ArDOT kicks off $310M in road projects in Benton, Washington counties

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Northwest Arkansas will add about 11 miles of interstate-style freeway to the region when nearly $310 million in highway projects are completed over the next three years.

On Wednesday (April 17), Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) officials and area leaders gathered at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Highfill to break ground on phase two of the Springdale Northern Bypass and a connecting road from the bypass to XNA. Combined, the contract values of the two projects exceed $308.46 million.

“Both of these projects represent a total cost of $410 million,” said ArDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “Of that is right-of-way, design and construction. Construction is $310 million, so that just gives you an idea of how much it costs to get a project ready to break ground on.”

ArDOT kicks off $310M in road projects in Benton, Washington counties

Lorie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Springdale Northern Bypass and Northwest Arkansas National Airport connector projects.

NWA 18th fastest growing U.S. metro; Benton County leads state’s growth

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Northwest Arkansas, or the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro, remained the fastest-growing metro in the state in 2023. Benton County was the state’s fastest-growing county.

On Thursday (March 14), the U.S. Census Bureau released metro area and county population estimates as of July 1, 2023.

Alison Wright, data center division head of the Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI), said the metro estimates were expected with the continued growth in Northwest Arkansas. The metro was the 18th fastest-growing in the United States. Its population rose by 2.3% to 590,337 in 2023 from 576,967 in 2022. The growth rate rank was up from 24th in the previous year. Northwest Arkansas had the 32nd largest population gain in the nation at 13,370. The rank was down from 30th in the previous year.

NWA 18th fastest growing U.S. metro; Benton County leads state’s growth

EPA pursues cross-state emissions cuts; Sierra Club seeks retirement of Northwest Arkansas coal plant

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to reduce ozone-forming emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to protect downwind states from air pollution from upwind states. Following the announcement, environmental group Sierra Club named the coal-fired plant in western Benton County a contributor to cross-state air pollution and called for its retirement.

The EPA’s proposed action would ensure the 26 states, including Arkansas, that are covered in the proposal would meet the Good Neighbor requirements in the Clean Air Act by reducing pollution that contributes to problems attaining and maintaining the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards in downwind states.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/epa-pursues-cross-state-emissions-cuts-sierra-club-seeks-retirement-of-northwest-arkansas-coal-plant/