Work has begun to widen a 2.5-mile span of Interstate 630 in Little Rock, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Dirt was being moved Monday afternoon along a westbound right-of-way near South University Avenue, agency spokesman Danny Straessle said. The bulk of the project is expected to start July 16.
“We will be up and running before school starts,” the spokesman said, adding his hope that motorists will plan ahead for commutes through the city’s midtown and downtown areas.
The $87.3 million project, part of the Connecting Arkansas Program, will widen the interstate from three lanes to four lanes in each direction between Baptist Health Medical Center and South University Avenue.
It also includes the dismantling of the South Hughes Street overpass in one weekend, Straessle said. Rebuilding is set for completion in less than three months.
Bridges over South Rodney Parham and Rock Creek will also be replaced, and sound barriers will be installed for neighborhoods north of I-630.
Straessle said the Transportation Department “is committed to keeping three lanes of traffic open in each direction.” Periodic lane closures, in addition to some lane shifts, are expected to happen at off-peak times.
“Folks will need to understand that we’ll have an active work zone,” he said, noting the "extensive nature" of the project.
Work will be finished in late 2019 or early 2020, depending on factors like weather conditions this winter, Straessle said.
Updated information about I-630 travel in the construction zone will be posted to the Transportation Department’s IDriveArkansas website as well as its social media accounts.