Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and Little Rock Public Radio.

And welcome to Arkansas Week.

I'm Don Scott.

Thanks for being with us on this Labor Day weekend.

Many Americans will be hitting the road this weekend.

And in Arkansas, drivers will encounter several major highway construction zones.

So in this segment, we'll discuss the projects that are underway and some additional projects being planned.

In fact, travel is projected to be up during this holiday compared to last year.

It is the unofficial end of summer, and triple j says lower gas prices will be a factor.

Now, while construction zones can seem like a nightmare for drivers to have to navigate, the goal, of course, is to eventually make it easier for people to get around.

This specific project began four years ago to remake Interstate 30 through the downtowns of both Little Rock and North Little Rock, including construction of a new bridge over the Arkansas River.

It will expand the number of lanes from 6 to 12, and this is how construction looked on Wednesday.

About 120,000 cars pass through that area each day, and that is forecast to continue growing in the years ahead.

New overpasses and ramps have been built and work is slated to be complete next summer.

This is the most expensive project ever undertaken by ODOT and the cost has grown a little more than projected.

Joining me to discuss this and many other projects in the works is the department's director, Lorie Tudor.

Thank you so much for being here with us.

Director Tudor And we want to first start with that I-30 crossing.

What is the latest there?

Well, on Tuesday night, they did their final deck pour on the river bridge, which was an exciting moment.

The bridge is complete as far as major construction.

And all that's left now is striping and doing some other things.

We're hopeful we're going to start moving traffic over on to the new westbound side of the bridge sometime in October, with the bridge fully open to traffic in November.

So this is a huge milestone for the project.

Obviously, that's the cornerstone or the biggest part of that entire project is the Arkansas River Bridge.

Yeah.

So tricky really to navigate that as well in terms of getting the work done.

And we know the cost was projected to be 540 million, but last I read that was up to 634.

So tell us what's behind that.

Okay.

There were two change orders on the job.

One of them was to add the not street bridge replacement to the project.

So that was done.

And then we also added some additional work.

It is a connector, the flyover bridge from the I-30 westbound frontage road there by the law school over to us, 630 westbound.

So it allowed for that movement for downtown Little Rock to get to our 630 from the frontage road.

It wasn't there before.

So we felt like that was a great addition to the work that was being done to accommodate that movement.

So we added it to the project through a change order.

So now it's two 634 million.

You know, there was opposition from many in the community on this.

In fact, before work ever started, there was a litigation filed, but you all have alleviated quite a bit of concern throughout this.

Yeah, absolutely.

We started when we started the environmental process back in 20, I think it was 2014.

Between 2014 and 2019, we held nine different public involvement meetings to listen to stakeholders, to listen to the folks that had concerns.

And we worked really hard to try to alleviate any concerns that the public had.

Of course, there were some that they just did not want the project and they felt led to file lawsuits against it.

But we work through all that and we have kept moving forward and we think that this project will be done, like we said, mid-next year.

But it's on for all practical purposes, the major work has already been completed.

Well, let's turn to the Interstate 55 bridge that is over the Mississippi River.

You recently announced plans to build a new one and you deemed it necessary.

Tell us why that bridge was built in 1949.

It's 75 years old and it's in good shape as far as it's structurally sound, it's safe, but it's what we call functionally obsolete, which means the lanes are very narrow.

There's no shoulders, and it's just a very tight fitting bridge.

It was built before the interstate system.

It predates the interstate system.

It's not built to interstate standards.

The other thing about that bridge is it's located in what we call the New Madrid New Madrid seismic area, which, if you know, there's two places to go across the Mississippi River, I-40 in 55.

I-40 was seismically retrofitted back in 1999 and 2000 for about $250 million.

We shared that cost with Tennessee.

But the 55 bridge is not seismically retrofitted.

So we have several different worries about that bridge.

And that combined with under the new highway legislation, there's a there's a discretionary grant program for big bridge replacements like this.

And we wanted to take full advantage of that.

And so Tennessee is the lead state in Arkansas as a co applicant, went to get some of that funding and we were successful.

So half of the cost of that bridge to replace it, which is $800 million, is being funded by the federal government through a competitive grant that we were able to obtain for the for the state, Arkansas in Tennessee.

So that'll mean is half of it is paid by the federal government and the other half the other half will be shared equally between Arkansas and Tennessee to replace the 75 year old bridge.

That is extremely narrow and it's going to increase mobility and safety plus it'll have that resilience, resiliency that we need because it's in that New Madrid fault or absolutely supported.

And when will work start on that?

Well, right now we're hoping in 2026.

We just got word that we were awarded the grant.

And, you know, environmental studies are underway by the end of this year.

We hope to have some public meetings and talk to the public about our plans moving forward.

And hopefully we'll start construction in 2026.

