GOOD ROADS
The Award-Winning Magazine of the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation
we help build arkansas
I49 Tunnel and Trail, Bentonville, AR
Robert Moery
President
Lance
Lamberth Vice President
D.B. Hill, III Secretary/Treasurer
Harold Beaver
Graycen Bigger
JoAnne Bush
George Cress Curt Green
Mark
Shannon
Philip Taldo
Chris Villines
Jim Wooten
ARKANSAS GOOD ROADS FOUNDATION
The Arkansas Good Roads/Transportation Council was established in 1975 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt and tax-deductible organization. In 2015, the council was re-established as a foundation in order to be a more visible and credible voice on behalf of the mission of the Arkansas Highway Commission and the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The purpose of the foundation is to promote adequate funding and financing for the planning, development, construction, and maintenance of a safe and efficient highway, street, road, and bridge system, including transportation enhancements. The work increases statewide economic growth, private sector job creation and retention, and improves the quality of life in all Arkansas counties, municipalities, and communities.
Joe Quinn, Executive Director goodroadsfoundation@gmail.com
Kathryn Tennison, Editor kathryn@bestmanagement.net
Celia Blasier, Designer graphics@bestmanagement.net
Arkansas Good Roads Foundation
P.O. Box 25854 Little Rock, Arkansas 72221
Executive Board
D.B. Hill, III Secretary/Treasurer Little Rock
Harold Beaver Rogers
JoAnne Bush Lake Village
Mark Hayes Little Rock
Shannon Newton Little Rock
Robert Moery President Little Rock
Chris Villines Little Rock
Jim Wooten Beebe
Philip Taldo Springdale (Non-Voting Member)
Lance Lamberth Vice President Batesville
Curt Green Texarkana
Graycen Bigger Pocahontas
Jerry Holder Little Rock
George Cress Little Rock
Thoughts on History Being Made on a Dirt Road in Barling
Joe Quinn, AGRF Executive Director
In the Arkansas infrastructure world, there are frequent dedications of new structures, but it’s still rare to go to an event where it’s obvious it’s not a typical project. Some projects are just bigger and more sophisticated, and you know from the earliest planning that they will be remembered differently.
The Bella Vista Bypass was such a project. So was the massive 30 Crossing project in Little Rock that replaced a lot of damaged pavement and came in ahead of time and under budget. On a recent Friday morning in Barling, the dedication of a beautiful new bridge that will span the Arkansas River as part of the I-49 expansion was a notable project.
It was also an event that reminds those who are paying attention that the infrastructure community and leaders in Arkansas are thoughtful people who treat each other with respect. The work gets done without the type of political anger so visible in so many ways now.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders set the tone. She arrived and immediately started hugging old friends and local leaders she has known since she was a kid, distributing yard signs for her dad’s gubernatorial campaigns. She told stories about her kids that are a reminder she is a mom before all else, and as she started to speak, she began by thanking Governor Asa Hutchinson for the work he did to get this bridge project started.
After years of being on the podium, the relaxed Hutchinson was now sitting in the third row as Governor Huckabee Sanders appreciated his efforts and reminded the crowd that a project like this takes
years and takes a state where local, state, and federal leaders are willing to work together quietly. Governor Sanders led the applause for her predecessor. It was a gracious moment, a subtle reminder that we are still all part of a place where we know each other.
Congressman Steve Womack and Congressman Bruce Westerman both spoke without notes. Both talked about why the expansion of I-49 matters a great deal to Arkansas and to the nation. For years, Arkansans have talked a lot about the growth in Northwest Arkansas, but an equally compelling story is that the Fort Smith region is now at the very heart of the American supply chain. The new I-49 bridge will be a key part of the change in this region.
Sanders, Westerman, and Womack were all quick to point out that this bridge will move trucks and cars, but it will also move the economy and the creation of local jobs in the right direction. It is hard to overstate the long-term impact the extension of I-49 from Kansas City to New Orleans will have on our region. The three leaders all talked about this effort with a sense of pride in the people who did the work to get us to groundbreaking day.
