🚦 Opal Park Phase 2 Hinges on Developer’s Share of Future Traffic Signals
The Bentonville Planning Commission is weighing how much the developer of Opal Park should contribute toward the cost of a future traffic signal at one of the city's busiest intersections as plans for Phase 2 of the large-scale residential development move forward.
The project—located near the intersection of SW Barron Road and SW Regional Airport Boulevard—was originally approved on the condition that the developer cover a proportional share of two future traffic signals. Now, as the developer prepares to submit plans for Phase 2, they’ve presented two possible payment scenarios and left the final decision up to the city.
🚧 Two Signals, One Key Intersection
City staff and traffic engineers agree that a signal at SW Barron Road and SW Regional Airport Boulevard (Highway 12) is warranted due to current and future traffic demands. A second potential signal at Adams Road and Regional Airport was also considered, but traffic studies suggest that installing the Barron Road signal would reduce strain at the Adams intersection—eliminating the immediate need for improvements there.
📊 How Much Should the Developer Pay?
The developer, through engineering firm Crafton Tull, offered two different calculations for their pro-rata share of the $400,000 signal installation:
Land Area Method: Based on the portion of Opal Park's acreage that will use the intersection.
Cost: $64,570.77 (16.1%)Trip Generation Method: Based on the actual number of vehicle trips expected to use the signal during peak hours.
Cost: $27,200 (6.8%)
While the trip-based method is more favorable financially, the developer expressed willingness to pay either amount depending on what the Planning Commission finds most appropriate.
“We believe the trip generation method better reflects the real-world impact of the development,” the letter from Crafton Tull stated, arguing that vehicles—not acreage—create the burden on traffic infrastructure.
🧭 What’s Next?
The Planning Commission now has three choices:
Accept the acreage-based estimate at 16.1%.
Approve the trip-based estimate at 6.8%.
Propose a third method to determine a fair share of the cost.
The decision will be a key step before the city can review or approve Phase 2 of Opal Park. No public comments were received on the matter at the time of staff reporting.
As Bentonville continues to grow, projects like Opal Park and infrastructure cost-sharing decisions like this will shape how the city balances development with traffic safety and capacity.
