http://www.thedailycitizen.com/
http://www.thedailycitizen.com/
Highway 16
construction project right on schedule
Staff Writer 07/23/2002
The construction project on Arkansas Highway 16 just north of Searcy is right on schedule despite the vast amount of spring and summer rains, according to site engineer Alex Franks.
Franks Construction of Mountain View is working on this phase of the highway project which includes "roughing in the dirt work and the road, and installing the storm drains," said Franks.
Installing the storm drains means laying the large pipes so that it doesn't flood when it rains, he added.
Passing down the road, the large pipes for these storm drains can be seen as well as large "I" beams near the old Deener Creek. Franks said the "I" beams are being placed to build a temporary retaining wall so they can take out the bridge which runs over Deener Creek.
"In about one month, we'll demolish the old bridge. The road will shift slightly to the right" (as one is passing out of town, driving north).
"Even with last week's rain, we're on schedule for the state. But, on my production schedule we're behind. This wet spring and these two- and three-inch rains don't help," Franks said.
Franks noted that his crews are working from 7 a.m. until 4:30 each day. He also said they will be working until late fall or early spring to finish the road work.
"We're initially building the road and the substructures (the reinforced concrete, box culverts)," he said.
Once Franks Construction finishes its portion of the work, the finished concrete work will begin as well as the laying of asphalt. The scheduled completion date is June or July 2003
iWebTech: Chird Bobbitt