Dan Chapman runs the team at HNTB that designed the bridge. A few years ago, the engineering company moved Chapman to Little Rock from his previous job designing new terminals and runways at the massive Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
His first week at work in Arkansas, we touched base, and I told him I needed to introduce him to the gumbo at The Faded Rose. We talked that day about the need for companies like HNTB to join the Good
Roads effort to tell the infrastructure story in Arkansas. Years later, I think of us talking over gumbo as I look at the HNTB national executives who have flown in for this celebration of a $282 million bridge that will help push the state into the future.
Robert Moery, the President of the Arkansas Good Roads Executive Board, is also standing off to the side with his beautiful daughter, who just became a proud new sister. Moery seems to know absolutely everyone in Arkansas, but in this group, he is most remembered for running the Issue 1 statewide campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign led to a resounding yes vote and allowed the state to extend an existing sales tax for infrastructure work. In many ways, large projects like this would have struggled
without it, and local road repair budgets across the state would have been slashed by 30%. Every speaker at the event mentions Issue 1.
As the event winds down, and the temperature on the dirt road moves well past 90 degrees, ARDOT Director Jared Wiley keeps his final remarks brief. Wiley has been in his role since January, and it’s clear he is putting his mark on the department. He is always willing to put the bright young men and women who work for ARDOT out front to get the credit and talk about the work. He is thoughtful and just led the department through a legislative session where not once was the department budget put “on hold”. That’s political insider speak, which means everyone is getting along nicely.
Hopefully, Wiley’s career will be a long one that includes many more dedications that send a message that Arkansas is thoughtfully making good decisions, like this bridge, that will leave a better state for our grandchildren. Anyone standing on a dusty road in Barling near the Arkansas River on a sweltering Friday morning could see that this project matters more than most.
We appreciate your support of our efforts to tell these stories. Thank you. And remember to put the phone down when you drive.
Robert Moery and daughter.
Groundbreaking for New I-49
Groundbreaking for New I-49 Bridge a Milestone Moment for Arkansas
By Joe Quinn
The new I-49 bridge over the Arkansas River at Barling is one of four major projects that are part of the current I-49 expansion in Arkansas. The new bridge is funded with a blend of federal and state dollars. The Manhattan Road and Bridge Company is managing construction, and the design work is being done by Arkansas Good Roads member HNTB.
The ARDOT communication staff hosts a steady stream of local events to celebrate the start and finish of road and bridge projects across the state. But some projects like 30 Crossing in Little Rock, the Bella Vista Bypass, and now a new I-49 bridge at Barling just seem different. There are only a select
few very large projects that will clearly have longterm statewide impact. Projects that are universally applauded that impact multiple regions of the state.
On August 22, a group of local and state leaders gathered on a dirt road in sweltering heat for the groundbreaking of the new bridge. The bridge project involves 3.1 miles of work from Highway 22 to Gun Club Road. The work is the first phase of the 14mile gap between Highway 22 and Interstate 40. At the groundbreaking, ARDOT Director Jared Wiley said, “This project means safer roads and economic development. The federal government has designated this a high-priority project.”
Jerry Halsey, Highway Commissioner (left) and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (All photos courtesy of ARDOT.)
Groundbreaking for New I-49 Bridge
The groundbreaking is a reminder that major projects like this take decades to come together. The I-49 corridor was designated a priority by Congress in 1991. Many of the people at the ceremony were not alive when Congress took that action 34 years ago. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the audience, “There are big projects in the infrastructure world that don’t happen overnight. They take many years. I-49 has been critical to connecting Northwest Arkansas to the rest of Arkansas, and now it will connect the River Valley.”
The governor went on to recognize the generations of local and state leaders who have aggressively supported the expansion of I-49 and the economic and recreational benefits it means for the state. Sanders said, “I remember when we all went to Fayetteville, using the pig trail, and I remember the day when my dad dedicated the I-49 tunnel. Thank you to the hundreds of unsung heroes who have worked so hard to see this project through. There has never been a better time to get this project completed.”
