Fayetteville City Council members this week will consider several contracts for upcoming projects to be funded through the 2019 voter-approved transportation bond package.
The council was set to meet on Tuesday (June 2), but the meeting was postponed until June 4.
The packed agenda includes six items of unfinished business and 13 new business items. Council members last week, however, said they’d like to table at least two of those items, including proposed regulations of single-use plastic bags and changes to the council’s rules of order and procedure.
The transportation projects up for discussion include:
Rolling Hills/Appleby/Plainview Connection
Source: City of Fayetteville
Update: This item was unanimously approved at the June 4 City Council meeting.
Plans are in the works for a western extension of Rolling Hills Drive that will provide easier access to Appleby Road and a new connection to the north.
The project will extend Rolling Hills into the Fiesta Square shopping center where a roundabout will be constructed that allows traffic to exit either west into the shopping center, south toward Appleby Road, or north toward Plainview Avenue next to the Harps Foods store.
Aside from providing access to Appleby which runs west to Gregg Avenue, drivers could also use Plainview Avenue to head north to Millsap Road. A future extension of Longview Street would provide more access to Wimberly Drive at the North Hills Medical Park.
The proposed resolution is for a $402,650 professional engineering services agreement with Garver, LLC for design of the project, and to authorize the mayor to acquire the easements and right-of-way necessary for the work.
Railroad Crossing at Gregg Avenue and Shiloh Drive
Source: City of Fayetteville
Update: This item was tabled indefinitely at the June 4 City Council meeting to allow more time to consider alternatives to closing the University Avenue crossing.
There are two ordinances on the agenda for new railroad crossings that will provide access to 130 acres of undeveloped land west of Gregg Avenue and south of Van Asche Drive.
The city has partnered with Arkansas & Missouri Railroad to construct the crossings, but the deal requires the city to remove two other crossings in Fayetteville.
Source: City of Fayetteville
The first crossing is at Gregg and Shiloh Drive and would extend Shiloh west into the undeveloped land area. It will require removal of a crossing on University Avenue, which means vehicles will no longer be able to drive across the tracks. Instead, drivers will need to take an alternate route to get from one side of the tracks to the other. City staff said the crossing sees little use, and motorists could instead use Center Street and South Gregg Avenue to get between the two areas.
The total project cost is estimated at $750,000, with the city paying $558,000 to the railroad company and allocating another $192,000 for road work, signal construction and contingency money.
Railroad Crossing at Gregg Avenue and Futrall Drive
Source: City of Fayetteville
Update: This item was also tabled indefinitely at the June 4 City Council meeting.
The second crossing is at Gregg Avenue and Futrall Drive, which would extend Futrall west into the undeveloped property. It will require removal of an older crossing south of Township Street where a second, more updated crossing already exists.
Staff said it’s another low-use crossing that provides a second option for accessing Ridout Lumber and Arkansas Self Storage, but both businesses could still be accessed from the existing railroad crossing to the north at Township Street.
Source: City of Fayetteville
The cost for this project is also $750,000. The original estimate for both railroad projects was $1 million. Staff said the additional $500,000 will come from contingency funds set aside in Phase 1 of the bond program.
Archibald Yell Safety Improvements
Source: City of Fayetteville
Update: This item was unanimously approved at the June 4 City Council meeting.
Improving the safety of Archibald Yell Boulevard has long been discussed in Fayetteville, and was part of the 71B Corridor Plan.
With the majority of through-traffic in Northwest Arkansas now traveling along Interstate 49, city planners are rethinking the future of the Highway 71B corridor, which includes College Avenue and South School Avenue in Fayetteville. The goal is to create safe travel for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Slowing traffic along Archibald Yell, city staff said, would reduce the barriers for pedestrians who currently don’t feel safe crossing the road to get from the neighborhoods south of Archibald Yell to the downtown, arts corridor and library areas.
The initial plan is to reduce the street from four lanes to three lanes with temporary striping and then to study traffic to see if that concept actually works. The design will also include a traffic signal at South Street and intersection changes at Rock Street. If the three-lane idea works, the striping could be replaced with permanent three-lane infrastructure adjustments.
The proposed resolution is for a $238,920 professional engineering services agreement with Garver, LLC for the design of the project, and to authorize the mayor to acquire the easements and right-of-way necessary for the work.