I know one project talked about quite a bit or complained about quite a bit here in central Arkansas is that section of I-30 between Benton and Highway 70.

It seems like it's just never ending.

Tell us the status, if you can, if there's any projected finish date on that.

Well, the good news is the projected finish date is this year.

We're hopeful that it'll be done by the end of this year.

So that's the good news.

We understand at our DOT that there has been a there's been a lot of frustration with that project.

There's been a lot of challenges and delays.

And we have worked diligently with the contractor to keep that project going forward.

And we feel like that we are there now.

And I will tell you that I drive through that every day I live.

I take one of the exits within that work zone, and no one's happier than I am to say that it's about to be finished.

It'll be finished by the end of this year.

So all is also good with that project.

And there was, I know, a lawsuit against the contractor, but that is that's been resolved.

Well, what that actually was is that we considered defaulting the contractor and getting another contractor on board.

But they have.

But that was mentioned in a public meeting with the commission.

The commission decided to defer that action and that contractor came to the table and said, this is what we'll do to make sure we get this project done in a timely manner.

And we accepted their proposal and we've moved forward and they have lived up to everything they promised.

And that's why we're where we're at today.

Okay.

Thank you for clarifying that.

And let's now move to the long planned Interstate 57, a re designation expected soon.

For now, a 123 mile stretch.

And this is from interstate or U.S. Highway 67 between North Little Rock and Walnut Ridge.

What a huge undertaking this is.

And I've read a bit about it, the pros and the cons.

But tell us first the benefits.

The benefits of having an interstate designation are that an increases economic vitality in opportunity.

And it also it also helps the area to attract businesses and things like that.

And having that interstate designation is one of the first things that when companies come to look for a place to establish a new, new company, they ask, How close are you to an interstate?

That's very important in in developing the economy in the area we in and also increase property values along the way, along that route, along Highway 67, because it's now considered an interstate, even though it's always looked like an interstate.

It always has felt like an interstate.

It hasn't been an interstate, which is the department started back in the 19, I think it was the 1950s.

And yeah, in the 1950s we started converting Highway 67 into a freeway that was built to interstate standards.

And we spent over we've spent billions of dollars in accomplishing that between North Little Rock and Walnut Ridge.

So it's already built two interstates standards, and now we're just going through the process of changing it over to calling it an interstate instead of a highway.

I understand the department, of course, has been accepting public comments on this, as you must.

And what are you looking at so far from the public?

Very few negative comments, because once you go over it, once you become an interstate that becomes under federal law for certain size and weight restrictions on the route, as well as types of vehicles that can use the route.

So, for instance, it while it's a highway, we can allow up to £85,000 for agricultural and other items.

But when it becomes an interstate, it's limited to £80,000.

So that'll affect some commercial motor vehicle drivers.

And then also you can't put implements like tractors and farming implements on the road as well.

So those are the two impacts.

It's to some farmers and some commercial motor vehicle drivers.

But we've received very few negative comments.

Most of it has been really positive and I think it's going to be a great thing for the state to become part of Interstate 57.

Well, I know earlier this summer your department updated its list of projects.

Looking forward over the next four years, things you'll be working on.

What are key to you beyond what we've discussed here today?

Well, one of the biggest projects, if you thought we were talking about 57, so Interstate 57 will be signed between North Little Rock and Walnut Ridge.

Well, between Walnut Ridge and Sikeston, Missouri is a missing link of the full 57 I 57 now goes from Sikeston, Missouri, up to Chicago, Illinois.

So we have we need to build the last segment between Walnut Ridge and the Missouri Line to make that a full interstate all the way up from North Little Rock to Chicago.

So we're going to get started on that in the next four years.

We have the money set aside to do two two projects.

It's going to be done in phases, obviously, because the cost is so expensive to build that that we're out.

But we're going to build a bypass around Corning and then we're going to go from the bypass up to the Missouri line.

Then we're also going to finish design and purchase the roadway for the remainder of the route to preserve the corridor for future construction projects.

Oh, I see.

Okay.

Well, Sam, this is my last question, too.

And anything else you want to add.

But some advocates of expanding other transportation options argue that expanding highways is just sort of never ending and just increases in cost over and over over time, and that investments maybe should be made in other forms.

But you, I'm guessing, disagree with that.

Well, I think there you know, there's a balance.

There always is a balance in providing for the transportation needs of the public.

But in a rural state like Arkansas, there's just not the ridership available for any type of major public transit facilities.

And the interstate system is a connectivity, the connectivity it will provide and the just the way that Arkansans move through our state is why we are doing these projects.

But I agree there is you know, there's always those places where there's other options.

You know, you can't always build yourself out of congestion.

Well, you know, the public can learn more about projects through the department's website.

It includes a portal where people can submit questions, requests and proposals.

And you can find that, of course, at our dot dot gov.

