LITTLE ROCK (5-19) The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)  has developed a  conceptual  plan  to  address  congestion  in  the  I-430/I-630 interchange area in Little Rock, according to AHTD Director Dan Flowers.

     The AHTD has been working to identify potential solutions to traffic congestion that plagues the busy interchange. A consultant was retained by the AHTD in late 2004 to study the area and develop alternative concepts. Based on the consultant’s findings and discussions with the City of Little Rock and Metroplan, the AHTD sought preliminary concurrence from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the interchange modifications. That concurrence was received last week.     

     “Obviously, all parties involved agree that improvements need to be made to address the congestion that is occurring in the I-430/I-630 interchange area,” Flowers said. “Receiving the FHWA concurrence is a big step, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be accomplished – the environmental documentation, public meetings, final design and acquiring funding – before we can begin construction.”           

     The AHTD’s plan for the interchange includes:

·        constructing flyover ramps that will provide direct access for vehicles moving from one Interstate to the other;

·        constructing elevated lanes connecting Financial Centre Parkway and I-630 which will allow vehicles making those movements to bypass the existing Shackleford Road intersection;

·        providing additional lanes to better accommodate turning movements on Financial Centre Parkway and Shackleford Road;

·        providing additional lanes on I-630 between Barrow Road and I-430; and,

·        moving decision points for motorists farther away from the interchange area.

     “With the current interchange configuration, many of the decisions that motorists must make are confined to a very small area,” Flowers noted. “This causes weaving and confusion which contributes to the congestion. Moving decision points away from the interchange – in other words, having motorists commit to a certain direction or movement before getting to the point where the roads intersect – will greatly enhance safety and the flow of traffic in the area.”           

     The modifications proposed by the AHTD are estimated to cost approximately $70 million in today’s dollars. No timeframe has been established for the construction, though it will probably be undertaken in phases because of the cost and impacts to existing traffic.

     “We will continue to work with all the entities involved toward the scheduling and funding of this project,” Flowers said. “The next step will be to take this concept to the citizens through public meetings, and then begin developing more detailed plans.” No specific dates have been set for those meetings at this time, but the AHTD has indicated they could be scheduled as early as this summer.