Springdale plans another road extension in west

Springdale City Hall is shown in this undated file photo.
Springdale City Hall is shown in this undated file photo.

SPRINGDALE -- The city continues to pave the way for its residents. An extension of North 48th Street will add another north-south drive to the northwest corner of the city.

Council members approved a $830,787 contract with Dean Crowder Construction of Bentonville to build 820 feet of road.

The extension starts where 48th runs out northeast of the Walmart Supercenter on Elm Springs Road. It will continue north to Bob Mills Road, with improvements made at the intersection.

The contract includes drainage improvement, sidewalks, lighting and traffic signals along the route.

"It's a continuation of our master street plan," said Ryan Carr, a senior project manager for the city's Engineering Department. "It's a minor collector for the area."

With this project, the city has three projects underway to improve north-south paths through the western part of the city. All will be built with money from the 2018 bond.

Gene George Boulevard will continue north from Bleaux Avenue to Elm Springs Road. South 56th Street also will become a major collector, matching the boulevard and running from West Sunset Avenue in the north to Johnson Mill Boulevard in the south.

The layout of 48th Street will match what runs next to Walmart, two traffic lanes with a center lane for left turns, said Ryan Carr, a senior project manager for the Engineering Department. North of the Mills intersection, the street will taper to two lanes.

The city could widen the northern reaches of 48th Street in the future to support further development, he said.

The city hopes the extension will add better access to commercial development in the area, he added.

Council members also OK'd a new position for the Information Technology Department. Mark Gutte, director of the department, said the city will need another geographic information systems specialist as the city adds a computer-aided dispatch system for the Police and Fire departments.

"There is a lot of opportunity for growth with the new system," Gutte said. "It can be expanded for the Street Department, Public Works and Public Safety. There are a lot of things we could be doing that we're not doing -- like emergency plans."

Initially, a large part of the job will involve getting the city's data ready for the new system, he said.

The salary for the new position will add $21,000 to the 2019 budget, Gutte said.

NW News on 06/18/2019

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