New Lanes Open on Monette Bypass in Craighead County
Information Release
Arkansas Department of Transportation
NR 17-445
November 17, 2017
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY (11-17) – More than three miles of newly constructed lanes on the Monette Bypass (State Highway 18) in Craighead County will be opened to traffic, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) officials.
Weather permitting, the completed four-lane section will be open to traffic on Monday, November 20, allowing motorists to travel around Monette on the new bypass. Drivers will have to utilize State Highway 139 to travel in and out of Monette until the east and west connectors are constructed, which is expected to take 2 to 4 weeks.
Work began in March 2016 on this $14 million bypass, which includes constructing four box culverts, a 329-foot bridge over Cockle Burr Slough, and new lanes. The project (CA1001) is part of the Connecting Arkansas Program (CAP), which is funded through a 10-year, half-cent sales tax. More information on this project 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 ARDOT.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter @myARDOT.