More than two miles of newly constructed lanes on the Manila Bypass (State Highway 18) in Mississippi County will be opened to traffic, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials.
Weather permitting; two lanes will be open to traffic on Tuesday, May 1st, allowing motorists to travel around the southeast side of Manila on the new bypass. This will allow contractors to complete the future four-lanes and shoulders of this bypass section.
Drivers will need to utilize West Fleeman Street (near Sonic) to travel in and out of the Manila business district until the east connector is constructed, which is expected to take 2 to 4 weeks. Work began in November 2015 on this $14 million bypass, which includes constructing curb and gutter and sidewalks, various drainage structures and new lanes. This project is estimated to be complete in July of 2018.
Drivers should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway work zones. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ARDOT.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter @myARDOT.
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