Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – April 3, 2024 – The Public Works Committee of the Jonesboro City Council voted Tuesday, April 2, to recommend to City Council to approve the city spending $1 million for the project.
The project is a connector road from Aggie Road near the intersection with Red Wolf Boulevard to Airport Road, just north of the overpass now under construction.
The cost of construction is a partnership with the city, the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Arkansas State University.
The committee voted 5-1 for the project, with council members Joe Hafner, Dr. Anthony Coleman, Dr. Charles Coleman, David McClain, Ann Williams and Janice Porter voting for the project. Council member LJ Bryant voted against it.
Before the vote, Alan Pillow, director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, said his group researched the need for the connector road. He said the road is needed to ease traffic on Airport Road and to allow better access to the airport. Currently, the only access is Airport Road, which connects Nettleton Avenue with East Johnson Avenue.
Mayor Harold Copenhaver told the committee that Aggie Road, which connects Red Wolf Boulevard, is a winding road within a residential section of town. The proposed road would ease the traffic on Aggie Road, he said.
“This will provide a safer and more direct connection with Red Wolf,” he told committee members. “This is an opportunity to do so.”
Arkansas State University is providing the easements for the road, which will run south of the ASU farm east of Red Wolf Boulevard. Dr. Russ Hannah, chief financial officer at ASU, spoke in favor of the project.
Bryant said, “I’m not saying never (about the project), I’m just saying not now.”
Committee Chairman John Street said the project needs approval before the expiration for the state funding occurs this summer.
Earlier Tuesday, Bryant spoke with JonesboroRightNow.com’s Brett Barber on why he opposes the project.
“The mayor will have to come back to the council on the Covid money because it has to be appropriated by this summer. Whether or not he comes back to us with a bond proposal is a question mark,” Bryant said. “There may be $20-$30 million in capital projects that we can do. We have tremendous needs. Funding the master bike trail system could cost tens of millions of dollars. We’ve done a study for working on existing city streets. The amount of money that still needs to be spent on the (police department) and the (fire department), particularly a new facility for the PD. What we should prioritize, in my mind, it’s public safety, quality of life and mosquito control.
“And when you look at the amount of money that needs to be spent on those needs, which is already far beyond what we really have … spending a million dollars, even if there’s matching money. But just because there’s matching money doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea.”
The committee also recommended approval by the city council for an agreement with Gotcher Holdings, which is building a balcony at 308 S. Main St., that will protect the city for any damages incurred by the balcony.