LA 616 (Arkansas Rd) Widening and Roundabouts
State Proj. No.:
H.002622
Start date:
September 2017
Cost:
$33 million
Contractor:
Gilchrist Construction Co.
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In September 2017, Governor John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson, along with a number of other state and local officials, celebrated the groundbreaking of the $33 million LA 616 (Arkansas Road) widening and roundabout project. This project is located in West Monroe, Ouachita Parish.
The contract was awarded to Gilchrist Construction Co., with work beginning in Summer 2017. The project is vastly increasing the traffic capacity through the area, as well as completely rehabilitating the roadway.
A little over three miles of Arkansas Road from LA 143 (N. 7th Street) to Caldwell Road is being widened from two to four lanes, including a continuous turn lane. Additionally, pedestrians will enjoy sidewalks added to both sides of the road from N. 7th Street to Wallace Dean Road, which is nearly the full length of the project.
Four signalized intersections are also being replaced with roundabouts at the following locations:
Two of the four roundabouts were opened to traffic in September 2019. A third roundabout was opened to traffic in July 2020. The fourth roundabout, located at Forty Oaks Farm Road, was fully opened to traffic in April 2021. All of the roundabouts will greatly improve the efficiency of traffic movement through this section of Arkansas Road, which services more than 18,000 vehicles each day.
Roundabouts have also been proven to have a measurable impact on the safety of the traveling public by redirecting some of the conflicting traffic, such as left turns. These turns can cause crashes at traditional intersections.
A ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the substantial completion of the project was held in July 2022, attended by state and local leaders and other community stakeholders who supported the corridor transformation.
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