This website provides information to the public concerning environmental studies on the North Belt Freeway project. Please click on the links below to access the information you wish to review.
Project Overview – basic information about the proposed project.
Project Overview
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), has conducted a comprehensive environmental study and has prepared the necessary environmental documentation for the proposed North Belt Freeway in Pulaski County, Arkansas. The U. S. Army Corp of Engineers Little Rock District was a cooperating agency in the preparation of the environmental documentation.
This North Belt Freeway is proposed to be a four-lane, divided, fully controlled access (Interstate type) facility constructed on new alignment with interchanges at selected locations. It would include two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction separated by a variable width median.
This project will connect the I-430 / I-40 interchange with the Hwy. 67 / Hwy. 440 interchange in order to improve local and regional traffic service. Communities in and around the study area include Sherwood, Jacksonville, Gravel Ridge, Runyan Acres, North Little Rock, and Oak Grove.
Project History – background information about the project’s development and previous environmental studies.
Project History
1994 – An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was completed and a Record of Decision was obtained for a selected alignment.
1997 – The EIS expired and required reevaluation after Metroplan did not include the North Belt Freeway in the Transportation Improvement Plan due to the selected alignment’s inconsistency with the City of Sherwood’s Master Street Plan.
2003 – A reevaluation was completed and the originally selected alignment was upheld as the Department’s preferred route.
2004 – A Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) was initiated after it was determined that the Department’s previously preferred alignment was opposed by Metroplan, the City of Sherwood and the public.
2004 to 2007 – Public Involvement meetings were held (November 2005) to receive public comment on preliminary alternatives. After revisions and further study of these alternatives, the SDEIS was completed and approved for public dissemination on January 31, 2007.
A Preferred Alternative was identified in the SDEIS. Location public hearings were held in March 2007 to obtain comments on the SDEIS.
2008 – An in-depth analysis of the Preferred Alternative was conducted by AHTD in cooperation with the FHWA and the results of this analysis were documented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) approved June 30, 2008.
After a review of the FEIS and the comments received, the FHWA issued a Record of Decision on September 23, 2008 that approved a Selected Alternative for the proposed bypass. Click here to see a map of the Selected Alternative.
Latest Project Update – new information on the current environmental study.
Latest Project Update (September 2008)
After a review of the FEIS and the comments received, the FHWA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on September 23, 2008 that approved a Selected Alternative for the proposed bypass. Based on environmental studies, agency coordination, the public input process, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Preferred Alternative was identified as the Selected Alternative. Click here to see a map of the Selected Alternative.
Based upon consideration of all the social, economic and environmental evaluations contained in the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and FEIS, FHWA has determined the Selected Alternative is the environmentally preferred alternative. This alignment provides the best transportation solution that minimizes harm to the environment to the maximum extent practicable while also sufficiently addressing the Purpose and Need for the action. The Selected Alternative also incorporates extensive measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential harm to the region’s natural and human environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has given a Lack of Objection rating to the proposed project as described in the SDEIS.
Meetings Scheduled – dates for upcoming meetings
Public Meetings
No meetings are scheduled at this time.
Document Availability – is a link to copies of documents containing information on the studies performed on the project. You can also find information on how and where to obtain the latest studies.
Document Availability
Adobe Acrobat versions of the following documents are available:
Record of Decision – 9/23/08
The ROD is a very brief summary of the information used during the evaluation and the decision-making process for the environmental analysis on this proposed project. It includes information to address the comments received on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and is the final decision-making document in the environmental process. The ROD is available in Adobe Acrobat form by clicking here (2.2 Mb).
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Summary – 6/30/2008
The FEIS contains an in-depth analysis of the Preferred Alternative, as conducted by the ARDOT in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. The various sections of the FEIS are available in Adobe Acrobat form by clicking the links below. A condensed version of the information found in the FEIS is available in the Executive Summary document below.
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Summary – 1/31/2007
The SDEIS is a compilation of extensive scientific and engineering information required for compliance with federal and state rules and regulations. The various sections of the SDEIS are available in Adobe Acrobat form by clicking the links below. A condensed version of the information found in the SDEIS is available in the Executive Summary document below.
Copies of these documents or a summary may be obtained by contacting the ARDOT at: ARDOT Environmental Division
P. O. Box 2261
Little Rock, AR 72203
(501) 569-2281
[email protected]