HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) - Officials with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and politicians officially declared the expansion of U.S. Highway 70 complete -- three months ahead of schedule.
The final price tag for the 18-mile stretch between I-30 and Hot Springs will be around $80-million, but for the politicians and local dignitaries officials there, the safety reasons for the project remain on the top of everyone's minds.
“They moved so quickly, it seems like they just started yesterday,” said Hot Springs Mayor Pat McCabe. He succeeded Ruth Carney in 2016 months after her son died in a crash on the highway. It was the eleventh fatality from nine crashes over the previous 13 months.
“There was a lot more immediate attention brought to this project which certainly assisted in elevating it on the priority list,” McCabe said.
At the opening ceremony, officials highlighted the positives coming from the new road.
“I'm up and down this road a lot, particularly at night there were safety concerns,” said Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin (R – AR). “We have a lot of visitors from out of state that come to Hot Springs and they use this, so there's a lot of different reasons that we needed this.”
“Not only did we widen the highway, we straightened curves, flattened hills, installed a traffic signal at highway 12,” said Scott Bennett, director of ARDOT. “We are standing in front of a nice five-lane highway and glad to know that businesses are still open for business.”
Bennett highlighted some facts and figures about the project, including the 1.75 million cubic yards of dirt moved and 347,000 tons of asphalt laid down by lead contractor McGeorge Contracting Co. The money for the expansion came via the half-cent sales tax approved by voters statewide in 2012.
Beyond the safety improvements, Mayor McCabe is eager to see what five lanes will do for the Saline County and Spa City economy.
“We all know that improved roads brings in greater commerce and economic development,” he said. “There will be development along the highway and at both ends.”
The speed limit will be 60 mph and members of the Arkansas State Police will patrol the highway frequently. Four mutli-car enforcement crackdowns in the week before the ceremony had already netted 108 citations, with most for speeding violations.
The attention for commuters and other drivers heading back-and-forth from Little Rock and Hot Springs now turns to the next project.
“We will expand from two lanes to three on I-30 between Sevier St. [in Benton] and Highway 70,” Bennett said. “That will be another good piece of the puzzle in connection Little Rock and Hot Springs.”