Mayor Lioneld Jordan speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Van Asche Drive Extension Project held April 1, 2014 at the southeast corner of Van Asche and Garland Avenue.
Photo: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
City officials will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Van Asche Drive Extension Project at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 near the intersection of Van Asche and McGuire Street in Fayetteville.
The project features a realignment and extension of Van Asche from McGuire Street to Gregg Avenue, and creates a straight connection from Garland Avenue (Arkansas 112) to the shops and restaurants near the Northwest Arkansas Mall.
The new four-lane section of roadway includes a median between Gregg and McGuire, and an auxiliary turn lane at Garland Avenue. New 5-foot sidewalks were included on both sides of Van Asche, and a 10-foot shared-use trail was built on the south side.
Future improvements include planting trees along the median, installing lighting, and working with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to construct a traffic signal at Van Asche and Garland Avenue.
The $4.5 million project is being paid for using funds from the third phase of a $65.9 million transportation bond program voters approved in 2006.
The work plays a key role in Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s plan for a “box” of four-lane boulevards around the edges of the city to help motorists more easily travel through town. Jordan’s box idea also includes improvements to 15th Street, Crossover Road, Howard Nickell Road, Rupple Road, and Zion Road.
Here’s a map to show the location of the extension:
And here’s a closer look at the cross-section plans:
