Set to open to traffic in time for the beginning of the second semester, a new road leading into the El Dorado High School drive from Hillsboro is expected to relieve sluggish traffic.

Robert Edmonds, the manager of El Dorado Public Works, explained how building the road, a project which began in July, hasn’t been an easy task. He said they’ve had setbacks during the process.

“We were on a pretty good run and we had a piece right away. There’s a fence on our right-of-way and that’s been our only hold back,” he said.

The roads were originally expected to be done in November of this year but due to the minor setbacks it’s now expected to be open by New Year’s Day.

Edmonds explained how the weather has a toll on the road building as well. “We’re kind of at the mercy of the weather.”

He explained that the roads will benefit the students and staff at EHS by, “relieving the congestion on the northbound traffic on Timberlane and put some of it going west and east of Hillsboro, splitting the burden of the traffic proving to make traffic function a lot better,” said Edmonds.

El Dorado Forward taxes have funded the whole operation, paying for the construction project.

Edmonds and El Dorado Forward taxes have been planning the road for years now. “I’ve been working on this project a couple years now and trying to determine the best location. We discovered there was already something going from Hillsboro to the school property, and this was less expensive.”

“We’re at a point now where we’re ready to put the base down, but we’ve got to get this right-of-way issue worked out so we can get the curves poured in,” he said.