Changes coming to Brookland intersection as new business arrives

BROOKLAND, Ark. (KAIT) - With the addition of a new business on the horizon, Brookland is working hard to upgrade the intersection of Highway 49 and School Street.

Haag Brown Commercial Real Estate announced the business would be coming to the popular area on Friday, March 3 through a social media post.

Mayor Kenneth Jones said this has been a project in the works for some time, but it has picked up steam recently as the upgrade could make traveling much easier.

“There will be a turn lane added from probably around Oak Street to Highway 49 and probably about the same amount of distance to the west side,” he said.

The hustle to get the project started comes as the new business is set to move in at the intersection, which could mean more cars trying to turn out of School Street.

“Our congestion comes from people trying to turn toward Jonesboro and Paragould from both sides and that is the main issue,” Jones said. “This new business could make things a little more backed up.”

Although the new business has not officially been announced yet, Jones is anticipating it could cause some issues, especially during school hours.

The project has been talked about for some time, and Jones said the only reason it has not been started yet is because of money.

“We don’t have the money to go ahead and lay three million down to do an intersection upgrade, so we just need people to be patient,” he said.

The city of Brookland has sent plans to the Arkansas Department of Transportation and is hoping to receive suggestions and possibly help with funding.

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