Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – At the October meeting of the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), the commission voted to award the City of Jonesboro with $922,000 toward a shared-use path connecting Southern Hills Development with Craighead Forest Park.
Craighead Forest Park spans more than 700 acres and has long been a destination for a multitude of outdoor recreation, including popular walking, jogging, cycling and mountain bike amenities.
“More than 100,000 people visit Craighead each year, thousands to walk, jog, cycle or just enjoy getting out of the car to take in the beautiful scenery. Currently, the only way to get there safely is by car. This grant will allow the city to connect hundreds of rooftops in the immediate vicinity and tie into our larger JBR connectivity system,” said Mayor Harold Copenhaver.
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Projects eligible for TAP grants are restricted to construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities that include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure.
In recent years Jonesboro has received similar grants for improvements the Marion Berry Overpass, the Creath Street MLK Freedom Trail and the Higginbottom Creek Soft Surface Greenway that will connect to the newly awarded Culberhouse pathway.
“I’m excited to see this needed connection moving forward. South Culberhouse is high speed, narrow and currently has no pedestrian protection at all. This pathway will quickly become one of the most popular pedestrian investments the City and State have made to date,” said Grants and Community Development Director Chris Richey.
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The grant will next move into a planning and permitting stage that will establish an updated project cost, including advanced engineering and drainage designs. City officials anticipate that grant agreements and 60% construction plan approvals will be completed by winter of 2027 with bidding and construction starting in 2028.
The Craighead Forest connection is the latest item in a project list that totals more than $100 million dollars in active state roadway underway in the city. Among that list are significant improvements on Parker Road, Southwest Drive, Harrisburg Road, Airport Road, Highway 351, Johnson Avenue, and the MLK Jr. Eastern Bypass.
Projects slated to start in the near future include Marion Berry Overpass improvements, Harrisburg Road / Stadium Boulevard widening, a Highway 351 connector to Red Wolf Boulevard, a traffic signal installation at Christian Valley Drive, and Dan Avenue / Highway 91 widening.
“These types of investments simply would not be possible without significant funding from ARDOT. Jonesboro is growing and these types of projects are critical components for our future. I want to thank Director Jared Wiley and Commissioner Jerry Halsey Jr. for their continued support of our community,” Copenhaver added.
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