West Memphians voice concerns at ARDOT meeting

Plan to install roundabouts worries citizens yet moves to next phase

By Do Wilburn

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

State representatives from ARDOT (Arkansas Department of Transportation) met this past Tuesday to address citizen concerns about projects to improve traffic in West Memphis specifically at the West Memphis/Marion interchange. While several possible solutions were presented the most probable and contentious was by far the possible installation of several roundabouts on Missouri Street and at the interchange itself.

The purpose of this project is to manage congestion, improve movement through the interchange area, enhance access to Baptist Memorial Hospital by elimination train blockages and improve safety along the corridor.

“This is what they want to spend their money on?

How about fixing all the items that this administration insists are ARDOT's responsibility first?

Roundabouts are confusing to me. The only ones I've been on were nerve-wracking. People who live here will eventually get used to it but those who don't live here will have a hard time not putting themselves or us in danger. Sorry but I don't see the sense of this.

Unless it's much simpler than these images appear, we are in for a difficult transition.” said concerned citizen Brad Roe.

The Times asked an ARDOT engineer about this very subject and he cited the city of Conway, Ark as an example “Saying that Conway has had roundabouts for years and they are doing great” to which we asked if there were increases in the number of car accidents in the area immediately after installation of the first roundabouts, but the official did not have that information on hand.

One West Memphian, Haley Clark, who lives in Conway said “Even though we have 27, last time I checked, roundabouts in our town and they’ve been here for years, a lot of people still can’t drive on them correctly. So please be careful on marking and put signs well in advance so they know ahead of time which lane goes where.

And please don’t ever put two roundabouts back to back like they did here.”

Still Ginger Dabbs seemed to be the only fan of them saying “I love a roundabout. Traffic flows so much better once everyone gets hang of it” and finally West Memphis City Councilman Wayne Croom chimed in giving his opinion “If this project completes during my lifetime, I feel you will be more favorable to this design.

This intersection rated first in traffic congestion, emergency delays, etc in the state so it’s inevitable that it is a major project for the state, county, community.”

There is no apparent start date on the approval of any of the plans according to officials much less a start date on construction. One official said it could be anywhere from one to five years yet one contractor who attended the meeting, wishing to remain anonymous, says that his sources tell him that “It is much closer than anyone thinks.” The Times, of course, could not miss the opportunity to ask ARDOT officials about the infamous Rich Road bridge to which of course they were not there to speak about and so did not. However West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon recently addressed the public at large in the most recent city council meeting saying “The Mayor and the Council have taken a lot fo heat on this Rich Road bridge project and I understand people are frustrated

See ARDOT, page A3

Photo by Don Wilburn ARDOT

From page A1

and we are frustrated to. I understand a lot of people live in that area. If it was up to me, we would have fixed it a long time ago.

But it is a state project.

ARDOT has received plans for the project from the construction company in charge, Hof Construction, which were 30 percent complete. We are waiting on ARDOT to approve those plans. It could be as early as next week or a few more months. Once the plans reach 90 percent construction may begin. I was originally told that construction would begin in June however I personally feel that that is when the plans will be finished and ARDOT will begin taking bids, at that point it will probably be another 60 days which will put us on schedule to begin in the fall. It is ARDOT who is in charge and it is unfair to continue to blame this administration or any council members because we are doing everything that we possibly can to try to hurry them up. It's an emergency to us, but they are taking their precious time.”

Photo by Don Wilburn