Project Description

In 2015, Hawkins-Weir was contracted by the City of Fort Smith Parks & Recreation Department to evaluate the proposed Blue Lion Bikeway Route and prepare plans and specifications for installation of shared lane bicycle markings, also known as “sharrows.” The Blue Lion Bikeway extends from North 5th Street to North 66th Street, and generally follows a route along North A & B Streets, North 15th Street, North E Street, Blackburn Street, Lecta Avenue, Kinkead Avenue to the UAFS Campus, North 51st Street, Park Avenue, and North 66th Street to a termination point at the Sunnymede Walking Trail on Kinkead Avenue. Improvements will include the installation of painted or thermoplastic sharrow symbols in the driving lanes along the bike route to alert drivers to the potential presence of cyclists. Bikeway and bicycle warning signage will also be installed along the route and at major cross streets.

The City of Fort Smith adopted a bikeway plan in 2000, and the first bike route opened in 2002. The Blue Lion Bikeway is the most recent addition to the City’s bikeway system, and this project will be the first use of sharrow symbols in the City of Fort Smith.