Pictured above, l. to r. are Michelle Davenport, Chief Legal Counsel for ARDOT and Alec Farmer, Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission. Davenport made a presentation of the facts of the contract obligation of Johnson Brothers Corp. SEE VIDEO BELOW.
The company working on Interstate 30 in Benton may soon have to hit the highway.
The Arkansas Highway Commission held their regular meeting on Tuesday morning, Feb. 13, 2024. During the meeting, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officially recommended to the Commission that Johnson Brothers Corporation, A Southland Company, be placed in default of contract on the current project to widen 5.5 miles of Interstate 30 in Saline County to six lanes from Highway 70 to Sevier Street (Job CA0601).
See the video below, beginning at 1 hour, 42 minutes.
“This is unprecedented territory for us, and it’s not something we arrived at lightly,” said ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “This is in the best interest of those who are affected daily by this work zone.”
Johnson Brothers Corporation of Roanoke, Texas, began the $187 million project in May 2019 with an original completion date of November 2022. Change Orders were added to the contract due to unforeseen field conditions, which adjusted the estimated completion date to April 2023. The latest estimated completion date based on the Contractor’s progress is now set at January 2025.
See the presentation slides shown my Michelle Davenport, Chief Legal Counsel for ARDOT.
ARDOT believes the action to place the Contractor in default status is necessary to ensure Job CA0601 is progressed to completion in a timely manner. The Contractor has a period of time to respond to the recommendation before final action is taken.
“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,” said Alec Farmer, Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission. “The ultimate goal is to complete this project as expeditiously as possible and provide a safe road for the traveling public.”
PREVIOUSLY:
Read below for the upcoming meeting details, the list of commissioners, and the video from the previous meeting.
The Arkansas Highway Commission will hold their regular meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. The Commission includes Chairman Alec Farmer, Vice Chairman Philip Taldo, Member Keith Gibson, Member Marie Holder, and Member David Haak.
Scroll down for more details and video of the previous meeting ?
Attend in person at ARDOT headquarters in Little Rock at 10:00 a.m. The address is 10324 Interstate 30. You can also watch online on the ARDOT YouTube Channel and on the ARCAN network.
Watch video of the December 2023 at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/live/tjAquP6RD34?si=Izo31qAFbDeoYfot