LITTLE ROCK (AP) The Arkansas Highway Commission has accepted a bid of $18.5 million that will provide the last link of an interstate-style highway between Jonesboro and Interstate 55.

Dumey Contracting Inc. of Benton, MO, had the apparent low bid for the interchange work at U.S. 63 and Arkansas 135 near Tyronza. The 44 mi. of roadway is being brought up to interstate standards and the work should be finished in 2008. The highway is to be designated as Interstate 555.

The commission Jan. 11 and 17 awarded several contracts. The acceptance of the bids is tentative, pending review by state highway department staff.

Low bids on some of the other projects included:

• $18,562,154 to Dumey Contracting Inc. of Benton, MO, to build a Highway 63 interchange at Highway 135.

• $17,420,112 to Hill Brothers Construction and Engineering Co. of Falkner, MS, to build 2 mi. of roadbed for a future highway near Fort Chaffee in Sebastian County.

• $7,122,750 to Hill Brothers Construction and Engineering Co. of Falkner, MS, to realign a section of Highway south of Bonanza in Sebastian County.

• $6,577,845 to Forsgren Inc. of Fort Smith to improve the Interstate 540 and Highway 59 interchange in Van Buren in Crawford County.

• Improvements to the interchange at Interstate 540 and Arkansas 59 on I-540 in Van Buren, $6.5 million, Forsgren Inc. of Fort Smith.

• Phase 1 work on a new interchange at Interstate 40 at Arkansas 25 and U.S. 64 in Conway, $6.3 million, Mc-George Contracting Co. Inc. of Pine Bluff.

• Embankment work on 2.1 mi. for future Interstate 49 in the area of Fort Chaffee, $17.4 million, Hill Brothers Construction and Engineering Co. Inc. of Mississippi.

• Passing lanes on U.S. 412 in four places between Huntsville and Alpena in Madison and Carroll counties, $13.6 million, Gilbert Central Corp. of Omaha, NE.

• Widening of part of Arkansas 26 in Howard County, $7.4 million, Cleve Batte Construction Inc. of Fouke.

• Build a climbing lane on Arkansas 25 in Independence County, $5.8 million, White River Materials Inc. of Batesville.

• $6,370,112 to McGeorge Contracting Company Inc. of Pine Bluff for grading and structure work on a new Interstate 40 interchange with highways 64 and 25 in Faulkner County at Conway.

• $5,832,734 to White River Materials Inc. of Batesville to build a southbound lane on Highway 25 near Locust Grove in Independence County.

• $3,306,868 to M.J. Lee Construction Company of Tulsa, OK, to build a bridge on Highway 72 over Little Sugar Creek in Benton County.

• $2,043,558 to Iowa Bridge and Culvert LC of Washington, IA, to replace a bridge on Highway 252 over Cherokee Creek in Sebastian County.

• $1,834,177 to Crouse Construction Company of Harrison for grading and substructure work on a bridge over the Buffalo River in Newton County.

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