LITTLE ROCK (7-2)
The contractor repairing flood damage on Highway
71, just north of Mountainburg, will re-open the highway to traffic by 5 p.m. on
July 2, according to
Arkansas
St
ate Highway
and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials. Traffic will use an unpaved
area of the roadway with northbound and southbound traffic alternately sharing
one lane.
The
contractor will continue work to restore the highway including completion of the
rock fill and re-paving of the roadway over the next several weeks.
On June 23,
the roadway was closed when crews making repairs to the section of the highway
impacted by a landslide discovered additional instability. Traffic had utilized
one lane with northbound and southbound traffic alternating prior to the road
closure.
The
affected area is located just south of the entrance to
Lake
Fort Smith
St
ate
Pa
rk
on Highway 71. “The closure had
impacted access to the State Park as well as travel by residents of the area and
emergency services” stated Joe Shipman, AHTD District Four Engineer.
“Initial projections were for a closure of up to two weeks. The
vigo
rous effort by the contractor has resulted in the roadway being re-opened sooner
than projected.”
Motorists
should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway work
zones.
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