GREENWOOD -- Residents and visitors of Sebastian County's second-largest city will have an easier time getting to its downtown area thanks to an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Chad Adams, district engineer for the Highway Department, said the Fort Smith-based Forsgren substantially completed work on a more than $1.7 million project to resurface about 3 miles of Arkansas 10 Spur, or Center Street, in Greenwood. A ribbon-cutting was held Thursday.
Mayor Doug Kinslow described the resurfacing project as "tremendous" given the damage to Arkansas 10 Spur from years of heavy traffic. The road is the main avenue leading into downtown from U.S. 71, with the resurfaced segment stretching from there to Arkansas 10.
"It makes Greenwood look better," Kinslow said. "It makes Greenwood better, just a smooth ride all the way through town, and I can't be any more happier than having this done and done early."
Adams said the state paid for the project as part of an agreement with Greenwood to build a new bypass in the city. Forsgren began resurfacing around mid-September.
Sonny Bell, city planning director, said in April he believed the bypass project would eliminate some of the morning and afternoon school traffic congestion seen in the center of the city on Arkansas 10, which runs through the downtown area and is the only way across the city. Greenwood's eastern side is home to two large schools.
Kinslow said the project would also improve safety. It will provide an alternate route for people to get to the east side and replace two bridges on Arkansas 10 needed to travel there now.
"If one of those bridges goes out, heaven forbid if we lose a bridge for any reason, we could not get emergency service to that side of town without going 45 minutes or an hour around to get to it if we had to come from here in Greenwood to get over there," Kinslow said.
The bypass project is divided into two phases, according to the Highway Department website.
The first, eastern phase involves building a bypass from the intersection of Fowler Street and Arkansas 10 over Heartsill Creek to the intersection of Arkansas 10 and Arkansas 96. The bypass will include four travel lanes, a turn lane and sidewalks on both sides. The phase will also widen East Center Street and include a connection to Main Street from the new bypass, among other elements.
The second, western part of the project involves widening Arkansas 10 from U.S. 71 to Fowler Street from two lanes to five -- four travel, one turn -- with curb and gutter, sidewalk and a shared-use path.
Greenwood has to contribute up to $5 million to help pay for both phases, according to the agreement with the state. Residents approved extending a quarter-cent sales and use tax for 35 years to generate the money in a special election Dec. 10, 2019.
Kinslow said the city also agreed to help secure a right of way from a family for the first phase.
The agreement also stipulates the state would cede ownership of the freshly repaved Arkansas 10 Spur to Greenwood, removing it from the state highway system, according to a Highway Department news release.
"This change will allow the city of Greenwood to restrict truck traffic through the city and reroute that traffic to what will be the new Greenwood Bypass," the release states.
The transfer also means Greenwood will maintain the road, which will only be called Center Street going forward. Kinslow said the city will work to find the money its Street Department needs to do this, adding it wouldn't have gotten the bypass if it didn't agree to this new responsibility.
"Hopefully, knock on wood if you will, this overlay will last us a good 1o years or more," Kinslow said.
The agreement states Greenwood would assume responsibility of Arkansas 10 Spur after the second phase of the bypass project was finished. The state would ensure the route would be in good condition beforehand.
However, Kinslow said he and State Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood, asked the state to repave the road earlier, to which it agreed.
Adams said Wednesday the state will transfer ownership of Arkansas 10 Spur to Greenwood "pretty quickly" after the repaving project is fully complete.
Adams said the department aims to have the first phase of the bypass project put out for bid by the end of 2023, with construction to begin in early 2024. He estimated it will take about 18-24 months to complete.
Traffic travels Wednesday along Arkansas 10 Spur/Center Street in Greenwood. The Arkansas Department of Transportation resurfaced nearly 3 miles U.S. 71 to Arkansas 10 as part of a project with the city that will include construction of a future Greenwood bypass. Go to nwaonline.com/221104Daily/ for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Traffic travels Wednesday along Arkansas 10 Spur/Center Street in Greenwood. The Arkansas Department of Transportation resurfaced nearly 3 miles U.S. 71 to Arkansas 10 as part of a project with the city that will include construction of a future Greenwood bypass. Go to nwaonline.com/221104Daily/ for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Traffic travels Wednesday along Arkansas 10 Spur/Center Street in Greenwood. The Arkansas Department of Transportation resurfaced nearly 3 miles U.S. 71 to Arkansas 10 as part of a project with the city that will include construction of a future Greenwood bypass. Go to nwaonline.com/221104Daily/ for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Traffic travels Wednesday along Arkansas 10 Spur/Center Street in Greenwood. The Arkansas Department of Transportation resurfaced nearly 3 miles U.S. 71 to Arkansas 10 as part of a project with the city that will include construction of a future Greenwood bypass. Go to nwaonline.com/221104Daily/ for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)Population
Greenwood had a population of 9,516 as of April 1, 2020.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau