Drivers can expect lane closures and short-term road closures on Interstate 540 in the area of Highway 45 in Fort Smith over the next couple of weeks.
The State Highway and Transportation Department said the closures are necessary to allow contractors to remove form work from under the bridge being constructed to carry traffic from Highway 45 (Old Greenwood Road) over I-540.
Traffic on I-540 will be restricted to one northbound lane beginning at 10 p.m. on June 4. From midnight to 5:00 a.m. the following morning, June 5, both northbound lanes may be closed for periods of up to 30 minutes at a time. After 30 minutes, a lane will be re-opened in each direction to allow traffic through the work zone. All lanes in both directions will be open after 5 a.m.
The restrictions and closures will repeat each night through the morning of June 9. Next, lane restrictions and closures will begin in the southbound lanes.
In January, 2011, the Arkansas Highway Commission awarded a $9.9 million contract to Forsgren, Inc. of Fort Smith. The project is a partnership between Fort Smith and the State Highway and Transportation Department to widen Highway 45 (Old Greenwood Road) between Highway 255 (Zero Street) and Phoenix Avenue. Work is expected to be completed in Fall 2012.
