Traffic moves through the intersection of Razorback Road and 15th Street in Fayetteville on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. (Flyer photo/Todd Gill)Work will soon begin on a long-awaited project to improve the intersection of Razorback Road and 15th Street in Fayetteville.
A section of 15th Street is scheduled to close on Saturday, Sept. 30 while crews with Arkansas & Missouri Railroad replace the railroad track crossing in preparation for the project. The road is expected to be open sometime the following day.
During the closure, both eastbound and westbound traffic on 15th will be detoured through Cato Springs Road and South Garland Avenue, according to Public Works Director Chris Brown. Truck traffic will not be permitted to use Garland and will be directed to South School Avenue, Brown said.
The four-way intersection southeast of Baum-Walker Stadium is set to receive a traffic signal, and will be widened to add a turning lane on the east side of 15th Street. New sidewalks are also planned on both sides of 15th Street east of Razorback Road.
A roundabout was once proposed for the intersection, but that idea was tossed after state transportation officials (15th Street doubles as Arkansas 16) expressed concerns about the potential for traffic to back up to the railroad.
City Council members earlier this month approved a $1.8 million contract with APAC-Central, Inc. for the work. The project is being funded using transportation bonds voters approved in 2019.
The project is scheduled to begin sometime in October and could take until May 2024 to be completed.
