HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-07-01-R (2) . a
CITY OF BATESVILLE, ARKANSAS
RESOLUTION NUMBER 001-1-1,(Z
•
REQUESTING CONSTRUCTION OF AND DESIGNATING PRIORITIES FOR
IMPROVEMENTS TO U.S. HIGHWAY 167
WHEREAS, a second U.S. 167 Highway White River crossing is needed to alleviate an
unacceptable public safety risk as a result of truck rollovers on Ramsey Mountain, which often
block all traffic into and out of Batesville for hours, resulting in life threatening situations in
medical emergencies, and
WHEREAS, in February, 2009 the Batesville CityC uncil adopted a new
Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the City of Batesville which include the Proposed Batesville
Expressway (Bypass) project, and
WHEREAS, in 2008 the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department completed a
study titled The Batesville Bypass Feasibility Study which determined that "the need for an
• alternate route around Batesville exists to allow proper mobility for through traffic, especially
large trucks", but the Director has not been authorized to proceed, and
WHEREAS, job retention and creation in our primary industries of manufacturing,
poultry and cattle production, timber, agriculture, limestone and sand operations, are all heavily
dependant on trucking, and will be greatly enhanced by sufficient highway infrastructure and
additional improvements to U. S. Highway 167, and
i
WHEREAS, Batesville is the "launch pad" for Ozark Gateway Tourism in north central
Arkansas, and continued improvements to U. S. Highway 167 are essential in growing tourism
dollars for the Ozark Gateway Tourism Counties of north central Arkansas including
Independence, Sharp, Stone, Izard, Fulton, Jackson, Randolph and Lawrence Counties, and
WHEREAS, continued improvements to U. S. Highway 167 are essential to area health
agencies in providing improved access to health care for rural areas of North Arkansas, and
WHEREAS, continued improvements to U. S. Highway 167 are essential in providing
• improved access to the two private and state institutions of higher learning located in Batesville,
and
WHEREAS, in 2004 the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department completed a
study titled Highway 167 Improvements Batesville to Cave City which determined that
improvements were needed and the Arkansas Highway Commission authorized the Director to
proceed with these improvements as funds became available, and
WHEREAS, the 2006 Arkansas State Highway Needs Study and Highway Improvement
Plan, updated in February of 2007, programmed additional improvements to Highway 167
between Batesville and Cave City including long range plans for four plus lanes from Batesville
to Ash Flat, and
WHEREAS, the future economic development of Independence and surrounding
counties will be greatly enhanced by the construction of the Batesville Expressway (Bypass),
4W four plus lanes to Cave City and ultimately, four plus lanes to Ash Flat, and
WHEREAS, continued improvements to U. S. Highway 167 are important to the
National Security of the United States of America because of the New Madrid Earthquake Fault
and the likely role U. S. Highway 167 will play in relief efforts in a New Madrid Earthquake
event.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of Batesville, Arkansas
that:
1. We hereby fully support the programmed improvements to U. S. Highway 167
between Batesville and Ash Flat as established by the Arkansas Highway & Transportation
Department in the 2006 Arkansas State Highway Needs Study and Highway Improvement Plan,
Updated in February 2007, and also as found in the Highway 167 Improvements Batesville to
Cave City study adopted in 2004.
2. We hereby request that The Arkansas State Highway Commission make every
effort to speed up the construction of four lanes plus from Batesville to Cave City and ultimately
to Ash Flat to increase capacity, improve traffic operations and enhance safety on Highway 167.
3. We consider the Batesville Expressway (Bypass) essential to the economic
development of our area and recognizing that extraneous funding from outside of normal funding
options will be required we will continue to pursue special funding for the Batesville Expressway
(Bypass) through our Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C. and also request that
Congress designate U.S. Highway 167 between Bald Knob and Ash Flat as a "High Priority
Corridor".
4. We hereby request that The Arkansas State Highway Commission authorize the
Director to proceed with environmental studies, surveys, design, right-of-way acquisition, and
construction as funds become available for the Batesville Expressway (Bypass).
This RESOLUTION adopted this 2 1 day of , 2009.
Mayor augh
Attest:
Denise Johnston, City Clerk