Maharajah of the Motorways: I've seen some excavation on the east side of Interstate 430. In some sections there are Ditch Witch drillers and in others there are bulldozers and excavators. We are used to having people digging up our neighborhoods to bury new fiber optic cables and other stuff, but not on a major artery. What the heck? -- Befuddled on the By-Pass
Dear By-Pass: The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department said you are absolutely correct. Ritter Communications in Jonesboro is laying new fiber optic cables along I-430 and also Interstate 30.
In fact, the Highway Department said, it has agreements with many communications companies to allow them to use the agency's right of way to lay their cables.
Dear Mahatma: Seems to me that at one time there was a sign on the northwest corner of Bowman and Kanis. It said drivers were to proceed to turn right from Bowman onto Kanis in the dedicated turning lane and then merge. No sign now, and often drivers sit and wait for the light to change before making a right turn. Please call the city and ask for a new sign. Or should I honk? -- No Name
Dear No: Do not honk. The Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, a publication of the state police, has rules about when to honk and when not. One of the nots is: "To encourage someone to drive faster or get out of the way." Says so on page 31. Neither should drivers honk "to apprise others of an error." Such as failure to turn right on red.
Back to the question. We made electronic contact with Bill Henry, the city's chief of traffic engineering. (We used to call him the city's chief traffic wizard, but some people unhappy with traffic flow in Our Town objected. In other words, they honked to apprise us of an error.)
Henry said no such sign has existed. But there is a state law that permits a driver to make a right turn on red after a stop. In the interest of public convenience, we now remind drivers that it's okay to turn right on red if there is no sign prohibiting that turn and if it is safe to do so.
Great Road Warrior: I drive from Woodson Lateral Road to Benton every day and can't understand what's going on with the section of Interstate 30 between Interstate 530 and 65th Street. Road crews are filling in a tremendous number of potholes. A better solution would be to resurface. Any luck my tax dollars will be put to use on this horrible stretch of highway? -- Fed Up
Dear Up: This is your lucky decade!
David Nilles, a spokesman for the Highway Department, said in response to our inquiry that a 2.14-mile chunk of Interstate 30 from I-530 to 65th Street will be reconstructed, removing the main lanes and replacing them with concrete. Work is scheduled to start in December.
Estimated cost is $26 million. Length of project unknown right now, since bids are yet to be taken.
Mahatma@arkansasonline.com
Metro on 06/18/2016