ARDOT to put bypass near Pocahontas

POCAHONTAS, Ark. (KAIT) – The Arkansas Department of Transportation is working on putting a bypass that connects Highway 67 and Highway 90.

Mayor Keith Futrell says that the citizens of Pocahontas have wanted this for years.

“Well for several years, ARDOT has looked at this project of putting a bypass from Highway 67 over to Highway 90 which will cross Highway 115 also. The citizens of Pocahontas have asked for it for a long time,” Futrell said.

The bypass would give semi-trucks and others a chance to avoid in-city traffic and get to the highways more efficiently.

“With PECO being in town and we have such a large gravel quarry here. The trucks they come through Pocahontas, hundreds a day, they come down our city streets and we’re gonna try to move majority of the truck traffic to the Northside of the town,” Futrell said.

Although the new bypass could benefit the city, residents with property along the proposed path have some concerns.

Greg Baltz, one of those property owners, says he’s both worried and hopeful.

“The fact that the city or the state needs to come in and take a piece of property is concerning to us but more importantly I think being a resident of Pocahontas and seeing the growth or potential growth we have, this bypass is needed,” Balts said.

There will be a meeting held by ARDOT on Tuesday, July 23. ARDOT will go over the cost of this project when they intend to start, and the final plans. Baltz hopes positive things will come out of the meeting

“Well first I want make a final look at the exact plans, and exactly where they are going, I know it’s been narrowed down very close, and look at it again. And then just to start to feel out how much of our property they are going to take and what the compensation numbers will be,” Baltz said.

Both Futrell and Baltz expressed that this bypass has a chance to grow the city of Pocahontas even more and that they are both excited and anxious to see how things will shake out.

The meeting will be held at the Community Center in Pocahontas from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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