In a written statement, Arkansas Highway Commission Vice Chairman Keith Gibson said, “The I-49 Arkansas River Bridge is a significant milestone toward our goal of completing the I-49 corridor from Fort Smith to Texarkana. When finished, I-49 will offer a safer and more efficient highway. The convergence of I-49 and I-40 in the River Valley will form a crossroads from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast.”
U.S. Congressmen Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman both spoke at the groundbreaking event. Both talked about the unique blend of state, local, and federal leadership that it takes to bring a project like this from the drawing board to reality. Both are enthusiastic and articulate believers that the continuing effort to complete all the I-49 expansion work matters not just to Arkansas, but to the entire country.
The work on the new bridge is expected to be completed in early 2029.
State Police Color Guard
Congressman Womack
Remembering Two Great Infrastructure Leaders
By Deborah Horn
Johnnie Marion Bolin and Bill Ramsey, two men who helped pave the way for Arkansas’s future, died this year.
The 1952 passage of the Mack-Blackwell amendment by the voters rewrote Arkansas’s socioeconomic future, removing politics and their ad hoc approach from the road-building equation. It allowed for the creation of an autonomous highway commission, out of the sway of governors, legislators, and local politicians.
The state’s 42nd Amendment provided long-term stability, allowing the highway department to commit its resources to researching the state’s transportation needs, developing and designing plans, and implementing them. The department went from paving roads with mops and buckets of asphalt to modern equipment.
It also gave birth to a group of true infrastructure leaders who realized the future value of connecting the state’s urban and rural areas with the rest of the United States. Many built the roads while others supported their efforts.
Notable individuals helping build roads from the 1960s include former ARDOT Director Dan Flowers; Alec Farmer and Robert Smith Moore Jr., Arkansas Highway Commission former Directors; longtime Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association Member Ann Cash, now deceased; politician and businessman J. W. “Buddy” Benafield; Highway Construction Businessmen H. Tyndall Dickinson, and the Cranford, Hill, and Cashion families, all highway construction businessmen.
Of course, this list also includes Arkansas Senators Milton Mack and Lawrence Blackwell, who introduced the Mack-Blackwell amendment.
Some were instrumental in Arkansas being the first state in the nation to complete its interstate highway system (I-40) in 1973, while others soon followed, but altogether, the foundation they laid was far-reaching, going beyond more educational choices and better jobs; it spurred commercial development and gave the state’s two biggest economic drivers, agriculture and tourism, a boost.
Mark R. Hayes, Arkansas Municipal League Executive Director, said, “It took time and planning. It wasn’t an overnight success.”
During a speech to the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson once described the system born out of that amendment as “an effective, efficient system that continues to serve Arkansas well.”
Arkansas lost two outstanding infrastructure leaders this year: Johnnie Marion Bolin of Crossett, a former legislator and Arkansas Good Roads Executive Director, and Bill Ramsey, a former legislator and Arkansas Good Roads Transportation Council Executive Director.
D.B. Hill, III said of both Ramsey and Bolin, “They were honest, good men who believed in transportation, and did everything they could to support the highway department. I respected them and enjoyed working with them.”
Jim Wooten, District 59 Representative, said that both Ramsey and Bolin were personal friends and individuals he admired. He added, “They were true leaders, and I patterned my work ethic after them. Regardless of their job, they did their best and changed how we approach road design and construction. Their contributions to this state and its future economic success are immeasurable.”
In Memoriam: Johnnie Bolin & Bill Ramsey
Johnnie Bolin
Johnnie Marion Bolin, 82, of Crossett, passed away on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. He was born on March 18, 1943, and was a lifelong resident of Ashley County. He graduated from Crossett High School and was an active member of Cloverdale Assembly of God Church of Crossett.
