PRESS RELEASE

By Mayor Doug Sprouse

City of Springdale, Arkansas

Friday, April 8, 2011

Springdale Receives Environmental Assessment Approval for I-540 Interchange

…Federal Highway Administration Approves Design Option Preferred by City’s Residents

SPRINGDALE, April 8, 2011 – Springdale’s plans for a new Interstate 540 interchange at the Don Tyson Parkway has taken another major step forward with approval by the Federal Highway Administration of the project’s Environmental Assessment. The action clears the way for ongoing design of bridge and access ramps and keeps the project on schedule.

In addition, the Federal Highway Administration gave its approval to the access ramp design overwhelmingly preferred by Springdale residents during a 2010 meeting held to gather public input. The approved design keeps both access ramps for northbound traffic north of what will be the Don Tyson Parkway overpass.

This is a significant milestone in our efforts to gain approval for and begin construction on this interchange! This is the highest infrastructure priority for our City Council and obtaining this environmental approval allows us to continue our efforts to shorten the timeline to completion.

With this approval, work may proceed in earnest on the engineering design of the new Don Tyson Parkway overpass and I-540 access ramps and will allow the project to remain on schedule with construction scheduled to begin in mid-2012.

We are very pleased this decision gives approval to the access ramp design preferred by our residents! The assistance of Congressman Steve Womack and his staff was also instrumental in gaining timely environmental approval.

And I must also thank Garver Engineers who have worked tirelessly to continue to move this process forward as quickly as approvals will allow.  

This announcement is one more example of progress for this project and for economic development for Springdale!  We continue to prepare on multiple fronts for the future economic growth we are confident will come to our city as a result of the groundwork being laid. 

The Environmental Assessment is required to be performed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act because the project is being constructed as a future part of I-540, a federal facility. The purpose of the Environmental Assessment was to perform a detailed study of the two interchange alternatives that were presented at the public involvement meeting held at Arvest Ballpark in 2010. Studies for both alternatives included “Effects to the Traffic Function on I-540,” “Effects to the Human Environment” and “Effects to the Natural Environment” in order for a preferred alternative to be selected by the Federal Highway Administration.

Based on the findings of the study and comments received at the public involvement meeting, Alternative 1 has been determined to be the preferred option. This design includes a new overpass for Don Tyson Parkway over I-540, all northbound access ramps on the north side of the overpass and all southbound access ramps on the south side of the overpass.

Prior to commencing with the Environmental Studies, the City of Springdale was able to obtain approval of the “General Concept Review” and “Engineering and Operational Acceptable Review.” Both comprise steps required to obtain approval from the Federal Highway Administration to “break the controlled access” of the interstate system.