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City outlines $1.53M redesign for South 6th Street and Wheeler Avenue to improve pedestrian safety
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a board‑approved Streets & Drainage CIP project to reconfigure the intersection at South 6th and Wheeler, add 7‑ft sidewalks, calm traffic, and replace about 300 feet of aging water line; construction is estimated at roughly seven months and about $1.53 million.
Craft & Toll representatives told the Fort Smith Board that the South 6th Street and Wheeler Avenue project is intended to close immediate safety gaps while preserving business access in the Bakery District and improving the approach to the National Cemetery. "6th Street is a crucial corridor bordering the Bakery District serving as a primary gateway to the national cemetery," the presenter said, framing the work as a "vital, safety project." (Presenter: Michelle)
The design includes a road‑diet strategy (narrowed lanes and tightened corner radii), 7‑foot sidewalks aimed at full ADA compliance, simplified signal geometry at Wheeler for safer crossings, and streetscape enhancements. Staff said not a single driveway will be removed and that the narrower lane geometry is meant to naturally calm traffic without adding speed bumps. The consultant reported an initial cost estimate of "approximately $1,530,000," with the final figure still under development.
Board members pressed staff on schedule and scope. "Construction, we've estimated to be about 7 months. About 290 working days," the presenter said when asked about duration. Directors also asked whether the project drives the planned water‑line work. Engineering staff explained that an aging, roughly 120‑year‑old sand‑cast water line runs in the corridor; because the material is fragile, disturbing it risks repeated breaks. "That's why the bare minimum is 300 feet of the sand cast water line," staff said, noting the water‑line replacement is being combined with the road work for efficiency.
Staff said the project has already been approved in the city's 2024 capital improvement program; the next step is to finish design and proceed to construction bidding. No formal board action was taken at the March 10 meeting.
