FARMINGTON -- It's been a long time coming but the state and federal project to widen two miles of Highway 170 from Main Street to Clyde Carnes Road is about to enter the construction stage.
Garver engineering firm of Fayetteville advertised for construction bids on Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 and will open the bids during a virtual meeting March 19.
Plans show the two miles would be widened to three 12-foot-wide lanes with a continuous left-hand turning lane. Both sides of the road will have 5-foot-wide sidewalks and curb and gutter. The section has three 90-degree curves and these will be flattened slightly at Wolfdale, Southwinds and Appleby roads.
Jeff Webb, project manager with Garver, said it will take one-two months to finish paperwork with the Arkansas Transportation Department after a bid is accepted and construction should start around the first of May. Webb said the project length is set for one year, with some contingency for weather.
At one point, Farmington city officials believed the project would be finished by the end of 2021.
A major part of the delay has been the relocation of water lines by Washington Water Authority. While other utilities had relocated their lines, the water authority, at the time with a former general manager and a former board of directors, had not agreed to relocate its lines that were in conflict with the new right of way for the highway.
Washington Water Authority filed a lawsuit in Pulaski County Circuit Court on Sept. 15, 2021, against the Arkansas Department of Transportation and city of Farmington asking a judge to stop work on the Highway 170 widening project until an agreement was reached about compensation to move the authority's water lines.
Circuit Judge Patricia James dismissed all four counts in the lawsuit in an order filed March 22, 2022.
In January 2023, Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins appointed a new board of directors, and they held their first meeting Feb. 6, 2023. The authority's former general manager, Josh Moore, retired Feb. 3, 2023.
The new board chairman, Mick Wagner, gave a commitment at this meeting, saying, "I don't think this body will be suing any of our neighboring cities and/or our state agency."
Webb said Washington Water Authority is in the process of relocating its water lines at this time.
"We're happy to get it going," Webb said. "I'm glad it is not in limbo and it is actually moving forward."
Farmington Mayor Ernie Penn last week said a widened, newly paved Highway 170 with sidewalks will make a "huge difference" for Farmington, primarily because of the safety factor for Farmington schools and residential subdivisions on that road. In addition, Penn said the city's growth pattern will be along Highway 170 because of undeveloped agriculture land.
"This is something that I've wanted to get done while I'm here," Penn said, noting the road has deteriorated even more because of the freezing temperatures this winter.
He has spent time talking to the director of the transportation department and Farmington's legislative representatives to get help to move the project forward.
Penn also thanked Deakins for his assistance.
"The job would have been completed except for WWA intentionally delaying the project because they would not move their water lines," Penn said. "It's amazing how quickly that changed with a new board. Judge Deakins is responsible for getting that project off the ground by changing the board at WWA. He is very responsible for that. We owe that to him."
Once the project is finished, the transportation department will turn over the road to the city of Farmington.