Understanding the Partnership of State Highways

This month, I also want to talk about our state highways and the major improvements taking place throughout Harrison.

Early in my first term, our City Engineer (Wade Phillips) and I went to Little Rock to meet with ARDOT to discuss planned improvements in our area. We met with the Deputy Director, Lorie Tudor, and two other ARDOT Division Heads. All three individuals we met with were polite, professional, and very knowledgeable about the conditions in Harrison. I was extremely impressed. The bottom line is that we were able to negotiate an agreement that would lead to significant improvements to the Highway 65 corridor through town. 

Our first project was the intersection near Wendy’s. The addition of extra turn lanes on Highway 43 to clear traffic more quickly has increased green light time on Highway 65, helping traffic move more smoothly.

It may not always seem so, but Harrison handles an enormous amount of traffic. Nearly 30,000 vehicles travel through Harrison every single day. That is a tremendous amount of traffic for any city to manage, and our Police and Fire Departments are often called out almost hourly to assist with traffic-related incidents.

The next three highway improvements are already under construction — improvements at Hester and Harness, at Walmart, and at a new signalized intersection on Airport Road. These projects are all part of a larger plan to synchronize traffic lights from Industrial Park Road all the way to Airport Road. We expect those projects to be completed within the next 60 days.

However, the biggest improvement is still ahead.

Another major project is scheduled to begin in the near future.  That project is the widening of Highway 65 from Taco Bell south to Cash Saver. In my opinion, this project is going to improve both traffic flow and safety tremendously.

We are also hopeful that, eventually, the widening project can continue south to the intersection of Highway 65 with S. Main St. I do not believe anyone in town would disagree that this project is badly needed to widen the drive lanes and improve drainage on the highway. 

Of course, it will not be easy. That area includes one of the busiest intersections in all of North Arkansas:  Highway 65, Main St., and Industrial Park Road. Once completed, however, the traffic lights will be fully synchronized. Even the improvements coming in the next couple of months should help significantly, but when the widening project from Taco Bell south is completed, traffic will move through Harrison like never before.

Projects like these are typically partnerships between the City and ARDOT. ARDOT pays the majority of the cost, but in projects such as the Highway 65 widening, the City is responsible for relocating city-owned utilities — and there are quite a few. That will be a substantial expense for the City, but it will absolutely be worth it when the work is completed.

Of course, we also have the bridge project underway. Thankfully, that is an ARDOT-funded project. We expect the bridge to be completed soon, and like all major construction projects, it can be challenging while it is happening, but afterward, it will be well worth it.

I truly believe that within just a couple of years, our highways will be as good as any in the region — and better than most. And when that happens, it will be very obvious.

Jerry Jackson moved to the community in 1980 and was voted Mayor in 2018. He ran and won re-election in 2022. Email info@harrisonar.gov to contact the mayor’s office.