FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) - Traffic delays are expected this week in southern Fayetteville, as road crews resurface a bridge near the University of Arkansas campus.
South Garland Avenue will be closed from Boone Street to Pettigrew Street for bridge repair. Crews are resurfacing the bridge with concrete to help prevent future flooding, they said.
"In the past, there's been a couple times where we have had some flooding in this area and it's washed the asphalt off the street," said Joey Smith, assistant transportation manager with the city of Fayetteville. "Once water gets under asphalt, it peels up a lot easier than it does concrete. It can do concrete, but it takes a lot of force to wash the concrete off."
The project began at 6 a.m. Monday and is expected to last until 4 p.m. Friday.
During the construction, traffic will be detoured from South Garland Avenue through Boone Street, Stirman Avenue and Pettigrew Street, Smith said. The detour route is marked with signage.
"I just think it's inconvenient for a lot of folks that travel this way and down our street, because it kind of just throws them off," said David Cook, who lives nearby. "You kind of have to take your chances and when you leave the house look every which way and make sure you are not going to have to back track."
Keith Medina and his family live next to the construction site. He said he's happy the bridge is getting a face lift.
"It'll flood all the way up to the road in these big ditches," he said. "They are pretty big ditches, so it will probably help the water flowage through there."
Traffic will be not allowed on South Garland Avenue at the construction site during non-work hours.