Bolin worked for Georgia-Pacific for more than 26 years, while also serving as president of Local 369, and later spent five years with Albany International. He served as Ashley County Judge from 1979 until 1981 and served two terms as Arkansas State Representative from 2001 until 2007. During his second term, he became the House Transportation Committee Chairman, and even after leaving office, he was named the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation’s Executive Director, allowing him to continue working for a better Arkansas infrastructure future.
Dan Flowers and Bolin were great friends. Flowers, former ARDOT Director, described Bolin as “a fine man. I always had a lot of respect for him. He did things the right way with sincerity and concern, and he kept what was best for Arkansas in mind. He had a larger vision for Arkansas.”
Bolin left his mark across South Arkansas, and Flowers added, “Johnnie served as county judge and served as transportation chair when in the state legislature. He had an understanding and direct connection to transportation. He did an excellent job there as the Executive Director of Good Roads. No matter the job, Johnnie always did things the right way.”
Flowers said, “Johnnie loved Good Roads. We had several opportunities to do some good things over the years.”
Bolin’s son, John Stephen Bolin, said he and his family are aware of his legacy. “He was firm but always fair, and his vision pushed so many along to do more and better for our state.”
His influence extended well beyond his professional and political life, but he was always willing to offer a hand-up when he could, John Bolin said. He gave freely of his time and was deeply involved in countless causes across South Arkansas.
After his death, John Bolin learned the full scope of his dad’s generosity while going through his office, saying, “I always knew my dad donated to a lot of different causes, small and large amounts, but the list was longer than I imagined. It was astonishing. He gave to police
As the AGRF Executive Director, Bolin was responsible for publishing its quarterly magazine. In this cover photo, Bolin, first row, far right, is wearing a tan jacket and sunglasses.
Bolin’s family pictured here left to right: Grandson Carter Bristow McPherson; daughter Lisa Bolin; grandson John Marshall McPherson; and Bolin.
Johnnie Marion Bolin, 82, of Crossett, passed away on Wednesday, June 25. Aside from his role as a legislator and AGRF Executive Director, Bolin enjoyed the outdoors and loved the Razorbacks.
In Memoriam: Johnnie Bolin & Bill Ramsey
and fire departments, cancer research, veterans, the March of Dimes, and so many more.” Bolin did all that he could to help Arkansans, but especially those in South Arkansas and Ashley County. He served as a former Little League president, was a dedicated member of the Crossett Riding Club and Carter Deer Camp, and held a treasured spot among Andy’s morning coffee crew—where he helped tackle local and global issues, one sip at a time.
Bolin had a genuine love for people and a gift for making everyone feel like a friend, and was a passionate Arkansas Razorbacks fan. He loved his family. Linda Bolin added, “He was always reaching out and trying to help people. He was a man of his word, and when he prayed, he touched heaven.”
Johnnie Bolin is survived by his wife, Linda Jordan Bolin of Crossett; one daughter, Lisa Bolin McPherson of Austin, Texas; one son, John Stephen Bolin of Hot Springs; three grandchildren, John Marshall McPherson, Carter Bristow McPherson, and Logan James Sharp; and two step-great-grandchildren, Gavin and Austin Measel.
Bill Ramsey
John William “Bill” Ramsey, age 90, of Fayetteville, passed away on May 17, 2025. One of his many gifts included singing and entertaining. When he was a teenager, he joined his Uncle Wesley as a member of the Rhythm Wranglers, and in 1970, he helped form the Calvary Echoes Gospel Quartet, which went on to release several albums. He graduated from Prairie Grove High School in 1951 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 1959.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and later served nine terms, from 1973 until 1990, in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He also worked on the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Energy Committee, and was a respected voice in economic development and transportation policy, serving as
the Arkansas Good Roads Transportation Council’s Executive Director. Ramsey was named Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO and was a longtime legislative lobbyist for the Associated General Contractors.
Doug Wasson, Kinco CEO and Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) past president, said his industry is a primary beneficiary of the planning and work facilitated by people like Bolin and his longtime friend and associate Ramsey. Wasson described his industry as vertical builders who are the initial beneficiaries of an improved or new road system.
