ROGERS -- The City Council approved a contract to start utility work on the expansion and realignment of Pleasant Grove Road Tuesday night.
Mayor Greg Hines said the $9-million project should help with traffic flow in the region.
In Other Business
The Rogers City Council also approved a one-year contract with four towing companies. A bid was released for the project. The lowest bidders were accepted. They are L.C. Smith, Cartown, Braces Towing and Rogers Towing. The tow companies are used by the Rogers Police Department.
"It will particularly help school traffic," Hines said. "We will be eliminating a three-way stop intersection and replacing it with a traffic plan that will move traffic.
The City Council's approval of a $64,667 contract with Carroll Electric Cooperative to move utilities marks the start of the project, Hines said.
Steve Glass, planning and transportation director, said moving utilities should start in a couple of weeks. He said a bid for construction is set to be released in April.
City officials plan to have a portion of Pleasant Grove Road near Bellview Elementary School completed during the summer months before school starts, Glass said. The entire project is expected to be completed during summer 2016.
The project will widen and realign portions of Pleasant Grove Road from Bellview Road to Champions Boulevard, Nathan Becknell, Rogers planning engineer, said. He said the road will be widened from two to four-lanes.
"This is a major east to west connector," Becknell said. "A lot of building is happening in this region."
An "S" curve will be used to move the road when it crosses Bellview Road, Becknell said. He said the road doesn't connect at Bellview causing two intersections near each other. The intersections are close to Bellview Elementary School.
Another curve will be used to create a four-way intersection to the west of the school, Becknell said. He said the intersection will connect Pleasant Grove, Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Southgate Road and Champions Drive.
Becknell said Pleasant Grove and Southgate intersect near each other on Champions Drive. However, the roads don't connect.
Road construction to extend Pinnacle Hills Parkway is set to start this spring. The road will be extended from Pauline Whitaker Parkway to the Pleasant Grove intersection.
Becknell said the project should reduce commuter time in the region. He said someone traveling from Rogers First Church of the Nazarene to the interstate should see a five-minute decrease in time.
Hines said the area near the project has seen large residential growth in recent years.
"The traffic counts have surpassed the capabilities of the road," Hine said. "It will be a relief for those living there."
Becknell said the project also should accommodate growth in the region.
NW News on 03/25/2015