Businesses call I-40 project a road to ruin

— Businesses at an Interstate 40 interchange in St. Francis County have seen a sharp drop in business after the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department shut down the overpass that connects both sides of the interchange this week.

“It has killed us,” said Ricky White, who runs Diesel Service Unlimited. “We just want the construction company to get in here and do the right thing.”

The state agency announced Tuesday that the Arkansas 149 overpass at Exit 260 will be closed for about three weeks while construction crews repair a failure in the shoring of an embankment where a new overpass is being built.

About 2,000 vehicles use the overpass daily, 43 percent of which are heavy trucks, the department said. Traffic on I-40 remains unaffected.

The construction is taking place at exit 260, which is the exit for Earle near Shell Lake on I-40. During the overpass closure, the exit will remain open, but traffic will not be allowed to cross the interstate, the department said. I-40 eastbound traffic can only access Arkansas 149 to the south, and I-40 westbound traffic can only access Arkansas 149 to the north.

Message boards have been placed on I-40 that detour motorists at Exits 256 and 265 to enable crossing of the interstate for motorists who wish to access Arkansas 149.

But that won’t help White’s company, which performs maintenance on big trucks, and the other businesses that populate the interchange. They include two truck stops, a convenience store and a motel.

“Financially, we took a hit when they started construction,” White said.

Business declined further when the overpass went down to one lane, he said.

“Bad news travels fast by [citizen band] radio,” White added. “They know to don’t stop at Exit 260.”

At least when the overpass is open, trucks with repairs too complex for the truck stop to handle could be towed to his business.

“There’s one truck in the fuel island at the TA,” White said Tuesday afternoon, referring to the Travels Center of America truck stop on the other side of the interstate.

It is too costly for a wrecker to go to one of the other exits to tow a truck from the truck stop to his business now, White added.

Anil Shah said business at the Super 8 motel he runs has plummeted as well. He counts on walk-in business. With roads icy from the weather, Shah said he could expect all 90 rooms to be full. Instead, the motel only has about a third of its rooms rented.

“My business is completely down,” he said.

Tulsa-based Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. began working on the $7.5 million project to build a new overpass in August. It is expected to be completed by fall.

The contractor has brought in additional resources to expedite completion of the work needed to reopen the roadway, the department said.

Arkansas, Pages 7 on 01/16/2013

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