The city of Conway completed its re-paving project in Downtown Conway Sept. 16.
Among the roads completed include Main Street, Chestnut Street, Court Street, Front Street and Locust Avenue.
The project is a part of the overall renaissance of Downtown Conway from an afterthought to shopping centers to a cultural cornerstone of the community.
“It went extremely well,” city spokesman Bobby Kelly said. “The paving, the marking and striping is still on going – the weather got in the way of that – but the parking spaces and the markers for stops at stop lights are all taken care of.”
Kelly said the project was overseen by the Conway Transportation Department, along with a partnership from contractor Rogers Group.
“[The Transportation Department] did a really good job of getting it all done while also not getting in the way of the Faulkner County Parade,” Kelly said. “They should be commended for that.”
Kelly said while the city did not have the in-house equipment for paving the roads, they were able to work with contractors in a timely manner in order to get the job done.
Most of the project’s work was done at night – helping reduce traffic and road closures. It also helped avoid interrupting downtown businesses.
“We can’t always do that with every single project,” Kelly said. “But it was nice we were able to get it done that way.”
Kelly said the project is one part of creating a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly Downtown Conway.
The city planned the project around community feedback – focusing on which roads had issues which most needed addressing.
“Not every single street in Downtown Conway was repaved, but a big significant portion of it was,” Kelly said. “And it was particularly the areas that people have been complaining about the most.”
Kelly said Conway Corp also played a large role in planning the project and supplying utilities.
“I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t been to Downtown Conway to walk through it and think about how far we’ve come,” Kelly said.
Kelly said Downtown must be walkable in order for it to function as an effective community area with venues such as Simon Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Square.
While the project is mostly completed, the city is still working on particular areas on Locust Avenue and Court Street.