That's Lorrie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

We appreciate your thoughts and your time this Labor Day weekend.

Thank you so much.

And we'll be back with more of Arkansas week after this.

Welcome back to Arkansas Week.

Dry conditions have worsened in our state, especially in South Arkansas.

The forestry division says counties toward the bottom of the state are at a high risk of wildfires.

While the midsection of the state is at a moderate risk.

As of Thursday, eight counties had enacted burn bans to help battle fires now and in the future.

Many rural departments are receiving new woodland fire suppression kits.

And joining me to discuss that and current conditions are Wes McKinney, who was the fire management officer for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Forestry division.

And we also have Joshua Graham, a federal forest fire management officer with the Washington and Ozark, Saint Francis National Forest, which is part of the U.S. Forest Service.

And our guests, Dennis CAVANAUGH, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in little Rock.

And thanks to all three of you for coming in today.

We do appreciate you.

Much needed rain is forecast through this holiday weekend.

Let's start with you, Dennis.

Tell us what the forecast is and what we need.

Sure.

So we do have a front that's going to make it through, which is a really rare thing in August.

But a front's going to make its way south across Arkansas during the day on Friday.

Could put a damper on some of the Friday night lights, Friday night football games, but it will provide us some much needed rain.

It is going to be more of the hit and miss Variety.

So I'm not not sure it's going to take us out of the the nascent drought conditions that are developing across the state.

But any anything is better than nothing at this point.

And so it's going to be a break in that ridge of high pressure, which could allow for more fronts to come through, leading to a cooler and wetter pattern.

We'll talk quickly about the conditions that led us here to these burn bands.

Absolutely.

So many times in August, we get a big ridge of high pressure and that's reinforced by the heat.

So the hotter the atmosphere is, the more the atmosphere bubbles up.

Reinforcing high pressure in place, it deflects storm systems from making their way into Arkansas.

So oftentimes it takes some storm systems kind of on the edge of high pressure to make its way in, to knock that high pressure down or just a big cold front coming from the north to actually shove that high pressure out of the way to make way for more storm systems.

And that's what we think is coming up here for this holiday weekend and then moving into early September as well.

Hmm.

Wes, I want to talk with you.

The state forestry division is distributing the kits that we discussed, the wood fire suppression kits, the cost being covered by the U.S. Forest Service.

So what are the kits include and what do they do?

Well, so this year, 2024, we're going to give out 85 kits.

And in those kids is coveralls, PPE.

It's lighter weight than their structure stuff.

So it's more breathable for them.

Have backpack pumps, leaf blowers, gloves and rakes that will be included in these kits.

This program's been going on since 2014 and we've administered 757 of those kids across the state.

How many wildfires have we had in grass fires as so far this year?

So so far this year, we are looking at 635 fires, just under 14,000 acres.

If we fast forward to this month, we're looking at it was 93 fires for over 1000 acres.

And if you go back to a year ago, we're looking at 29 fires for 400 acres.

So we can see we're having a lot more fires.

And predominately down in the south where it's dry and we're seeing those moments pop up.

Well, speaking of an interesting statistic that I read is that we actually see more fires here in Arkansas than the states out west, but we're in a better position to control them.

Joshua, if you would, speak on that point.

Yeah, we do.

A lot of the Washington, the Ozarks, Saint Francis, along with the state, really focus on prescribed fire and for four years we've burnt.

You know, last year we burned 300,000 acres.

The year before is just over 300,000.

And coupled with the state that's 400, 500,000 acres of prescribed fire.

And so we've focused on the prescribed fire aspect of it, which minimizes the wildfire threat.

As you mitigate the fuels around the landscape.

The wildfires don't have any fuels to burn and they say stay small.

So we do a lot of prescribed fire, not just for for hazard fuel reduction, but also for ecological benefit.

Right now, we're flying brown headed nuthatch birds as a part of the ecosystem.

On the plot of Cold Springs District.

We're flying them up to Missouri because we've had such success in our prescribed fire program that that species is is taking off more so than anywhere else.

So it's kind of neat.

It's a byproduct of the fuel reduction that Wes and I consistently work through.

We've led the country on the prescribed burns.

I've read about 300,000 acres.

Is that right?

Yeah.

And if you add the state in the private into that, it's more like 400,000 acres.

And nationally there's a there's a big infrastructure or a wildfire bill that the chief of the Forest Service and Congress have put a lot of money into increasing the prescribed fire program out west.

So then hopefully in the near future, in ten, 20 years, we won't have that wildfire problem.

As we increase prescribed fire in the shoulder seasons, the spring and the fall and then the summertime, we won't have that have that catastrophic wildfire, if you will.

Hmm.

I want to speaking of funding, financing, I know the federal government is financing the kits that we were just discussing.

Tell us more.

