Announcing the Preferred Corridor for I-69 from El Dorado to McGehee, Arkansas

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) and Michael Baker Jr., Inc. (Baker) are pleased to announce the Preferred Corridor to be studied in detail for the proposed Interstate 69 from El Dorado to McGehee, Arkansas. This announcement is based on several months of engineering and environmental studies, public involvement meetings, and coordination with state and federal resource agencies and Native American Tribes.

The original corridors presented at the March 2002 public meetings have been refined to reflect public and state and federal resource agency concerns. In the Monticello area, more study is needed to adequately assess community concerns and potential impacts to residences, businesses, and cultural and natural resources.

The next phase of the project, the Alignment Study, involves detailed engineering and environmental efforts within the Preferred Corridor. These studies will consist of the development of several highway alignment locations (about 300 feet wide) and comprehensive field evaluations. Public involvement meetings will be held later this year to obtain input on these preliminary alignments.

Please note that while the Preferred Corridor is 2 miles in width, the highway alignments will be about 300 feet in width. The 2 mile corridor width will allow the development of highway alignments that are able to avoid and minimize residential and business displacements and impacts to other important resources to the greatest extent practicable.

Baker personnel will be evaluating important resources throughout the Preferred Corridor and will request access to private property. Your cooperation with this effort will ensure that all resources are thoroughly evaluated during this phase of study. Detailed maps displaying the Preferred Corridor can be viewed at Baker's White Hall office, or in local communities across the project area.

For additional information or map locations in your area, please contact:

Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
7203 Sheridan Road, Suite M, White Hall, AR 71602
Phone: 870-247-3979.
Fax: 870-247-5094
Email: smooney@mbakercorp.com

For direct information contact:

Timothy J. Smith, Project Manager
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
7700 Chevy Chase Drive
Building 1, Suite 210
Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512-465-9559

David Bednar, Local Outreach Coordinator
Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.
7203 Sheridan Road, Suite M
White Hall, AR 71602
Phone: 870-247-3979
Fax: 870-247-5094
Email: dmbednar@mbakercorp.com