NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — If you've traveled on JFK Boulevard in North Little Rock then you've likely noticed some construction work that has been creating a bit of traffic.
It's part of the city's Jump Start plan.
"It is designed to make areas more walkable for families [and] safer streets," said Robert Birch, Director of Development for North Little Rock.
He explained that improving sidewalks and revamping that area of town could boost the city's overall economy.
"There's a lot of vacant buildings in Park Hill right now and we are starting to see some redevelopment already," He added.
Design work for the plan started back in 2013, and Birch told us that it's part of a federal transportation grant.
He also explained that it has taken this long because the road is a part of the Arkansas Department of Transportation's territory.
"When you had that added layer of rules of what they have to have, what their driveway standards are, we had to meet all those," Birch said.
About 45,000 drivers use JFK every day to get to and from places, so naturally, the wear and tear have become noticeable.
"These streets, which are, again, maintained by the highway department are in rough shape. The curb and gutters are terrible, they're crumbling [and] the medians are crumbling apart," He described.
Crews have already re-paved sidewalks and some of the medians that separate traffic.
Birch said that once the job is done, he's hoping the vacant buildings will be filled with business owners and that the area of town will grow.
"Businesses don't want to invest in a place where the infrastructure is crumbling," He added.
Birch also explained that the project is expected to be complete by October 2023.