“Bill was instrumental in AGC, and he was a strong legislator who made a difference, especially in Northwest Arkansas. Through his participation and leadership, the vertical and road construction became more professional and more user-friendly, and he always came through for those who made up the industry.”
Wasson described Ramsey as “riding the wave” of the Northwest Arkansas economic development that was spurred on in large part because of the highway system that was completed by the late 1980s. Eventually, Ark. Hwy. 65 and 412 were widened, and the Pig Trail was replaced by Interstate-49, all shaving hours off a trip from other areas of the state and making the roads safer.
“To say roads were critical is a huge
John William “Bill” Ramsey and Eva “Beth” were married for 64 years and had two daughters, Becky Ramsey Mehlburger and Brenda Ramsey Randle.
understatement; if the infrastructure and highways were not in place, companies like Tyson Foods, Walmart, and others would have located somewhere else where they could thrive. It’s amazing to see what’s happened in Northwest Arkansas,” Wasson said.
In Memoriam: Johnnie Bolin & Bill Ramsey
An entrepreneur and community builder, Ramsey owned the Crescent Department Store in Prairie Grove, and he served as the city treasurer of Prairie Grove. As well, he held leadership positions in the Prairie Grove Chamber of Commerce, the Prairie Grove Industrial Development Corporation, the Prairie Grove Lions Club, and played a key role in the Clothesline Fair. He founded Public Relations Consultants of Arkansas, with offices in both Fayetteville and Little Rock. He was on the Bikes, Blues & BBQ board of directors, a member of Fayetteville Downtown Rotary, and the Northwest Arkansas Motion Picture Association.
At home, he was famous for his grilled burgers, waffles, and boat rides. Whether teaching his grandkids to water ski, patching a broken dock, sharing a quiet sunset, or calling the Hogs, he made life feel full, warm, and joyful, his family said.
Many didn’t realize Ramsey was a professional photographer at one point, and his love for the art would influence his granddaughter’s career choice. Chloe Jones said, “We had a special relationship, and I got to spend a lot of time with him,” while working on a Master of Fine Arts in Photography at the University of Hartford Art School. Her master’s project centered around her family. She described him as “having a Bill Clinton thing going on. A magnetic personality that took him places and impacted those around him.”
His family wrote in his obituary, “To know Bill Ramsey was to know a man who loved his family, his hometown, and his state with all his heart. His legacy will live on in the people he mentored, the policies he shaped, and the lives he touched.”
He was married to Eva “Beth” Vaught for 64 years, and was a longtime member of Prairie Grove Baptist Church and, more recently, a member of Christ’s Church in Fayetteville.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Becky Ramsey Mehlburger and Brenda Ramsey Randle (David), both of Fayetteville; four grandchildren, Clancy Jones Semler (Quinn), Chloe Jones, Ramsey Jones, and Harrison Mehlburger; two stepgranddaughters, Hannah and Willow Randle; and his greatgrandson and namesake, William Sullivan “Sully” Semler.
Both Johnnie Marion Bolin and John William “Bill” Ramsey will be missed, but their remarkable legacies live on.
John William “Bill” Ramsey and his granddaughter, Chloe Jones, shared a love of photography. Ramsey was a professional photographer before going into politics.
Old Bridges and New Technologies
By Deborah Horn
Not all bridge failures make big splashy national headlines, or reroute thousands of vehicles per day, even every hour; some, like the preemptive closure on the Ark. Hwy. 37 two-lane bridge in Jackson County, are a mere inconvenience for far fewer.
On July 17, the Arkansas Department of Transportation officially closed the three-span reinforced concrete slab bridge, 48 feet long and 26 feet wide, that crosses a small backwater creek of the Cache River, about a mile south of Amagon. Traffic was rerouted. Structural defects were found during a routine inspection.
“The timber supports (substructure) had started to decay,” explained Andy Nanneman, Division Head, Bridge Operations Division for ARDOT.
