ARDOT to host public meeting tonight for project input

Public invited to offer comments on planned Highway 77, I-40/I-55 interchange proposal

By Ralph Hardin

ralphhardin@gmail.com

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) will conduct a public involvement meeting this evening about the proposed improvements to the I-40/I-55 and Highway 77 Interchange in West Memphis.

The meeting will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., at the Eugene Woods Civic Center, located at 212 West Polk Ave. in West Memphis.

The purpose of this project is to manage congestion, to improve movement through the interchange area, to enhance access to Baptist Memorial Hospital Crittenden by eliminating delays due to train blockages, and to improve mobility and safety along the corridor.

“The public is invited to visit the project website at their leisure,” said Mark Woodall, Public Informaiton Officer for ARDOT. “We also invite you to participate anytime during the in-person public meeting's scheduled hours to view exhibits, ask questions with staff, and offer comments. Comment forms will be available during the in-person meeting as well as online. Please view the meeting invite for more information.”

Comments for this meeting will be received through April 19, at 4:30 pm.

The public may view meeting materials and provide written comments until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19 online at the following link: http://vpiph03-11065-delta-77-i40-i55-hwy77-intchgimpvmt- d6cacardot. hub.arcgis.com.

“Visitors to the site can view the project information and handouts,” said Woodall. “A Spanish translation of the presentation also is available on the website.”

Interested parties can also submit online comment forms to ARDOT on the web site or print the form and mail it to: ARDOT Environmental Division, 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209.

If you do not have internet access, please contact Karla Sims at (501) 569-2949 or karla.sims@ardot.gov to ask questions about the proposed project.

Anyone needing project information or special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is encouraged to write to Ruby Jordan-Johnson, P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 722032261, call (501)569-2379, fax (501)569- 2009, or email environmentalpimeetings@ ardot.gov. Hearing or speech impaired, please contact the

See ARDOT, page A15

Photo courtesy of the City of West Memphis ARDOT

From page A1

Arkansas Relay System at (Voice/TTY 711).

Free language assistance for Limited English Proficient individuals is available upon request.

This notice is available from the ADA/504/Title VI Coordinator in large print, on audiotape, and in Braille.

About ARDOT

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) complies with all civil rights provisions of federal statutes and related authorities that prohibit discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Therefore, the Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, national origin, religion (not applicable as a protected group under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Title VI Program), disability, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), or low-income status in the admission, access to and treatment in the Department's programs and activities, as well as the Department's hiring or employment practices.