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[MikieTimT]

A mistake that will cost more in the long run as more development north of Siloam Springs proper occurs, which is where any logical bypass would have to run due to terrain constraints to the south.  I wish that the town hall meetings would be livestream/Twitter functionality as well to get more than 2 dozen people at a pop to get feedback from.  They're still stuck in the last century with that mindset, though.

Oh, it will have decades of consequences. They're not going to come back through and build a full bypass of Siloam, after spending all that money to do 412 through the city.

Within Northwest Arkansas and that region, I think this was their biggest f*-up, at least while I lived there. Well, that and maybe when they put in a cable-median barrier on I-49/(probably then I-540) and then ripped it all up very shortly after between Bentonville and Fayetteville because of the much needed interstate expansion.

It's been a wild ride for ArDOT/former AHTD. At least it sounds like they're on track, somewhat. I'll sound like a broken record, but no more "5 lane Arkansas expressways", improve access management and update the antiquated roadway lighting policy (if they haven't already).

What road lighting policy would you be referring to?  I didn't know we had one.

Well, that's the thing, you don't. Are you with ArDOT? AHTD (then) had a policy of not installing roadway lighting on state maintained and Interstates. They left all of that to local agencies.

Not with ARDot, just a frequent user of their products.  I guess I shouldn't use the "we" pronoun.  I agree that they need to have lighting of some sort at entrance and exit ramps regardless of whether they are in metropolitan areas or not.

[US71]

US 412 is sufficient at two lanes throughout the state.

I take it across the state to go from Fayetteville to Jonesboro at least twice a year for work.  It is NOT sufficient to be a 2 lane across the state.  I don't necessarily agree that it needs to be 4-lane divided all the way across at this point, but it certainly does all the way to Harrison with all of the NWA to Branson traffic that takes that route in tourist season.  If you pull up Google Maps and try to navigate between Fayetteville and Jonesboro, the 2 fastest growing MSAs in Arkansas, the most direct route by 35 miles is US-412/US-63.  But it takes 34 minutes longer to take the direct route because of the inability to pass trucks along many stretches of the journey due to insufficient passing zones/lanes.  With about 4 more passing lanes up hills/mountains in either direction, between 10 to 15 minutes would be shaved off on the current alignment.  But a new alignment expressway between Huntsville and Harrison would make the current detour down to Conway/Beebe a moot point in and of itself.  And it's my assertion that Alpena AND Harrison should be bypassed to the south, which would shave off another 20 minutes just not having to stop and go through Harrison.

IMO, AHTD/ARDOT  should have made the Huntsville bypass 4-Lanes. It could/should have been done when the road was widened west of there. Traffic on the east side is especially bad because Walmart moved out there.

[Brooks]

US 412 is sufficient at two lanes throughout the state.

You have obviously never driven the higher-trafficked portions of this route.

[Scott5114]

US 412 is sufficient at two lanes throughout the state.

I take it across the state to go from Fayetteville to Jonesboro at least twice a year for work.  It is NOT sufficient to be a 2 lane across the state.

You're wasting your time; Avalanchez71 just traipses into random threads about highway projects, declares them to be a "waste of money" despite having no apparent knowledge of the conditions on the ground, and moves on.

[M86]

Not with ARDot, just a frequent user of their products.  I guess I shouldn't use the "we" pronoun.  I agree that they need to have lighting of some sort at entrance and exit ramps regardless of whether they are in metropolitan areas or not.

Absolutely. Look to other states. It makes a difference for travelers and their safety, and it's been proven with studies.

[MikieTimT]

Looks like from the updated documents that posted after the meeting that they are adding and considering adding more passing lanes along US-412 and doing a bunch of intersection and traffic signal timing changes in Harrison, which should help somewhat reduce the travel time.  Also, considering bypassing Alpena and Yellville, which should help quite a bit around school peak times.  Also, looking into adding more 4-5 lane segments, likely in the more populated areas, before 2040.  Nothing about bypassing Siloam Springs, which would be a huge mistake if not addressed before 2040.  No funding identified yet for the west and east segments of AR-612 (US-412 Springdale/Tontitown/Bethel Heights/Sonora bypass).  So, a mix of hope and despair as usual.

[US71]

Looks like from the updated documents that posted after the meeting that they are adding and considering adding more passing lanes along US-412 and doing a bunch of intersection and traffic signal timing changes in Harrison, which should help somewhat reduce the travel time.  Also, considering bypassing Alpena and Yellville, which should help quite a bit around school peak times.  Also, looking into adding more 4-5 lane segments, likely in the more populated areas, before 2040.  Nothing about bypassing Siloam Springs, which would be a huge mistake if not addressed before 2040.  No funding identified yet for the west and east segments of AR-612 (US-412 Springdale/Tontitown/Bethel Heights/Sonora bypass).  So, a mix of hope and despair as usual.

They've been talking an Alpena bypass for at least 20 years. At least since 412 was created.