Andy Nanneman is the Bridge Operations Division Head for ARDOT. ARDOT has approximately 12,800 bridges under its inspection purview, with more than half, about 7,350, owned and maintained by the department.
The bridge was built in 1951, and because of costs and the demands of modern traffic, the decision was made to replace it instead of repair it. ARDOT decided to use box culverts.
Bridges are generally constructed at a height of more than 20 feet, while culverts are built at less than 20 feet high over the obstruction. A bridge spans anywhere from 20 feet to more than 130 yards, while a culvert is typically not more than 20 feet.
Box culverts can drain massive amounts of water, far more so than regular pipes, and the installation is easier and more convenient.
ARDOT has 29 two-person bridge inspection teams that conduct approximately 6,800 bridge inspections annually.
After measurements are determined, the culverts can be ordered as “precast barrels,” allowing for the placement of multiple culverts positioned together.
This type of placement adds strength to the structure.
“A roadway can be built on top of the culverts, and it’s a less expensive option,” Nanneman said. It will cost about $500,000 to use box culverts on the Ark.
Old Bridges and New Technologies
Hwy. 37 bridge but Nanneman isn’t able to provide a completion date at this point. In fact, he added, the job will not go out for bid until the box culverts are ordered.
All Eyes on the Bridge
ARDOT has approximately 12,800 bridges under its inspection purview, with more than half, about 7,350, owned and maintained by the department. Not surprisingly, Nanneman said, “You’re always going to be inspecting bridges, finding problems that need to be solved…We conduct approximately 6,800 inspections annually with ARDOT bridge inspectors.”
This includes the routine, Non-redundant Steel Tension Member (NSTM), and underwater inspections. It also includes special inspections to possibly follow up on a maintenance, repair, or accident inspection in response to a vehicle collision with the structure.
It’s a big job, with 29 two-person bridge inspection teams, including five statewide ones that specialize in inspecting larger and more complex bridges.
“Because of a federal mandate, ARDOT has been inspecting all public access bridges since the 1970s,” Nanneman said. These include federally- and stateowned bridges, and they conduct inspections on and
In addition to a more traditional eyes-on-the-bridge approach, the use of sonar and lidar can offer inspections a more comprehensive picture of the bridge and its supports.
make recommendations to the state’s counties and cities.
ARDOT looks at the structure, general condition, and other possible issues. Because bridges are outside structures, sunk in water that causes erosion and salted in the winter, Nanneman said, “They have a hard life.”
To access the bridges, ARDOT owns 15 Under Bridge Inspection Units (UBIUs), which can cost up to $1 million for larger models, as well as 27 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), also known as drones. Thirtytwo bridge inspection team members hold a Federal Aviation Administration 107 License. This allows these ARDOT employees to pilot a drone.
“We also have one submersible ROV or drone to supplement underwater inspection efforts, and, Nanneman added, ARDOT has a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system that works similarly to the sonar system but for use above the water. One primary use of the LiDAR is to measure the underclearance distance of overpasses. This ensures vertical clearances are properly posted for routing over-height loads through the state.
ARDOT also relies on transducers, similar to an ultrasound, which is used when imaging a pregnant woman. An image of the baby is bounced back, but in the case of bridge inspections, where someone might be on a boat, kayak, or on the bridge above, the viewers can see channel blockage and other materials.
“We have personnel who are specially trained for
Old Bridges and New Technologies
this. Both can be hooked up to a laptop and watched live or imported for use by ARDOT’s engineering department. It gives us better data that can show how a channel changes from year to year. Images can be stitched together for a wider view.” All this is done under the watchful eye of an engineer.
All Boots on the Ground
Nanneman said there are different inspection requirements, including routine, non-redundant steel tension members, and underwater.
A routine inspection involves a scheduled comprehensive examination, consisting of observations and measurements, to assess the physical and functional condition of the bridge. It also identifies changes from previously recorded conditions. These are typically performed once every two years to document the condition of all components of the bridge and to list any possible maintenance needs or recommendations.
ARDOT performs an NSTM Inspection once every 12 months, despite the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requiring inspections at a minimum frequency of once every 24 months.
Arkansas NSTM examples include the Main Street Bridge in downtown Little Rock, the I-40 and the I-55 bridges, both crossing the Mississippi River into Memphis.
Underwater Inspections examine the substructure and the surrounding channel, which cannot be inspected visually at low water or by wading or probing, and generally require diving or other appropriate techniques. These are performed once every 5 years, and to supplement the underwater inspection process, ARDOT uses the multibeam sonar technology. While challenging and demanding, Nanneman said, “It’s a dynamic and satisfying job.”
Discussions about Growth at Good Roads Summer Meeting
By Joe Quinn
There is an old question sometimes discussed in the road-building world: “Do traffic volume increases follow new roads, or do new roads get built where there is already heavy traffic flow?” Communities with closed stores on the downtown square and declining school enrollment often say that a new road built through town will bring back the population. But is that really the case?
At the Arkansas Good Roads Summer Meeting in July in Hot Springs, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce president Randy Zook showed a slide that sparked a similar conversation.
In his presentation on the state of the Arkansas economy and hiring trends in Arkansas, Zook showed a slide that highlighted areas of the state with increasing population and regions experiencing serious
population decline. What’s clear is that if you put a straight line on a map of Arkansas from Jonesboro to El Dorado, the growth areas are almost exclusively above the line. The population decreases are below the imaginary line. The population trends are not random or difficult to track.
The data is a stark reminder that infrastructure needs vary widely from county to county and region to region. All of this is a reminder that thoughtful longterm planning is critical to putting road and bridge resources where they are most needed.
While the Southeast region of the state struggles with declining numbers, Zook pointed out that overall state growth numbers are strong: “Overall, the state population is up 2.5% over four years. We live in the 14th fastest growing state, and we have the 10th
(Continued on page 22)
Wayne Smith with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, who talks about nine million cars per year driving to Hot Springs.
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Zook talks about Arkansas’ growth trends.
highest rate of people moving in.”
ARDOT Director Jared Wiley walked the attendees through a busy year at ARDOT. From the groundbreaking of a new bridge over the Arkansas River at Barling to the overall expansion of I-49, to the construction of the Fallen Workers Memorial, and the plan to build a new bridge from Arkansas into Memphis, the department is engaged on all levels.
ARDOT also gave our members a demonstration of the work done by the team that inspects underwater sections of bridges. In recent years, sophisticated bridge inspection work has been brought inhouse, and the department has recently purchased a sophisticated boat with state-of-the-art sonar equipment to inspect bridges.
Our social event at Oaklawn was a great night. It framed a discussion that the racetrack and the Hot Springs tourism economy attract nine million cars a year. Hot Springs is second only to Branson, Missouri, in the number of tourists who drive to get there.
The summer meeting has become a dynamic opportunity for local leaders to spend time talking about their issues and challenges with ARDOT leadership and the Arkansas Highway Commission. From region to region in Arkansas, some infrastructure issues are much the same, and some issues vary widely.
Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton and Highway Commissioner Marie Holder.
Congressman Bruce Westerman speaks at Hot Springs meeting.
New ARDOT boat with sonar equipment to inspect bridges.
Highway Commissioner David Haak (right) and Scott McGeorge.
Advocating for Better Roads
100 Years of Advocating for Better Roads
Unique Find at Yard Sale: A Reminder of Good Roads History
By Joe Quinn
Danny Heidelberg has worked at ARDOT for the past eight years. His workdays involve managing rural transit programs that distribute federal funding to a six-state region. In his free time, he has what he calls a “shade tree hobby.” He loves rummaging through yard sales and a warehouse owned by an estate sale company. He collects what he calls “odd and unusual things” in a building behind his home.
Recently, he was in the warehouse, preparing to purchase some items that interested him, when he noticed a table with antique medals near the checkout area. As he looked through the random items on the table, he found a two-sided medal from the Arkansas Good Roads 4th Annual Meeting held in Fort Smith on June 13-15, 1906.
