Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – The Craighead County Quorum Court on Monday unanimously approved a resolution allowing the county and the City of Monette to partner to complete a road project.

The project is to install Monette’s second traffic light, located at the intersection of Arkansas State Highway 18 and Arkansas State Highway 139. Other improvements include twin turn lanes, drainage improvements, and utility work to improve traffic flow and safety at the intersection. The Monette City Council approved the plans in May, according to previous reporting by the NEA Town Courier.

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The project is estimated to cost around $1.9 million, with $1.25 million to be provided by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). The county will then pay the remaining $798,000. The City of Monette must reimburse the county $298,000 by Dec. 31, 2030. In addition, $75,000 of that total must be paid by July 1, 2026, according to the agreement presented at the meeting.

| PREVIOUSLY: Monette to get Long-Awaited Traffic Light

Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said the county would not be out any money, as it would draw on its $14.6 million credit with ARDOT to pay for its share of the project.

“Our part will come out of that pile of money, so it’s not going to come out of the county general or the road department funding,” Day said. “It’s all coming from money that was set aside because we took over ownership of what used to be Highway 230.”

The Highway 18/139 intersection was created when the Arkansas Department of Transportation opened the Highway 18 bypass around Monette on Nov. 20, 2017. Since its opening, multiple serious crashes have been reported in the area.

The project is expected to be completed in late summer 2027, according to previous reports.

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