In 2009 the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department celebrated the opening of a long awaited project with the completion of the Highway 67 project.And when say “long awaited”…we mean it.
The project has been ongoing since March of 1962, though the AHTD did see some progress on the project in 2008 as well with the opening of another stretch of the highway from Highway 18 in Newport to Highway 226.
The 17 miles of roadway cost the state a whopping $93.1 million. The road was built in two sections. The first stretch worked on extended from Highway 18 to Highway 37, and the second from Highway 37 to Highway 226. The new Highway 67 location had to be built to Highway 226 before opening so that traffic could adequately reconnect to Highway 67. Additionally, the intersection of Highways 226 and 67, near Swifton, was modified to include a traffic signal light to better accommodate the high volume of traffic that will be on that road.
The first project on the Highway 67 corridor north of Little Rock was completed in March of 1962 and was 15 miles in length extending from the existing I-40 to the Pulaski/Lonoke County line. Four different projects were opened in the 1970s giving the highway another 40 miles from the Pulaski/Lonoke County line, past Searcy, to Highway 167. The total cost was $38 million.
Two projects were completed in the 1980s for a total cost of $60 million. It opened the highway from Highway 167 to Bradford and then to highway 224. Two more projects were completed following those openings, one in 1991 and one in 1994. The total investment on Highway 67, for 85 miles of highway from I-40 to Highway 18 at Newport, was $136 million.
Though the project is still not completed additional bids have been let to continue with making the trip to Little Rock safer, and faster for Arkansas residents.
Glenn Block, spokesperson for the AHTD, said previously once the highway reached Newport, “It just stopped. Now you can 17 more miles to 226. You now have the choice to go west a couple of miles on to Walnut Ridge, or make a right and go to Jonesboro. We are down to the final piece now to get to Walnut Ridge.
He said the new highway is what is known as a four-lane divided road, meaning it has a grassy area in between the different lanes of traffic. He said the goal of the project is to provide a direct four-lane route from Little Rock to Jonesboro. “It’s progress,” he said. “For the people in the Jonesboro area it will provide a direct route, and having a direct route will provide the safest route for the trip to Little Rock.” He said, though this roadwork will make the trip faster, the bigger issue is that the new highway will make the trip much more safe.
He said the plan is to extend 226 to hook onto Highway 49 where another overpass will be placed at Gibson Switch. There are two major projects planned in the near future for Highway 226 to be completed.
