SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is holding an in-person meeting discussing a plan to turn U.S. Highway 412 into an interstate.
ARDOT is working with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of a future interstate from Insterstate-35 in Oklahoma to Interstate-49 in Arkansas, which is about 190 miles.
This is the second meeting that discusses the plan titled the U.S. Highway 412 Planning and Environmental Linkages Study. At the first meeting, ARDOT presented the plan draft laying out the Need and Baseline Conditions Report.
In this meeting, which is taking place at John Brown University inside the Simmons Great Hall on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., attendees will review the methodology of the plan describing how "transportation solutions are being evaluated for potential implementation on U.S. Highway 412," ARDOT said.
Dave Parker, Public Information Officer with ARDOT said this area was deemed of "high importance" in the Infrastructure Investment and JOBS Act signed into Law by President Biden.
He said this is only the second meeting in a deal that could take decades to finish.
“It's hard to imagine some of this when you think it's gonna be 20 to 30 years until all this is done. Just think about how Interstate 49 came to be," said Parker. "Sure, it's going to take a long time, but you have to start somewhere.”
He said ARDOT will be doing planning environmental studies in the area.
“We look at the groundwater, we look at the land, we look at the air, we look at nature in that area, and all that's way before we even look at the design of the road, and impact to businesses or homes. That has to come first.”
ARDOT says the public can make comments until Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.
The public can submit online comment forms directly to ARDOT or print them and mail them to ARDOT Environmental Division, 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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