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I-40 eastbound open, detour cities glad; westbound remains closed

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The unprecedented flooding of Interstate 40 in Arkansas began to recede Monday as highway officials re-opened the highway to traffic heading east, but the westbound lanes remained severely flooded and could stay closed for days.

Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department spokesman Glenn Bolick said westbound I-40, closed for a 23-mile stretch in eastern Arkansas, continues to be covered by a pool of water more than a foot high. It could take another 48 hours for that flooding to return to the White River, he said.

"We're hopeful of Wednesday," Bolick said.

Officials closed I-40 westbound Wednesday and going east Thursday night between Hazen and Brinkley. They said it was the first time in memory that flooding has shut down the highway.

I-40 is a crucial coast-to-coast link for commercial traffic, and a heavily used roadway connecting Little Rock to Memphis. In 2009, it carried about 31,000 vehicles a day. Officials estimate about 60 percent of the highway's traffic is commercial.

Eastbound traffic was diverted south at Hazen. Cars could turn at Stuttgart and head back to the interstate, but commercial trucks were sent farther south. Some faced a 300-mile detour on what's normally a 90-mile trip.

Many commercial companies have tried to divert their cross-country trips to other states.

Brinkley Mayor Billy Hankins said businesses near the town's interstate exit had suffered slightly, as drivers sought to avoid the detours altogether.

"It has hurt us, as far as the normal flow of people getting off the interstate and stopping to eat and gas up and all this right now," he said.

Towns on the detour route were ready for the highway to reopen.

Some residents of DeWitt in southeast Arkansas used to wish they were closer than 50 miles away from I-40. But the flooding forced trucks and tractor-trailers heading east to be routed through town.

Mayor Ralph Relyea said the ensuing traffic, especially on the first day the highway was closed, clogged roads and forced some residents to take back roads home.

"Now they've said, we've had the interstate come through town, and we're ready for the water to go down," Relyea said.

"We kind of like our quiet town," he added, laughing.

Town restaurants and gas stations picked up new customers at first, but after cars were directed away from DeWitt, the extra business declined, he said.

"Everybody's trying to take it good-naturedly and realize we've got a very serious situation, and try to work together and lighten everybody's load as much as possible," Relyea said.

Westbound traffic will continue to face a 117-mile detour between Brinkley and Little Rock — a trip that usually takes less than an hour.

In Bald Knob, some business owners have seen local customers discouraged due to the heavy traffic going west through town.

"I could be mistaken and I'm sure we've picked up a little gas business, but it's cost some of our other businesses," mayor Doyle Wallace said.

The White River has surged throughout eastern Arkansas, flooding towns and breaking records at several points. At Des Arc, north of I-40, the river crested at 39.4 feet Friday, breaking a decades-old record. It has since receded to about 37.4 feet.

The river has yet to crest south of I-40 at Clarendon or St. Charles.

Bolick predicted there wouldn't be any long-term damage to I-40's foundation, comparing the flooding to a week's worth of rain.

"It's certainly a whole lot better than it would have been if we'd have traffic on it," he said. "In theory, just water on a road is not a big deal."

Gov. Mike Beebe said he remained concerned about flooding along the White and Mississippi rivers, which has threatened Memphis and several other cities.

"The (Army Corps of Engineers) has asked us for additional manpower and additional help on the Mississippi, particularly the lower Mississippi," he said. "We're seeing what we can do with our resources."

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