Construction Detour Traffic Floods Nearby Neighborhoods
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: July 18, 2012
Little Rock drivers can expect major lane closures and traffic changes for nearly three weeks starting Thursday July 19th.
State Transportation and Highway Department officials are urging drivers who use the I-430,I-630 interchange to plan alternate routes while construction crews complete the next phase of the interstate expansion project. Step one of the process will be to close lanes along the southbound stretch of I-430 starting at Rodney Parham, which will affect drivers but also have a major impact on people living in what will be heavy shortcut zones.
"This road used to be nice and peaceful until a lot of people found out, 'oh this is a great street road to cut through', and then everyone started using it," said Thamoda Rodrigo.
The Rodrogos live on Brookside Avenue nestled between Markham and Rodney Parham. The short road saves time for drivers trying to avoid the interstate. But it's the homeowners, trying to put their property on the market who are paying the price.
"I had a seller with a beautiful home and the universal statement from buyers was they were scared of the traffic," said Realtor David Austin.
Austin says traffic is already an issue, but for the next three weeks, as crews block off parts of I-430, Brookside is bound to become even more popular and even more of a problem.
"There is always a heavy volume on Brookside but it will probably quadruple with people avoiding construction," he said.
But Austin and Rodrigo are both hopeful the short term nightmare could pay off in the long run. They say once the project is complete, the access will help clear Brookside and boost the value of the homes that line the street.
"Good news is we're going to have a fantastic new road system and it's going to get better," said Austin.
The head of the state's transportation and highway department is reminding drivers that have to drive through the Big Rock Interchange to remember to stay off your cell phone. It's illegal to use a mobile phone in a work zone.
To find out more about how the construction might affect your commute, click here.
State Transportation and Highway Department officials are urging drivers who use the I-430,I-630 interchange to plan alternate routes while construction crews complete the next phase of the interstate expansion project. Step one of the process will be to close lanes along the southbound stretch of I-430 starting at Rodney Parham, which will affect drivers but also have a major impact on people living in what will be heavy shortcut zones.
"This road used to be nice and peaceful until a lot of people found out, 'oh this is a great street road to cut through', and then everyone started using it," said Thamoda Rodrigo.
The Rodrogos live on Brookside Avenue nestled between Markham and Rodney Parham. The short road saves time for drivers trying to avoid the interstate. But it's the homeowners, trying to put their property on the market who are paying the price.
"I had a seller with a beautiful home and the universal statement from buyers was they were scared of the traffic," said Realtor David Austin.
Austin says traffic is already an issue, but for the next three weeks, as crews block off parts of I-430, Brookside is bound to become even more popular and even more of a problem.
"There is always a heavy volume on Brookside but it will probably quadruple with people avoiding construction," he said.
But Austin and Rodrigo are both hopeful the short term nightmare could pay off in the long run. They say once the project is complete, the access will help clear Brookside and boost the value of the homes that line the street.
"Good news is we're going to have a fantastic new road system and it's going to get better," said Austin.
The head of the state's transportation and highway department is reminding drivers that have to drive through the Big Rock Interchange to remember to stay off your cell phone. It's illegal to use a mobile phone in a work zone.
To find out more about how the construction might affect your commute, click here.
