SPRINGDALE, Ark — Construction workers are clearing the way for the Northern Springdale Bypass.
Emery Sapp and Sons are months into working on Highway 612 which will connect Interstate 49 and Highway 412. Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) communications director Dave Parker says the project has "been years in the making."
Contractor Emery Sapp and Sons have shared footage of their work on the project. The drone video shows the dirt work crews have prepared for the highway.
"The drone footage we do every other week. We use it to check our elevations and do topos so we can see the amount of dirt that has been moved," Jessie Steele said.
Steele is a project manager overseeing the Highway 612 project for Emery Sapp and Sons. She adds that the footage is also a way to show the public the progress of the project.
"We'll be doing the mass excavation. We'll also be doing fine grading. We'll be paving in house. We've also got some in house, ditch paving, concrete ditch paving. We're doing some of the bridges self-perform, and we're also self-performing some of the storm drains," Steele said.
Steele explains that over 60 employees can be on site during jobs like mass excavation. From operators to foremen, management, and more, she says they average 30 to 40 employees working on the project whenever they're not moving dirt. She does explain that they're subcontracting some jobs like some of the bridges out.
Parker explains that this project is set to wrap up in the summer of 2027. He says it'll be the biggest bid-build project so far.
"We draw up the plans, we design it, then we put it out to bid. Someone bids on it, we award the contract. So they basically take our plans. It's biggest in that regard, because the money $180 million roughly, maybe a little bit over that certainly, maybe more than that, once it's finished, because of inflation, but that's a pretty high number," Parker explained.
While it's still in the works, Parker reminds that Emery Sapp and Sons are the same people who worked on the Bella Vista Interchange.
"They know that area. Well, great results. We're happy they're doing it. Obviously, you know, they had the best bid of all. So, yeah, we're excited about that," Parker said.
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