Governor Asa Hutchinson joined about 170 state and local leaders at a North Arkansas East West Corridor Association conference Wednesday in Mountain Home. The conference focused on the results of a University of Arkansas at Little Rock economic impact study based on US Highway 412 improvements. The conference was held on the campus of Arkansas State University-Mountain Home bringing together individuals with a vested interest in seeing Highway 412 elevated to a “high priority” status for state and federal funding.
Last October, Gilbert Losurdo, Managing Director of the Corridor Association, told KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot news a milestone had been reached with authorization by the Arkansas State Highway Commission to update a U.S. Highway 412 study.
Losurdo said the action by the Highway Commission meant the Arkansas Department of Transportation would begin an analysis of what is necessary in funding and operations to continue improving Highway 412 throughout northern Arkansas.
Following his visit to the conference, Governor Hutchinson said logistics play a key role in recruiting and expanding industry across the state.
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While advocating for the highway improvements as an economic development tool, Governor Hutchinson agrees the strategy for pursuing new and expanded business has changed over the past 20 years.
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Improvements to Highway 412 will make the northern tier of the state more accessible, bringing the growth Hutchinson says is critical for the area.
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In a future report, we’ll hear from Losurdo on the unveiling of the economic impact study and the next step for the North Arkansas East West Corridor Association.
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