Improvements to U.S. Highway 70 Requires

Construction work on U.S. Highway 70 in Garland and Saline counties requires daytime lane closures, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.

Beginning Wednesday, January 25, the contractor will be installing concrete median barriers, milling pavement, and placing temporary roadway striping at multiple areas along U.S. Highway 70. One lane of traffic will remain open in both directions.

The lane closures will begin Wednesday, January 25 and end Friday, April 14, from
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting. The lane closures will alternately impact eastbound and westbound traffic at the following locations:

Jaguar Trail to 1/2 mile east of Java Road
1/8 mile west of Cedar Creek to the Cedar Creek Bridge
Bell Tower Access Road to 1/4 mile east of the Bell Tower Access Road
1/8 mile west and east of Summit Ridge Road
Ten Mile Creek Bridge to 1/2 mile east of Kayce Lane
1/4 mile east of County Road 1379 to Antique Mall
1/2 mile east of the Narrows Road to 1/8 mile west of 10 Mile Creek Bridge

Construction zone signs and construction barrels will be placed to notify traffic approaching the work zone. Motorists are encouraged to consider alternate routes during construction, including U.S. Highway 270. The public is advised to be cautious when traveling in the work zone at reduced speeds, and speeding fines double within the work zone.

This project (Job CA0610) is part of AHTD’s Connecting Arkansas Program and includes widening 17.5 miles of U.S. Highway 70 from I-30 in Benton (Exit 111) west to the interchange with U.S. Highway 70 Business in Hot Springs (Exit 6). The highway is being widened to two lanes in each direction with a continuous center turn lane. The project is anticipated to be complete in late 2018. More information on this $78.5 million 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 ArkansasHighways.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.