Progress postponed

Progress postponed

A number of projects pushed back during latest round of MPO meetings

news@theeveningtimes.com

The word echoed around the meeting room at the Eugene Woods Civic Center: Postponed. The Metropolitan Planning Organization heard the updates on planned road projects and adopted a new improvement plan. The term “progress report” could not often be rightly used, as many of the project dates had been moved back. The postponements became a source of grins toward the end of the meeting hour.

Government engineers delivered status reports on new and improved roadways and bridges in the county.

West Memphis City Engineer Amanda Hicks recapped Hino Road bridge work, extending South Loop Road, and the upcoming Lehr street bridge redo.

Steel and concrete beams were cast for the Hino bridge rehab and set aside to strengthen for about a 90-day curing process.

“The last beam was poured two weeks ago, so construction will begin in mid-September,” said Hicks. “We will send notification letters to area businesses with construction closure dates.”

MPO Study Director Eddie Brawley shared more details with the Citizens Advisory Committee a day earlier.

“The precast is for a pretension bridge done with cables in the concrete,” said Brawley.

The South Loop extension advanced in plans but delayed in starting. Preliminary engineering studies were underway but environmental findings will need public hearings.

“They are wrapping up environmental studies, documentation awaits ARDOT approval,” said Hicks.

“Construction was set for 2019. We have 18 months from April.”

Highway 191 or North Seventh Street in West Memphis was targeted for preservation work. The state wants to bring the road up to standards and turn it over to West Memphis for future maintenance. Councilwoman Ramona Taylor wanted the road smoothed around the tracks at Space Center Drive.

“That’s been pushed back to 2021 on the new Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP),” said Brawley.

Highway 70 (Broadway) was bid an overlay and restriping to include some center turn lanes at the college, Clement Road and Lakes of Richland. The turn lanes will narrow the travel lanes in those locations. The new blacktop was planned to be spread from Lehi to Missouri Street. A second round of bidding was rejected and moved the project back.

“That was re-let again and all bids were rejected again,” said ARDOT Engineer Rex Vines.

ARDOT will try to get an acceptable bid for the project a third time in January.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Drive, (Highway 38) was set for improvements in 2019. The preservation work should smooth the road for the high volume truck stop area.

The Lehr Street bridge rehab was also postponed.

“It won’t be built in 2019, we have to get in line on a list for that,” said Brawley.

“It is not listed on our TIP per se but done at the state.”

“We are mid-way down the list and have scheduled surveying,” said Hicks.

Missouri Street underpass work from Walgreens to AFCO Road was delayed a year to 2021.

In Marion, both the railroad overpass on the drawing board to connect Mound City Road to L H Polk Street and the widening of Military Road through the heart of the city were discussed by city leaders and the MPO policy makers. The overpass was postponed, but the project is still scheduled. The fiscal year ends September 30.

“The overpass won’t fit in this year’s state TIP,” said Mayor Frank Fogleman.

“We moved it to 2019,” said city planner Ed Cain.

“We received 60 percent plans this week. Based on that there still has to be a design period, public hearings and right of way acquired. That’s why we moved construction back to 2019.”

“The Highway 64 widening worked out – as in postponed?” quipped Fogleman. “There is a basic meeting of the minds on cost. We’ve agreed to three lanes.”

“Once 30-percent plans are done, they’ll share them with us,” said Cain.

“Everybody wants to know what its going to look like and how it going to effect everybody’s property. It’s moved to 2020.”

No news for the most controversial highway project in the area. The closing of the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge for a new Tennessee Department Of Transportation interchange at Crump Boulevard remained out of the neighboring state’s published

plans. “I’ve had no correspondence,” said West Memphis

Mayor Bill Johnson.

“I have not heard anything on the bridge closing; it is not on their TIP,” said Brawley. “It was on a prior plan.”

By John Rech