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Council weighs joining ARDOT interchange study; local share could be steep
Summary
Maumelle officials discussed joining an ARDOT interchange planning effort that lists $17 million in improvements and an anticipated $3.4 million local commitment; the mayor said the city's share could be about $1.7 million and directed staff to pursue details and return with lower-cost, multi-year options.
Maumelle — The Maumelle City Council on July 7 discussed a possible partnership with the Arkansas Department of Transportation on an interchange improvement listed in the statewide STIP, with staff warning a local participation figure could be substantial.
Mayor described the project as an interchange improvement at I-40 and AR-365 that ARDOT estimated at $17 million and noted ARDOT anticipates a $3.4 million contribution from local jurisdictions. "$1.7 million. That's like our whole annual budget for the street fund," the mayor said, adding the city could phase any commitment over multiple years.
Planning Director Con Grummer and staff argued Maumelle should seek a seat at the planning table early to influence scope and to address capacity and safety issues on frontage roads (Longfisher and Centennial) and proposed connections to Frontier Drive to open greenfield parcels for development. Scott (planning staff) and Con Grummer said early involvement could allow the city to press ARDOT to expand the study area beyond immediate ramps to broader access improvements.
Council members supported continued engagement but emphasized caution about obligating street fund reserves. Council Member Gardner called the area a"nightmare" at peak travel times and supported partnering to reduce future traffic and to make the area developable. The mayor instructed staff to pursue more detail and to return with options that would not obligate funds immediately.
What happens next: Staff will seek more detail from ARDOT on scope and potential scaled contributions and will report back with options that could include a smaller local match or multi-year payment schedule.
