By: Lauren Burgess
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – Martin Luther King Boulevard (MLK) and Interstate 49 (I-49) are undergoing a construction project. This project, which began in 2024, is designed to reduce traffic congestion and improve infrastructure by widening MLK to six lanes.
I-49 is a state highway which means the state and the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) are in charge of this project but will be working with the City of Fayetteville utilities water and sewer department.
ARDOT’s Public Information Officer Dave Parker said that studies show a potential 500,000 people to be added to the Northwest Arkansas population hitting one million people soon.
To accommodate this growth, Parker said that ARDOT is going to take action to widen MLK for the greater good, even though it will impact the surrounding businesses.
Parker said, “No one likes road construction when it is going on, but when it is complete and you have six lanes on MLK and that part on I-49…we hope that you will look back and think that all that pain and disruption that we went through were all worth it.”
The progress of this project comes with challenges, particularly for the small businesses along the route, like Dodo Coffee Company. With only one year of being in business, the co-owners are facing the difficult reality of losing their building and relocating.
Co-owner of Dodo Coffee Co. Isaiah Ojeda said that his small business goes beyond him, impacting 17 employees and a community that comes through every day. In response, Parker and ARDOT want to ensure a good relationship and balance with these businesses.
“We want it to be as fair as possible. That is our intent,” said Parker. “We are already having to disrupt your home or your business because of construction. We want things to be as painless as possible.”
Due to the utilities and sewer underneath MLK and I-49, the City of Fayetteville has to relocate those systems first for the expansion to start.
Parker said that ARDOT and the City of Fayetteville are making efforts to minimize the negative impacts. In response, they are working with Dodo Coffee Co. to permit a new building for a new location.
Ojeda said there are “no hard feelings” and he “understands the reason for the construction.” Dodo Coffee Co. is grateful that the City is working with them.
“We have an amazing building coming and it is going to be so unique to this area,” said Ojeda. “It is going to have some cool, outdoor-seating area for people to come, meet, and hang out to just drive that community that just means so much to us!”
The coffee shop’s new location will be off of Wedington Drive.
Phase one of this project started in 2024 and is expected to be finished in late 2028. Once construction starts on MLK’s underground systems then the project will be in phase two.
Check out some people’s feelings and the consensus about MLK, I-49, and the new road expansion project:
