NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dozens of people flocked to the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock, for the last public forum for the Interstate 30 expansion project. The project is designed to ease congestion and travel times by adding more lanes.
“This is four years of planning and environmental studies,” says Ben Browning, a project designer. Tom Fennell is one of dozens – taking part in this public forum. “I was there before they put I-630 and I-30 in,” says Fennell.
As a long time Little Rock homeowner – he’s afraid the expansion project – will not benefit the Downtown Little Rock area. “When they put the I-630 and the I-30 immediately it just about destroyed the neighborhoods to the south and the east,” says Fennell. He says he believes the project will only benefit those who travel in and out of Little Rock. “It’s benefiting Conway, Bryant and Benton, but it’s’ actually hurting Little Rock,” he says.
But people like Kristine Gulley – say this public forum helped answer some questions she had about flooding concerns. “My main concern was how was the construction going to affect the citizens of North Little Rock with flooding,” she says. “Especially the unincorporated areas, and he reassured me that it would not.”
While there are still different opinions about the project – some saying it’s necessary, and others against it, all are anxiously waiting for the final plan.
An ARDOT spokesperson says the public still has time to submit comments. Then they’ll hand those public responses to the Federal Highway Administration for review. If they receive approval to select a design builder, the project could start as early as 2019 and wrap up in 2023.
