FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — Grand-scale highway enhancements developed by University of Arkansas landscape architecture students have helped the city of West Memphis secure a $296,000 grant from the National Scenic Byways program, which has been matched by $74,000 from the West Memphis Advertising and Promotion Commission. The students proposed the use of colored LED lights, indigenous plants and monumental sculpture to celebrate West Memphis as a gateway to Arkansas and Arkansas’ portion of the historic Great River Road, which follows the Mississippi through 10 states. The West Memphis Chamber of Commerce, the Crittenden Arts Council and the University of Arkansas Economic Development Institute partnered on the project.

Ryan Evitts’ linear design evokes the rhythm of the railroad by alternating squares of vegetation that would be visible from the bridge.

Because the area is on a major flyway, Julie Russell suggested colorful bird sculptures.

“It was a joy to see how these kids’ minds work — because they all came up with different ideas. They did an excellent job,” said Holmes Hammett, manager of the West Memphis Chamber of Commerce.

“The students helped us visualize what the project could look like,” said Janine Earney, who as director of the Crittenden Arts Council and chair of the chamber’s marketing committee authored the grant.

Working under the direction of professor John Crone, 14 fourth-year students addressed the intersection of Interstates 40 and 55 with the Great River Road (State Highway 77), one of the highest-volume highway intersections in the United States. The interstate highways carry more than 60,000 vehicles each day, predominantly commercial trucks. The situation is further complicated by a railroad that periodically brings traffic to a halt, exacerbating local traffic congestion.

Crone was eager for his students to tackle a project on this scale: “Here’s a large landscape that is an eyesore, with a 900-foot-long bridge that is dirty and greets visitors with peeling paint. But there’s an opportunity here to turn West Memphis into a memorable gateway to the state of Arkansas.”

Work on the project began three years ago with a multidisciplinary effort involving five landscape architecture students, a civil engineering student and an art student from the University of Arkansas. This initial round of work resulted in a two-year grant from the Mack Blackwell National Rural Transportation Study Center to conduct feasibility studies on the use of roundabouts (traffic circles) and other innovative solutions proposed by the students. A study conducted by a civil engineering student from the University of Memphis ruled out the use of roundabouts in this context, to Crone’s disappointment.

“Roundabouts have a great safety record — almost zero fatalities — and they give you an opportunity to install a monumental feature that can become a focal point,” he said. “We realized that a roundabout wouldn’t work there, but we did get a dialog going between landscape architects and civil engineers.”

The first attempt by West Memphis to win a grant from the National Scenic Byways program was derailed by the need to fund emergency housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“In the real world, this is how projects change over time,” Crone said. “It’s good for the students to see this process at work.”

An intersection redesign by the state highway department gave a new crop of Crone’s students another chance to revisit the project in spring 2007. Focusing primarily on visual enhancement, they created designs that celebrate the history and ecology of the area. With LED lighting now affordable, they explored the idea of designing with light. Student Shannon Wallace proposed flickering blue up-lighting to evoke the undulating waves of the nearby Mississippi River. Her design also called for planting low maintenance native grasses that make rippling patterns in the wind, amplifying the wave effect. Chris Graham proposed the addition of sinuous ponds that reference the meander loops that form naturally along the Mississippi River. Because the area is on a major flyway, Julie Russell suggested colorful bird sculptures. Several of the students developed ideas for hike and bike trails to enhance community access to the area.

With so many strong ideas generated by the students, Crone encouraged Earney to resubmit the grant. This time, the money was there.

“Now we’re going to tighten the program and detail it in preparation for future work with professional architects, landscape architects and engineers,” he said.

West Memphis has established a tight timeline for the project, with the first phase to be completed by next fall, Earney said. The initial phase will include cleaning and painting of the bridge and landscaping. The city also will install new street and bridge lighting and signage directing visitors to the Great River Road.

“We hope to create an icon that celebrates the gateway concept in the next phase,” Earney added.

"The West Memphis project is a great example of students bringing their ideas and enthusiasm into a community to create real change,” said Fran Beatty, head of the landscape architecture department.

Crone and his students also are coordinating with the University of Arkansas Economic Development Institute to redevelop waterfronts in several east Arkansas towns, including Augusta, McCrory and possibly Bald Knob.

“It’s great when our students have the opportunity to learn, work with people in other disciplines and help out the state,” Crone said.