x
Breaking News
More () »

Arkansas drivers react as crews plan to 'uneven' portion of Kanis Road

Construction is something that's normal to the Little Rock and while work on Kanis Road has been done for a while, drivers are noticing some issues.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Driving down Kanis Road in Little Rock, and you've probably come to expect construction. 

That part is now done, but unfortunately there's a new issue – the road itself.

"Kanis Road has been under construction for a little while, in fact this is the third contract the city has awarded since 2013," Michael Hood with the Little Rock Public Works Department said.

It's a unique issue. The road looks good from Gamble Road to Cherry Brook Drive, but it's a different story when you actually drive on it.

"We've received a call or two about that segment and the problem is that the pavement is very uneven," Hood said.

He said there are a couple of reasons this could have happened.

The bumps in the road were probably caused when asphalt was poured too close to where the previous truck stopped, leaving behind ridges in the road.

"But something just went wrong with this job. It happens to even the best of contractors," he said.

Hood is putting it bluntly, there's been a mix of responses from the public-- those that are angry and those that are tolerable.

"There's a certain tolerance that it must meet, and it's pretty far out of tolerance, and I think anybody who drives it recognizes that," he said. "We've had a number of calls about the ride quality through that brand new stretch of pavement."

We wanted to hear how drivers themselves were reacting and it was a mix of responses. 

One driver said he wishes this was done right the first time, but he's hopeful for fixes soon.

"One of these days, it'll all be done. It'll be over and it'll be a great road to be driving on," the driver said.

Another said they're just happy to see anything done – even if it is uneven.

"I was thinking they'd never finish it. They come back and do it right, they're doing very good in another part of the street, but this part does not look good," they said.

Despite all of the confusion, there's good news for those who drive on that stretch often. Hood said they do plan on redoing the uneven stretch. 

He said don't expect huge delays – probably within a month – and they'll make sure it's done right this time.

"This is a matter of just taking up some of the old pavement and putting down a new surface," Hood said. "So this isn't a huge, huge thing, but it will delay the completion of the project."

THV11 reached out to the contractor responsible for this stretch of Kanis Road but we have not heard back.

Before You Leave, Check This Out