Dear Mahatma: Often when it rains, cars fall off Interstate 630 from the westbound lane, just past University Avenue. They slide down the hill behind the Sears auto shop. This picture was taken yesterday as two vehicles, one a car and the other a pickup, both fell off the road within minutes of each other. The photo was taken from my office in the Doctors Building. Notice the grass, how torn up it is from vehicles falling off over the past few days. -- Don
Dear Don: Before we reveal an answer, let's stipulate that The Mahatma should fall on his sword. Ugh -- man, that hurts.
You sent this to the traffic desk back in the spring, when it was raining nearly every day. In our defense, a lot of questions come in here, and all we have is 500 words a week. A little sympathy, please.
Fortunately, it rained earlier this week, Don, and you sent another photo of some poor guy at the bottom of the embankment, ruts running behind his car. The good news? His lights were on.
We have nagged the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department some about this and got a long-winded answer from its spokesman, Danny Straessle, which we'll condense as best as we can.
Here goes: Water tends to stand here, because slopes go thisaway and thataway, and there's a section of highway that is flat. And holds water. Which is slippery.
The accident rates here and at other interstate spots around town were noted some years ago, and for this and other locations, the shoulders were ground down around drains to help get the water off the road faster. This has helped, but not completely. The Highway Department is aware of the collected rainfall being a problem only during heavy rains.
There is good news. Straessle said the forthcoming expansion of Interstate 630 from the Baptist Health exit to University Avenue will add a lane in each direction and will include additional roadway drainage.
Forthcoming means what? So many highway projects ... so few brain cells ...
That project is scheduled to start, roughly, in March 2017. The distance is, roughly, 2.5 miles. The end date for the project is, roughly, the middle of 2019.
So, Don, keep that camera handy. We're likely to have some heavy rain between now and the middle of 2019.
Dear Mahatma: Does the city of Little Rock allow people to drive golf carts on city streets? I see this all the time around the Country Club of Little Rock, and it makes me crazy. -- Party Pooper
Dear Party: Arkansas Code Annotated 14-54-1410 gives municipalities the authority to allow golf carts on city streets, as long as those streets aren't federal or state highways, or county roads. A handful of cities, mostly retirement communities, allow such. But the city of Little Rock isn't one of them.
Annoyed by a golf cart being driven on a city street? Call 311 and ask for enforcement.
Mahatma@arkansasonline.com
Metro on 08/22/2015