Notice to Media

AHTD to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed

Improvements to Arkansas Highway 15

November 12, 1997 -- The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) will hold an open forum public hearing on Tuesday, November 18, 1997, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., according to AHTD Director Dan Flowers. The meeting will be held at the South Arkansas Community College, East Campus, 3696 E. Main Road in El Dorado.

The public hearing is being held for the purpose of permitting all interested persons, agencies, and organizations the opportunity to express their views regarding the proposed improvement of Highway 15.

The Arkansas State Highway Commission, is planning a project to improve a section of Highway 15 between Industrial Road and Highway 129.

The proposed project generally consists of four 12-foot travel lanes with eight-foot paved shoulders from Industrial Road to the western outskirts of Old Union and four 12-foot travel lanes with curb and gutter in the Old Union urban section. The average additional right-of-way will be 102 feet in the rural section and 20 feet in the Old Union urban section. Approximately 49 acres of additional right-of-way will be required for this project.

Preliminary plans showing location and design features of the contemplated work and copies of the environmental assessment are available for public inspection at the office of the District Engineer, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD), 2245 California Avenue, in Camden.

Persons wishing to submit written statements or other exhibits in place of or in addition to oral or written statements made at the public hearing may submit them to the District Engineer, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, P.O. Box 897, Camden, Arkansas, 71711-0897. Such submissions must be received no later than Friday, November 28, 1997.

All interested persons will be heard at the public hearing. Information on proposed right of way appraisal and acquisition procedures as well as the environmental handling documentation will be available at the hearing.