Traffic Shift for Highway 71 Southbound at Bella Vista Bypass in Bentonville

BENTON COUNTY (8-30) – Construction to build the new Highway 549 (Bella Vista Bypass) interchange with Highway 71 and Interstate 49 in Bentonville requires a permanent traffic switch at the interchange, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials.

Weather permitting, crews will stripe pavement and shift Highway 71 southbound lanes to the east within the interchange, placing the two left-turn lanes for the on-ramp to I-49 southbound in their ultimate location. The single through lane to Walton Boulevard will also shift to the east. This traffic shift will take place 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 31 to Wednesday, September 1.

Traffic will be controlled by signage, construction barrels, and police enforcement. Watch for warning signs and safety personnel during the work. The public is advised to be cautious when traveling in the work zone and watch for slower traffic speeds.

This project (Job CA0903) is part of ARDOT’s Connecting Arkansas Program and includes constructing approximately 2.8 miles of roadway with bridge structures on U.S. Highway 549, including a new Bella Vista Bypass interchange with U.S. Highway 71 in Bentonville. More information on this $66.6 million project is available at ConnectingArkansasProgram.com.

Drivers should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway work zones. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ARDOT.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter @IDriveArkansas for traffic and @myARDOT for everything else.

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