The Fayetteville Flyover construction project will open next Wednesday (July 2) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a statement released Wednesday by the City of Fayetteville.
The flyover is a $7.7 million roadway that will connect northbound Arkansas 71B to Fulbright Expressway, allowing motorists a more direct route to Interstate 49. Previously, northbound vehicles had to perform a U-turn at Joyce Boulevard.
The 800-foot bridge will stretch over southbound traffic on Arkansas 71B to connect with the westbound lanes of the Fulbright Expressway.
City and state officials are expected to attend the 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting event, which will open the 18-month-long project to public traffic. Federal aid money covered 80 percent of the project’s costs, while the city paid for 20 percent, according to the city’s statement.
In one of the final stages of construction, workers began laying concrete for the flyover in May. During the winter months, crews installed reinforcing steel, getting the bridge ready for the paving phase, said city engineer Chris Brown.
Construction began in January 2013.
