Two streets near UA eyed for widening
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Fayetteville Street Committee looked at designs Monday for widening North Garland Avenue to five lanes.
The design being developed by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department widens Garland from North Street to Melmar Drive.
City Engineer Ron Petrie said the highway department is asking the city to review the preliminary plans and make any comments before a public meeting is held sometime in the next couple of months.
"If we see something we'd like to change, now is the time for us to provide those comments," he said.
While the initial plans called for some structures along the street to be removed, Petrie said, the designs were revised so the structures would be saved.
The city is responsible for the property acquisition and utility relocation costs associated with the project, which are estimated to cost about $ 3 million, he said. Construction is estimated to cost $ 3 million with the state contributing $ 1. 5 million.
"Basically our cost is $ 5 million," Petrie said.
He said the city budgeted $ 5. 2 million for the project in the transportation bond program.
"We're right where we thought we'd be," he said. "That's definitely good news."
Committee Chairman Lioneld Jordan said the only problem he foresees depends on how long it takes to get the project started. "We can be on budget and then it can take a year to get started, and by that time the building costs have gone up," he said. "It's kind of like hitting a moving target."
Revisiting Razorback Road The committee also agreed to pay $ 17, 500 to the state highway department to get started on the design for widening Razorback Road from Sixth Street to Maple Street, and Maple Street from Razorback Road to Garland Avenue. Petrie said the Fayetteville City Council approved the project in 2003 but didn't set aside money at the time. The initial plan was for the city and the University of Arkansas to share the cost of a preliminary study.
The highway department is again proposing to draw up preliminary plans for the project and break it into phases, with the first of the phases costing about $ 200, 000.
The entire cost of the project was estimated at $ 6 million to $ 8 million in 2003, Petrie said.
"It would probably have to be a future bond issue," he said.
To get started with preliminary plans, Petrie said, the city would need to pay the highway department half of the $ 35, 000 necessary to move forward with the design phase.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
