.http://connectingarkansasprogram.com/corridors/21/highway-412-benton-county/#.VJ4e5BcAGA

[IronScott]

Short piece on the first part of the Springdale bypass about to start just north of Elm Springs. $100 million for a 4-mile stretch. Four and a half year project.

http://5newsonline.com/2015/01/11/159205/