Rock Blasting Operations to Continue on West Side of Mckisic Creek Road in Benton County
Information Release
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
NR 15-358
October 16, 2015
LITTLE ROCK (10-16) – The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has announced that construction contractor Kolb Grading will continue rock blasting operations on the west side of McKisic Creek Road in Benton County as part of the Bella Vista Bypass construction work. Weather permitting, the blasting will begin Monday, October 19 and will occur several times a week for approximately two months.
During the rock blasting operations, traffic will be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time on McKisic Creek Road and U.S. Highway 71 Business. The blasting will occur between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Traffic on Interstate 49 may be slowed or momentarily stopped as a safety precaution, and the pedestrian trail along McKisic Creek Road will be closed during the blasting.
Watch for warning signs and safety personnel during this operation.
This project is constructing approximately 6 miles of the bypass, extending from Highway 71B to Highway 72 South. The project involves the initial two lanes of a four-lane facility. The project is part of the Connecting Arkansas Program (CAP), which is funded through a 10-year, half-cent sales tax. The CAP's 35 projects in 19 corridors are improving Arkansas' transportation system by expanding selected two-lane roadways to four-lane highways and adding new lanes to identified interstate highways. More information is available at ConnectingArkansasProgram.com.
Drivers should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway work zones. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ArkansasHighways.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.