RMTNEWS file photo of Arkansas Highway workers in November 2023. Josh Mitchell photo, editor.
By Editor Josh Mitchell
River Mississippi News
Johnson Brothers Co., A Southland Company, was not immediately available for comment Wednesday morning
ARKANSAS – The Arkansas Department of Transportation on Tuesday recommended to its highway commission that a company overseeing a nearly $200 million interstate-widening project be put under “default” status, according to an ARDOT news release.
State of Arkansas transportation officials, according to the ARDOT press release, said the “default” status needed to be placed on Johnson Brothers Co. to ensure timely completion of the project after a series of missed deadlines.
River Mississippi News has reached out to the company for comment, but a response was not immediately available Wednesday morning.
The completion date has been pushed back several years due to change orders and other problems, according to ARDOT reports.
Johnson Brothers Co., A Southland Company, was widening Interstate 30 over five miles in Saline County. It aims to expand I-30 to six lanes from U.S. Highway 70 to Sevier Street.
“This is unprecedented territory for us, and it’s not something we arrived at lightly,” ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor said in the press release. “This is in the best interest of those who are affected daily by this work zone.”
Johnson Brothers started the $187 million project almost five years ago in May 2019 and is well past its original November 2022 deadline, the release adds. Change orders pushed the finish date to last April, but now it’s not expected to be finished until next January, according to ARDOT estimates stated in the news release.
Johnson Brothers has time to respond to the recommendation that the company be placed under default status before any final action is taken, the ARDOT news release adds.
“The Arkansas Highway Commission will consider the facts presented by ARDOT and any proposed remediation by the contractor before making a final decision on whether to grant ARDOT’s recommendation,” Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Alec Farmer stated in the release. “The ultimate goal is to complete this project as expeditiously as possible and provide a safe road for the traveling public.”
