Dear Mahatma: Why are cable median barriers being put up on Maumelle Boulevard? It's not like this is an interstate highway. Who pays for this? -- Perplexed Taxpayer

Dear Taxed: Let's first stipulate that Maumelle Boulevard is actually Arkansas 100, and has been since 1987 when Maumelle was a mere gleam in the eyes of developers.

It's almost 9 miles long, and runs from Arkansas 365 on the north to Interstate 40 on the south. Let's also stipulate that whenever we drive on the part of the highway where the barriers are being built, at the posted speed limit of 50 mph, we are often passed as if we were a potted plant.

Here are some facts from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, courtesy of Ellen Coulter, who speaks for the agency.

Cable median barriers are being installed along Ark

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