West Memphis, AR (abc24.com) - The State of Arkansas wants travelers to know they are welcome, even if a West Memphis welcome center seems like it is taking forever to build.
The $14 million dollar visitor center is being built with federal stimulus money. It broke ground in the Spring of 2010.
"I've seen it since they smoothed out the land, all the way up to where they are now." said Christine Simpson.
Simpson has had a front-row seat from behind the counter of the convenience store where she works.
The contractor originally planned to have the center done by January 1, 2011. But, red tape associated with the stimulus money and the federal government, last spring's flooding, and the need to move several entry/exit ways along Interstate-40 led to delays.
The project is actually still on its required schedule. It is required to be done by the end of July 2012.
When it does eventually open, it will be busy. The City of West Memphis predicts the visitor's center will be the busiest in the state, with more than 250,000 travelers a year.