How could a department, a rural department, apply for or get one of these?

So under our AG department page, under rural Fire, there is a application process that's in there.

And so these applications, they will close September 30th of this year and then they'll know by November and then we'll parcels kits out in in the spring.

And so coming up October 1st, we also do a rural fire show.

And so we bring in all the fire departments from across the state and it's appreciation day.

We cook for them and there's demonstrations, vendors and and this is how we get the word out, you know, for the upcoming year of what's going on.

Well, I feel like that the rural departments are in in the most need for such kits and for information.

There are so many unique challenges being a rural area dealing with something of this magnitude.

Yeah.

So when you go to the rural area in these fire departments, you know, it's just like the U.S. forces, the volunteer fire departments are our biggest asset because they're the ones that are usually on the fire scene first and then they're the ones that are requesting us.

So we spend time, you know, with the U.S. Forest Service and our agency training these fire departments with an eight hour course.

And then if they want further knowledge in their will, we'll spend time in there to train them, to give them the tools to help us.

Well, talk a little bit about grass fires.

I know Monday afternoon there was a big news story of a grass fire on I-40.

It caused an accident because of limited visibility.

This points to the seriousness of why we have to control burning.

I mean, would you agree?

Yeah, absolutely.

During these times, there's I look at it as good fire and bad fire.

We talk a lot.

We've talked a lot about prescribed fire.

To me, that's the good fire.

It's under done under professionals.

We have dozers, helicopters, engines, all of that to control that fire.

And we only light those fires when the conditions are right.

And we get a lot of our information from the National Weather Service asking them, you know, we're looking for specific rates and we're looking at the ceiling.

So the smoke won't impact the community, but it'll go up and out and not settle in the valley floor.

So we there's a lot of science behind when we light fires and when it's good fire versus bad fire, I would say fires.

Now during in these conditions are really kind of bad fires.

They have a lot of destructive potential anyway for the state.

So there's a difference.

Well, I see Dennis nodding his head.

And I know you would agree with that.

Yeah, absolutely.

The prescribed fire program, which really peaks during the spring and the fall, as mentioned, our office gets those spot fire forecast requests.

And so basically for individual prescribed burn plans, we provide an hourly weather forecast to let them know what the weather conditions are going to be, what the winds are going to be, the relative humidity and the temperature.

And that all basically helps them decide when well, whether they can burn or not, when it's best to do it to mitigate some of those complications, like we don't want to put smoke on the road.

So you do it during the peak heating hours of the day when when the sun and the sun breaking down on the ground is just going to naturally plume that smoke up off the ground.

And so, you know, they need the right humidity, temperature and wind conditions in order to control that fire, in order to keep it safe for themselves and for everybody just in the area as well, which is why you do not recommend that residents or landowners attempt to do this on their own, but to seek a permit if they're burning or allow you all to handle it.

Yeah, So that'll go into the act.

695 that was passed about a year and a half ago through legislation is for a qualified prescribed burning program.

And so that goes into if it's over 100 acres, you have to take a two day course that we've created, you know, with the Game and Fish in Arkansas Forestry Division ongoing through this course.

And that gives you more detail on smoke management and and that's really helping, you know, get around that curve is understanding the smoke.

You light that fire.

You're responsible for not just the fire, but the smoke of where it's going.

I should think there are certain times of year, too, that you would prefer people burn.

Not now when you actually I've seen on well I'm driving people out burning.

Yeah.

Our our primary burn window is February, March and April generally before leaf on.

It's a time where we have a continuous fuel bed so we can treat 20 30,000 acres a day utilizing four or five different helicopters that drop plastic sphere devices that ignite the forest floor.

So it's it's a science and it's a balance of light in the forest floor and allowing that continuous dry leaf litter to reach our objectives.

So but a lot of times, you know, we have a lot of tools at our disposal.

A lot of people from out West come to learn what we're doing with the Forest Service in the state in Arkansas so that they can take that knowledge and experience back with them to Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and whatnot.

So just because and I want to just kind of capitalize on this a little bit, just because that we're burning under these conditions, it doesn't mean that a farmer or a landowner, it may not be recommended for them to do it because they they have access to a lot less equipment and resources than than we may.

So that program that West refers to is a is an important piece of that puzzle.

And knowing when to burn and when not to burn.

Really good information.

Something that we will continue to follow here on Arkansas Week.

We do appreciate you all.

West McKinney, Fire management officer with the Arkansas Department of Eggs Forestry Division, Josh Graham with the Federal Forest Fire Management System, and also Dennis CAVANAUGH, a meteorologist who we see regularly here on the program.

We thank all of you so much.

We appreciate you.

And that does it for Arkansas week this Labor Day weekend.

We will see you next time here on Arkansas Week.

I'm Don Scott.

Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, The Arkansas Times and Little Rock Public Radio.