New Road

The four-lane road will connect U.S. 412 in Springdale with Interstate 540 at the Johnson interchange. Mayor Richard Long says the new road should improve traffic flow in both areas and relieve highway 412. The road project will cost about twenty-million dollars total. The city of Johnson will supply around one-million dollars, three-million will come from Springdale, and federal funding will provide sixteen-million dollars for the project. The road will extend north of the railroad tracks and connect with Main Street close to James at the Mill. Mayor Long says the city has developed serious traffic problems over the past ten years, so he`s excited to see a new road built. "We hope that it`s going to relieve traffic and then open up some areas that can be developed commercially for the city of johnson and also allow access to the tyson complex and relieve truck traffic," he says. Mayor Long says construction should begin in 2008 and hopes the project will see completion by 2010. In addition to the new road, Main Street will be widened up to the interstate five-forty interchange. The Springdale City Council unanimously approved the project, while Johnson had a vote of four-to-two.