Bryant meets to talk about the plans to widen Highway 5

Bryant, Arkansas – In order to get public feedback before expanding a road in Saline County, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is conducting a survey.

Highway 5 sees 12,000 cars every day, which is one of the reasons ARDOT is trying to make the road wider and less congested.

The project would widen the highway from Reynolds Road to Alexander Road over a distance of three miles. There will be a center turn lane in addition to the four lanes.

ARDOT representatives convened a meeting on Thursday to solicit public feedback on the proposed proposals.

Over twelve individuals attended to get a close-up look at the project.

“It’s been really enjoyable to watch them find their land or look at the project, and they’ve given input,” Bryant Interim Mayor Rhonda Sanders said. “They have said, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of water runoff over here,’ and ‘What about this?’ Overall, they have been very open.”

However, it will take a few years for the project to begin. As other building in the area is completed, a contractor will not be chosen until 2026.

“It’s a ways off, and we hope that the I-30 project will be long finished by then,” ARDOT representative Ellen Coulter said. “These will not run concurrently.”

ARDOT will keep accepting public feedback, and a further meeting is scheduled for the following year.

Over twelve individuals attended to get a close-up look at the project.