Celebrating the Completion of the Springdale Bypass

After years of planning, engineering, problem-solving, and boots-on-the-ground execution, the Interstate 42 (HWY 612) Springdale Bypass is complete. 

Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) is proud to celebrate this milestone alongside the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), project partners, and the Northwest Arkansas communities this transformative corridor will serve for generations to come.  

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 4, 2026, ESS joined ARDOT, local officials, and project partners to officially open the new highway to traffic while also celebrating the completion of the XNA Connector Road completed by Crossland Construction, marking a significant milestone in regional transportation connectivity. Together, these projects represent the culmination of one of the largest bridge and heavy highway efforts in Arkansas history. 

But a project this big doesn’t get built by plans alone. It gets built by people. 

“This project is a testament to what our teams can accomplish together,” said Caleb Biancarelli, ESS Project Manager for Highway 612. “What people don’t see are the years of planning, coordination, and problem-solving that happen before the work begins. But even the best plan only becomes reality because of the crews in the field who execute it every day. From earthwork and bridge construction to paving and finishing, their skill, dedication, and commitment made this project a success.”

A Direct Connection for Northwest Arkansas  

Phase Two of the Springdale Bypass is the largest traditional bid-build project in Arkansas state history and extends from Highway 412 north to Highway 112, giving commuters, commercial traffic, and visitors a faster, safer way to move through one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. 

What was once a multi-year construction zone is now a finished corridor — smooth pavement, new bridges, and a stronger foundation for Northwest Arkansas’ continued growth. 

Built by Our Crews

As lead general contractor, ESS crews built more than seven miles of new four-lane highway and 15 bridges, including two structures spanning nearly 1,000 feet across Brush Creek. Each bridge was built using locally sourced materials — quarry rock, steel, ready-mix concrete, rebar, and reinforced concrete pipe — put in place by our employee-owners over the life of the project.

Getting there took some serious muscle. Crews moved nearly 3.2 million cubic yards of grading and excavation, placed 400,000 cubic yards of rock fill, and installed 394,000 tons of class 7 base rock. 

Behind every one of those numbers were ESS crews moving dirt, setting structures, placing concrete, laying asphalt, solving problems and keeping the project moving — day after day, mile after mile. 

The scale of the Highway 612 Springdale Bypass demanded more than equipment and materials. It demanded crews who could adapt, communicate, and execute when conditions changed and the work got tough. From the first cut to the final pour of asphalt, ESS employee-owners brought the grit, craftsmanship, and ownership mentality that got this project across the finish line. 

Built Safely, From Start to Finish

Every mile of Highway 612 Springdale Bypass was built with safety at the forefront. Work zones, lane shifts, and traffic-control measures were designed to protect ESS crews and the traveling public throughout construction.

That commitment carried all the way to the finish line, with the goal of getting every employee-owner home safely every day. 

A Finished Project. A Job Well Done. 

The Highway 612 Springdale Bypass is now a finished piece of Arkansas infrastructure — and a lasting investment in the region’s future. 

It’s also a reflection of what our crews can accomplish when they bring together careful planning, hard work, technology, and a whole lot of ownership. 

We’re proud of the road we built. We’re even prouder of the people who built it. 

To every ESS employee-owner who moved the dirt, built the bridges, laid the asphalt, solved the problems, and kept pushing until the job was done: you earned this finish line. 

Job well done, crew.