BENTON, AR --
Military Road in Benton.It's the road less taken, especially now. Will Beaty would avoid if it could, but he lives on it.
"You go over the man holes, you bust your oil pan and you bust your tires and rims," said Beaty.
He speaks from experience. The presence of orange cones makes you think construction is going on right now, but it's not!
Benton city leaders ordered work to stop after engineers asked for $1.3 million.
"The big part of it is federal dollars but it's still citizens of Benton tax dollars going into that at twenty percent," said Benton Mayor David Mattingly.
The delay is caused by the soil. The clay changes form depending on the temperature. Stabilizing the ground costs way more than city leaders anticipated.
After meeting with state highway leaders, Benton city leaders and engineers decided to continue on with the project. It cost more than expected, but it's still under the 10-million dollar budget.
"The end result, they will be pleased with and it's going to be worth the investment but getting to that point is frustrating," said Byron Hicks of McClelland Engineers Consulting.
But city leaders continue to call for patience, which Beaty says is easier said than done.
"It is a growing town and we do need it. So the sooner the better," said Beaty.
