Jacksonville, Arkansas – Drivers traveling north on Highway 67/167, also designated as Interstate 57, in Jacksonville should prepare for an overnight traffic shift and temporary ramp closures as crews continue work to widen part of the highway to six lanes.
The traffic changes are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Sunday, September 13, and continue through 5 a.m. Monday, September 14. The work is dependent on weather conditions and is part of the ongoing construction between Main Street and Vandenberg Boulevard.
During the overnight operation, crews will move northbound Highway 67 traffic between Main Street at Exit 9 and the Air Force Base at Exit 11. Vehicles will be shifted away from the existing main lanes and onto new pavement as the highway moves into its new permanent traffic pattern.
Two ramps will temporarily close during traffic shift
Two alternating ramp closures are planned while crews complete the transition.
The James Street off ramp at Exit 10A will temporarily close beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday and is expected to remain closed until midnight.
After that closure ends, the Air Force Base off ramp at Exit 11 will temporarily close. That closure is scheduled from midnight until 3 a.m. Monday.
Several northbound ramps are expected to open once crews finish shifting traffic into the new permanent configuration.
Those include the North James Street on and off ramps at Exit 10A and the 1st Street and JP Wright Loop Road on and off ramps at Exit 10B. The Air Force Base off ramp at Exit 11 will also open after the traffic shift is completed.
Drivers passing through the construction area will encounter several traffic control measures. Message boards, signs, traffic drums and barrier walls will be used to direct motorists safely through the work zone.
Motorists are being asked to use additional caution, pay close attention to changing traffic conditions and be prepared for slower speeds while traveling through the area.
Because the work will take place overnight, people living or staying in areas near the interstate could also experience additional construction noise during nighttime hours.
Highway widening project covers 2.5 miles
The construction is part of Arkansas Department of Transportation project under ARDOT’s Connecting Arkansas Program.
The larger project involves widening approximately 2.5 miles of Highway 67 between Main Street at Exit 9 and Vandenberg Boulevard at Exit 11 in Jacksonville. When completed, this section of the highway will have six lanes.
Work extends beyond simply adding lanes to the main highway. The project also includes improvements to several interchanges along the corridor.
Those locations include the James Street interchange at Exit 10A, the Gregory Street interchange at Exit 10B and the Vandenberg Boulevard interchange at Exit 11.
Another major part of the project involves changing the frontage roads. The existing two way frontage roads are being converted to one way operation as part of the broader improvements.
The overnight traffic shift represents another step in the construction process. Drivers using northbound Highway 67 during the scheduled work period should watch closely for signs and traffic control devices as crews move vehicles onto the newly constructed pavement.
