AHTD IDENTIFIES PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR HIGHWAY 62 IN PRAIRIE GROVE
LITTLE ROCK (4-20) The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, has completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Highway 62 improvements in the vicinity of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
The AHTD has identified Alternative 3 as the Preferred Alternative after consideration of the information contained in the EA and the comments received at the August 2006 Location Public Hearing. Alternative 3 bypasses Prairie Grove on new location to the south and will consist of four travel lanes that have open shoulders and are divided by a grass median.
This alternative meets the primary purpose and need of the project by adequately carrying the corridor’s projected traffic volumes and should satisfy the needs of the area for the next twenty years. Alternative 3 is the shortest and least expensive of the alternatives, does not require an additional bridge over the Illinois River, and had the highest number of supporting comments from the public.
This decision was made in consultation with other agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and with consideration of public comments collected throughout the environmental review process.
The next step in project development for Alternative 3 in Prairie Grove will be to conduct surveys, archeological work, and preliminary design. Once the preliminary design is completed and the right of way limits are established, a Design Public Hearing will be held in the area. After comments from the Design Public Hearing have been addressed, the AHTD will request approval from the Federal Highway Administration in order to proceed with implementation of the proposed improvements as funds become available.
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