FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The city of Fayetteville and the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) will partner on a nearly $50 million project to build Interstate 49 interchanges at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 15th Street. Meanwhile, construction will soon start on a $37.6 million I-49 interchange at Wedington Drive.
The Arkansas Highway Commission recently approved the city’s preferred plan for the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard interchange that includes installing an interchange at 15th Street. Plans show the street will be extended west and an overpass built to allow the street to intersect with frontage roads South Futrall Drive and South Shiloh Drive. Roundabouts will be included at the intersections with the two roads and handle interchange traffic.
“The interchange design by ArDOT is a welcome improvement overall,” said Chris Brown, public works director for the city. “The biggest downside/concern was the conversion of the frontage roads south of MLK to one-way. The new emergency hospital [Northwest Health Emergency Department Fayetteville] on the southwest corner expressed concern about the access out of their site since the one-way conversion would require traffic to travel south to the Cato Springs exit.”
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