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Fire official: new Cave Springs signal appears sensor-controlled; council clarifies ARDOT did not install it
Summary
A fire department representative told the council the recently installed intersection signal is operating on a sensor and appears to have eased congestion; council members clarified Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) did not install it and discussed costs and the need for a manual override switch.
A Cave Springs fire-department representative told the city council the new traffic signal at a busy intersection now appears to be operating on a sensor and that traffic flow seemed improved during recent observations, though officials cautioned the true test will come when normal traffic resumes after spring break.
“We watched it at 04:00 yesterday, 05:00 yesterday ... and it's clearly on the sensor now,” the fire department representative said, reporting that traffic was less backed up on nearby streets during the times observed. The representative also noted a missing manual control switch in the cabinet and said staff pressed the contractor to provide that switch so the city can operate the signal manually if needed.
Council discussion clarified who procured and installed the signal. One council participant said the city located a company to install the light after ARDOT declined to install it under full state standards; the chair confirmed ARDOT repeatedly told staff the department would not install the light unless the city met full turn‑lane, green‑space and sidewalk standards. Council members said the local installation ultimately cost roughly just over $300,000 — far less than earlier large estimates aired in public discussion.
The council and staff also addressed public confusion about responsibility for the signal. “ARDOT did not install it. We had to install it,” the fire representative said in the meeting, and council members confirmed that the city pursued a temporary standard to allow installation without the full suite of state roadway upgrades.
Separately, a council member raised complaints from residents about loud, amplified music; the fire representative explained Cave Springs’ noise ordinance generally enforces amplified-sound limits between about 10:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., and that enforcement typically requires decibel readings and a policy for where ambient measurements are taken.
What happens next: staff said they will request the contractor to install a manual override and will observe the intersection once normal traffic resumes to confirm signal performance.
