Written by KUAF Editor
Published by KUAF
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman—announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $10 million for improvements to U.S. Highway 67 northeast of Little Rock and $4 million for the construction of a railroad overpass in Monticello.
DOT awarded a $10 million grant from the Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) program which will be used to widen U.S. Highway 67 from four to six lanes, construct an overpass, convert frontage roads to one-way operation and reconstruct two interchanges. This grant follows a $40 million award the project received from DOT’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program in June.
An additional $4 million BUILD grant was awarded by DOT for the construction of a railroad overpass on the north-south connector from U.S. Highway 278 to the Arkansas Highway 83 Spur in Monticello. The project will create better access to emergency health care and improve the overall safety of the route by allowing a safe bypass of the rail tracks for vehicular traffic.
“Growth in Monticello has led to congestion and safety challenges, specifically on the north-south connector which is used to access critical medical care. Fortunately, officials from the city and Drew County have a plan to alleviate these concerns. This BUILD grant will help supplement local investment to add an overpass to the north-south connector so vehicular traffic can move in a safe and timely manner,” delegation members said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao noted that these grants were part of a larger announcement to fund critical surface transportation projects across the nation.
“This Administration is making significant investments in infrastructure, and this $1 billion in BUILD grants will repair, rebuild and revitalize transportation systems across America,” said Secretary Chao.
“We are grateful for President Trump and Secretary Chao’s continued commitment to the infrastructure needs of our state,” delegation members said.