Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Sept. 17, 2025 – Members discussed updates to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) project list as well as many current projects, during a joint meeting of the Transportation Policy and Technical Advisory Committees of the Northeast Arkansas Regional Transportation Planning Commission (NARTPC) on Tuesday.

Among projects discussed were a $30 million overpass and bridge at the intersection of Red Wolf Boulevard and Aggie Road; and a $32 million railroad overpass on Hwy. 91 connecting Dan and Johnson avenues.

Additionally, curb and gutter rehabilitation and pedestrian accommodations along Red Wolf Boulevard from I-555 to MLK Boulevard were discussed, which MPO director Alan Pillow said would be a long-term project that would have to be broken up into smaller projects over time. This project has not yet been funded, and there is no estimated cost yet.

Another project that stirred up some debate and does not yet have a price estimate was an overpass/bridge connecting south Culberhouse Street on the north and south sides of the I-555. Although this project was further down on the list and did not yet have an estimated price many of the committee members expressed their feelings on the project’s importance.

“It did not make sense to go to the trouble to build a pedestrian bridge, not build a full-blown overpass,” Technical Advisory Board chair John Broadway said.

Transportation Policy chair John Street agreed, urging the committee to push forward with the project, and a motion was made to get a rough cost estimate, which passed unanimously.

During the meeting, members discussed several project updates from across the county, including updates from the cities of Bay, Bono, Brookland, and Jonesboro, as well as Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), Jonesboro Economical Transportation (JET), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Arkansas State University.

Technical Advisory Committee member Shannon Luke, a district construct engineer with ARDOT, started with the department’s MLK extension project, noting that about 90% of the northern section of the project had been completed; however, the south section was going much slower than expected.

“Realistically speaking, what you will see in that section this year is utility delays and relocations, of course, the wet spring affected them too, and everything from the I-555 to Highway 18 is still undergoing utility relocation and will so until next spring,” Luke said.

The completion date for this project is scheduled for next summer.

He also mentioned several other ARDOT projects, such as the Airport Road overpass, which is scheduled to be completed this fall, and the Parker Road and Hwy 49 intersection, which started last week and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.

According to information on the City of Jonesboro website, NARTPC is the designated MPO for Bay, Bono, Brookland, Jonesboro and some unincorporated parts of Craighead County.

Elected officials of the jurisdictions, as well as representatives from ARDOT, JET, the Jonesboro Municipal Airport, USDA, and A-State, make up its body.