MISSISSIPPI COUNTY (7-24) – Construction work to widen State Highway 18 requires lane
closures in Mississippi County, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation
(ARDOT) officials.

Weather permitting, crews will intermittently close the westbound lane to receive materials
and place concrete for new bridge construction at the Big Lake Outlet Bridge southeast of
Manila. Traffic will be reduced to one lane on State Highway 18 at the existing bridge, and
flaggers and signage will control traffic. This work will occur intermittently between 8:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from Thursday, July 26 through Friday, August 10. Traffic may be
stopped across all lanes for 15-minute periods when a crane is operating over the existing
bridge.

The public is advised to be cautious when traveling in the work zone at reduced speeds, and
speeding fines double within the work zone.

This project (Job CA1002) is part of ARDOT’s Connecting Arkansas Program and includes
widening 1.8 miles of State Highway 18 to five lanes southeast of Manila. More information
on this $35.5 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 @myARDOT.

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