Mayor Peter Christie believes the newly-opened two-mile stretch of the Bella Vista Bypass will greatly benefit residents on the west side of town.
"It's an enormous benefit for those who live in the Highlands," Christie said. "Now (those residents) have another option to get to U.S. 71 or Interstate 49 without going all the way down Arkansas 340."
The Bella Vista Bypass was designed to route interstate traffic around the western edge of Bella Vista near Interstate 49’s Exit 93, rejoining I-49 near Pineville, Mo. The road is expected to take up to 6,000 cars a day off U.S. 71 through Bella Vista.
Source: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dozens of local and state officials gathered Friday, Aug. 21, in Hiwasse to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $14 million segment that spans Arkansas 72 to Benton County 34.
Dana Davis, CEO and president of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce called the opening of the two-mile, two-lane section a "major milestone" in the development of Northwest Arkansas.
The new section cost $14 million and is part of a larger 21-mile bypass that eventually will route traffic from Interstate 49 near Exit 93 before reconnecting with I-49 south of Pineville, Mo. The Bella Vista Bypass is officially designated Arkansas 549 by the state Highway and Transportation Department.
Residents in the Highlands can access the bypass from Highlands Boulevard by heading west on Rocky Dell Hollow Road and taking the on-ramp. Coming from the east side, residents can take Arkansas 279 south until the Arkansas 72 interchange near Hiwasse. Take Arkansas 72 west from there to head north on the bypass.
Work on the bypass started in 2012, with Kolb Grading as the prime contractor, according to an AHTD press release. Kolb Grading also is the primary contractor for a $53-million section currently under construction between Arkansas 72 south and Arkansas 71B/I-49, the release states. That segment is scheduled to be completed in mid-2016.
Dick Trammel, Arkansas highway commissioner, cut the ribbon Friday and said christening a new section of the highway was significant.
"The significance of opening this section is we're standing on a highway that's being built, not talking about it," Trammel said. "This is not a highway to nowhere."
Trammel added that the bypass is expected to carry between 6,000 to 8,000 cars daily upon completion.
The bypass was built to accommodate expansions to a four-lane highway. Accounting for the construction of future interchanges and more lanes, the entire project is estimated to cost about $274 million.
The final section of the bypass is a 2.5-mile segment running from Benton County 34 to the state line. But the project has stalled because part of the bypass carries over into Missouri.
Last summer, Missouri voters rejected a proposed sales tax increase that would have helped fund construction of the bypass.
Missouri likely will delay the project due to funding shortfalls, according to Andrew Seiler, senior transportation planner with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Ron Wood contributed to this report.
General News on 08/26/2015