Committee forwards Caraway Road widening plan revisions after staff cites $4 million funding shortfall

A City of Jonesboro committee voted to forward to full council a resolution to accept a $99,860 fee proposal from Pickering Firm for plan revisions to the South Caraway Road widening project, Parker Road to Fox Meadow Lane.

Craig, a city staff member who answered committee questions at the podium, said the bond funding will not cover the originally planned five-lane section for the full corridor. "The funding through the bond is not enough to build a complete five-lane section that was originally planned," Craig said. He described the revised cross section the city will move toward: a five-lane section to Glens Place, a three-lane section from Glens Place toward Fox Meadow with a transition back to the existing two-lane roadway a short distance later, and a 10-foot side path on the west side of the road from Parker Road to Fox Meadow.

The resolution authorizes acceptance of the $99,860 fee proposal for plan revisions, directs that funding come from the capital improvement revenue bond account, and authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute documents and increase the purchase order amount as needed. The committee recorded that the shortfall for the project construction budget is about $4,000,000; the transcript records the shortfall figure but does not specify which department provided that estimate.

Committee members noted the traffic study conducted when the project began recommended a five-lane section to Glens Place and a three-lane section thereafter; staff said the project cross section included in the bond initiative matches the revised plan. The committee moved and seconded the referral to full council, then cast ballots; the resolution was approved and forwarded to full council.