Many wonder if growth in a city like Bentonville lends to the number of accidents, with more cars on the road and more traffic.
Arkansas drivers were ranked as fifth worst in the entire country, but police and city administrators said they are taking steps to make life easier on the roads.
"There's a lot of traffic and with that traffic comes a lot of different problems."
The Bentonville Police Department is trying to curb traffic troubles in a growing city.
"We're focusing on areas that we know have traffic and safety concerns," said Chief Jon Simpson. He believes the problems stem from several issues.
"Drivers need to pay attention to what they're doing, obey posted speed limits, obey traffic laws, obey signage."
His department is kicking off a new safety initiative, going back to the basics, busting bad drivers.
"The root cause comes down to the individual driver and taking responsibility for your own actions, your own safety and the safety of everybody else."
And while law enforcement handles folks behind the wheel, the City of Bentonville tackles the roads.
"In the projects that we have done and got completed, the end result has been worth a little bit of frustration and pain that goes with it."
With more folks seeping onto the streets, Bentonville Transportation Engineer Mike Churchwell has seen the city preparing for the future.
"It's difficult with the growth we've had with the traffic that we have coming into the city everyday. Unfortunately, road construction is time consuming and you can't get them done fast enough. That's our biggest challenge is to get in there, get them done, and try to have the least amount of impact on the existing traffic while you're doing it."
So while many are frustrated with the current gridlock situation, patience is a virtue and Churchwell believes it will pay off.
"I've always said, we have prosperity problems, and those are the good kind to have if you got to have any."
The construction may be an inconvenience, but the goal is to adjust the infrastructure to accommodate everyone in Bentonville.
But Bentonville is not the only city in Northwest Arkansas making some roadway adjustments.
According to city administrators, several projects are underway, but just to name a few:
In Rogers, crews are working to increase the number of lanes on Walnut Avenue, Springdale will see wider lanes on Elm Springs Road, and in Fayetteville crews are expanding the roadway near Mission and Crossover.
Arkansas drivers were ranked as fifth worst in the entire country, but police and city administrators said they are taking steps to make life easier on the roads.
"There's a lot of traffic and with that traffic comes a lot of different problems."
The Bentonville Police Department is trying to curb traffic troubles in a growing city.
"We're focusing on areas that we know have traffic and safety concerns," said Chief Jon Simpson. He believes the problems stem from several issues.
"Drivers need to pay attention to what they're doing, obey posted speed limits, obey traffic laws, obey signage."
His department is kicking off a new safety initiative, going back to the basics, busting bad drivers.
"The root cause comes down to the individual driver and taking responsibility for your own actions, your own safety and the safety of everybody else."
And while law enforcement handles folks behind the wheel, the City of Bentonville tackles the roads.
"In the projects that we have done and got completed, the end result has been worth a little bit of frustration and pain that goes with it."
With more folks seeping onto the streets, Bentonville Transportation Engineer Mike Churchwell has seen the city preparing for the future.
"It's difficult with the growth we've had with the traffic that we have coming into the city everyday. Unfortunately, road construction is time consuming and you can't get them done fast enough. That's our biggest challenge is to get in there, get them done, and try to have the least amount of impact on the existing traffic while you're doing it."
So while many are frustrated with the current gridlock situation, patience is a virtue and Churchwell believes it will pay off.
"I've always said, we have prosperity problems, and those are the good kind to have if you got to have any."
The construction may be an inconvenience, but the goal is to adjust the infrastructure to accommodate everyone in Bentonville.
But Bentonville is not the only city in Northwest Arkansas making some roadway adjustments.
According to city administrators, several projects are underway, but just to name a few:
In Rogers, crews are working to increase the number of lanes on Walnut Avenue, Springdale will see wider lanes on Elm Springs Road, and in Fayetteville crews are expanding the roadway near Mission and Crossover.
