Elected officials and community business leaders throughout north Arkansas are working together to expand the state’s principal east-west transportation route in support of economic development.
The group is seeking to expand U.S. 412, a 1,130-mile highway that spans from New Mexico to Tennessee, from two lanes to four lanes across the state of Arkansas in order to attract new businesses to the region and increase tourism.
“We believe that widening the highway will increase safety for our residents and entice companies to move to the area because it will be easier to transport freight,” Sharp County Judge Gene Moore said.
The highway, which covers 174 miles along Arkansas’ scenic Ozark Mountains, is divided into five corridors from Springdale to Paragould. Total project costs are estimated to exceed $1.3 billion, according to 2014 estimates from the Arkansas Department of Transportation. But that figure is outdated and would likely be higher, according to District 10 Engineer Brad Smithee.
“This movement stems from a study that was done in the late 1980s,” Smithee said. “A complete four lane would be a great addition for northeast Arkansas. Funding is the big issue that has to be addressed to make this happen, and it’s one that is happening in every state in the country.”
While material and construction costs continue to rise, Smithee explained, the state’s motor fuel tax has remained stagnant for more than 15 years. According to the Department of Finance and Administration, Arkansas’ motor fuel tax is set at 21.5 cents per gallon and hasn’t increased since 2001. It is also five cents below the national average, ranking Arkansas among the 15 states with the lowest fuel prices. The tax on diesel is about one cent higher at 22.5 cents.
Due to increased project costs, the highway department is focusing about 80 percent of funds on system preservation, but are completing new, smaller projects in high traffic and high-density areas in order to maximize impact of new construction. Project like the Connecting Arkansas Program (CAP) are extending the department’s efforts.
CAP, an initiative that derives from a 10-year, half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2012, includes two U.S. 412 projects and seeks to widen highways at an accelerated rate. The first project is a section of a bypass in Benton County that will extend from Interstate 49 to Highway 112. The 4.5 mile stretch, which is slated to cost $100 million upon completion, is set to open in mid-2018.
The second proposes to widen 14.5 miles to four lanes between Walnut Ridge and Paragould. It also includes plans for a bypass of the Light community. Smithee said the department is finishing the design process, utility relocation and right-a-way negotiations and plans to begin construction next spring. Early cost forecasts for the CAP project, which should be completed by late 2020, range from $50 million to $75 million.
“There’s definitely been progress and they’ve done a great job improving and maintaining roads in the area,” Moore said. “We see a great benefit for the state and want to keep moving forward to make north Arkansas better for our citizens.”