Utility work for Arkadelphia Bypass extended to summer 2025

Editor’s note: This post was updated to improve the headline

By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com

Arkadelphia City Manager Gary Brinkley gave updates regarding utility work on both the Arkadelphia Bypass and Pine Street widening projects.

At a Tuesday meeting, city directors were provided color-coded maps of both projects showing the progress of water and sewer lines that have been put down since the work began in May 2024. Brinkley said the maps would be available for the public on the city’s website.

Crews working on the bypass section, south of town, have so far laid 37% of the 66,000 linear feet of sewer lines and 87% of the 24,000 linear feet of water lines. Crews working on Pine Street utilities have laid 87% of both the sewer and lines. Brinkley also gave statistics on fire hydrants and water meters that have been placed, applauding crews for “staying on task” and finishing a “significant” amount of work thus far.

However, Brinkley said he anticipates the bypass utility work will fail to meet its contract deadline in April and likely finish, instead, by mid-summer, around the same time the Pine Street utility work wraps up.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation has yet to let bids for its portion of the projects, a process that has been delayed because of the ongoing utility relocation. Once bids are accepted, work is anticipated to last another two years before the projects are finished.

Mayor Scott Byrd inquired why water lines, but not sewer, run along the entire route of the bypass. Brinkley said the intent was to keep the city’s water system “looped” for best results in quality, taste and fire protection.

Ward 1 Director Taylor Chaney pointed out that excluding sewer from the entire route prohibits development. Brinkley admitted that it does but noted availability in “certain areas,” adding that administration “would not want to invest money down there, betting on somebody coming” to that part of the city.

Addressing comments he saw on Facebook about the timing of Walnut Street’s closure near its intersection with Highway 67, Byrd asked why the street was closed so far ahead of the bypass work and inquired how much longer it will remain shut. Brinkley replied that the street closure was in response to the contractor’s timeframe, calling it “the prudent thing to do,” and had no definite timeline for when the street would reopen.