CAVE SPRINGS, Ark. — As the Northwest Arkansas region continues to grow, some much needed construction is hoping to accommodate the swelling population, but some residents aren't happy about current plans.
Of the many upcoming projects is a widening project for Highway 112 in Northwest Arkansas, which will include the roadway becoming a four-lane highway with a raised median, as well as adding a sidewalk, side path, and eight roundabouts at existing intersections.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) expects to start work on the project in late 2025, and that the improvements are much needed.
"It's really there to alleviate traffic off of Interstate 49 to give people an alternate route. So it's much needed. There's a lot of growth in that area," said Dave Parker, the Public Information Officer for ARDOT.
Residents in Cave Springs who live in a nearby valley are concerned about the project. They already see lots of flooding when it rains heavy on their properties, and they believe widening the highway could make the flooding worse.
"We had just moved in, literally, we were unloading the truck, and we got a torrential downpour, and I got about six inches of water," said Marc Killebrew, who's lived in his house in Cave Springs for a little over a year. "My grandkids got out here and basically swam in it."
His house hasn't flooded yet, but his garage and shop have. He has done what he can to redirect the water, which has gotten up to six feet.
"I spent over six figures in trying to accommodate and I still got more to go," Killebrew said. "I actually built a riverbed in the back. And I call it the Bison River because it's the baby Buffalo. I constructed a berm out here the length of the drive to try to help compensate for the water. We're going to do a swell."
Other residents share Killebrew's concerns.
"It's really going to be more concerning because they're going to put the roundabout and build it up, which means all that stormwater that's coming down the valley is going to be over and they're probably going to get water in their house," said Jon Jouvenaux, who has lived on his property for over 20 years. His kids also live in a house on his property.
Jouvenaux said when it rains, there's a lot of things he has to do to protect his property.
"We've had to take our tractors out there and rescue calves, because they get in places where they get pinned up against fence with the water flow that all comes through here," Jouvenaux said. "We put a gate in over here at the corner of my kid's property, because the flood kept knocking the fence out. Other than that, I just have to be prepared to repair the cross fences down here when it rains. So when it starts to rain, we just move the livestock, and we open the gate so the water can go through it without knocking the fence down. It's a lot of work."
He said he has drawn up another option that would cause less disruption.
"We've proposed something that would take zero properties out. It's all flat land. There would be no water problems. It would take the proper traffic towards the west of the of this area," Jouvenaux said. "Most of the traffic that comes up here turns left either at Highway 12 or at Highway 102, because they're trying to get out to these neighborhoods, either in Centerton or out in West Bentonville. So it would take the traffic that way."
Parker said they're doing everything they can to keep the amount of flooding to the same.
"I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that the amount of flooding they're experiencing now is not going to be any greater. The new construction is not going to make things worse," Parker said. "We get all the things I've mentioned, quality of life and safety and so forth, and it stays the same in terms of the flooding. We hope it gets better, but we certainly can't guarantee that."
Now, neighbors are planning to do something about it. Residents are planning to meet for a town hall on Thursday to talk with engineers and attorneys about options at 4060 Caerleon Circle in Bentonville.
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