The dusty medal was a reminder that Arkansas Good Roads has been advocating for Arkansas roads and bridges for more than 119 years. The Fort Smith meeting was held 39 years before General Dwight Eisenhower came home from World War II full of ideas about what an American interstate system should look like based on what he had seen in Europe during the war. Good Roads was in business more than a century before electric vehicle charging stations started to appear in Walmart parking lots across the state.
It’s unlikely anyone at the 1906 meeting envisioned autonomous vehicles, electric cars, or trucks with sophisticated systems that alert the driver to problems ahead. Or traffic light systems that know when a pedestrian has stepped off the curb and alert drivers.
It is unlikely that meeting attendees in 1906 could have envisioned a federal infrastructure bill that allocated $4 billion solely to Arkansas. But while everything has changed in the past century, what hasn’t changed is the idea that communities and regions need to thoughtfully advocate for quality infrastructure in their part of the state.
If there was a specific point in time where the general direction of infrastructure development in Arkansas was defined, it was with the passage of the Mack-Blackwell constitutional amendment in 1952, which created the Arkansas Highway Commission. The change in how highway funding was allocated ended inconsistent road planning and frequent project failures that had occurred previously. The amendment was passed 46 years after the Good Roads meeting in Fort Smith, and for the past 73 years, it has worked to shield decisions about how road resources can be maximized from politics.
In recent years, one of the significant changes has been a shift in when and how groups like Good Roads, Associated General Contractors, the American Concrete Pavement Association, and the Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association talk about transportation issues. D.B. Hill, III, is a member of the Good Roads Executive Board. Hill says, “It used to be that we would all only come together and advocate for an issue when a specific bill was in front of the legislature that we either liked or did not like. Most of the bills that attracted our attention were about budget or funding issues. Between those bills, we mostly just existed.”
Like Hill, Shannon Newton is a Good Roads Executive Board member and a strong voice in advocating for quality roads in Arkansas. She also agrees that the advocacy work in general is not as narrowly focused on the budget as it once was. When Newton was named President of the Arkansas Trucking Association in 2014, there was one clear infrastructure priority in Arkansas: “Everyone was laser-focused on road funding. All the talk was about raising revenue. There was just not enough funding to manage the work that was needed.”
Six years after she took over leadership of the Trucking Association, Newton chaired the 2020 Issue
Advocating for Better Roads
“It used to be that we would all only come together and advocate for an issue when a specific bill was in front of the legislature that we either liked or did not like. Most of the bills that attracted our attention were about budget or funding issues. Between those bills, we mostly just existed.”
—D.B. Hill, III, AGRF Board Member
1 Campaign. The campaign to extend an existing sales tax and prevent a 30% across-the-board reduction in local road funding was assembled as COVID-19 began to impact the state and nation. It was a challenging time on all levels. Still, Newton says the campaign organizers had a strategy that worked, “A critical decision was made very early in the campaign when Governor Hutchinson began making fundraising calls. We were prepared with a defined message. Getting ahead of the COVID pandemic was a fortuitous move that ultimately paved the way to the victory.”
All the road construction firms, engineering companies, trade associations, and communities that supported the campaign banded together in a way that had not always been the case in previous decades. No one involved discussed the tax extension in the context of what their organization wanted. There was an unspoken agreement that a unified campaign based on the long-term needs of the state would always be more effective than what a specific sector of the economy hoped for.
While Newton chaired the campaign committee, Robert Moery was retained to run the day-to-day effort as campaign director. Moery agrees with Newton that a unified messaging strategy mattered a great deal. Moery says, “The transparency of the campaign was critical. From the start, we were very clear about what the money would be spent on and what would be lost if voters said no. That type of aggressive transparency gave voters confidence to support the measure.”
Moery, who owns a political consulting firm and
Advocating for Better Roads
is now President of the Arkansas Good Roads Executive Board, said, “Looking back, it’s clear that there was no internal tension in the groups supporting the effort, and everyone working together would help us succeed. The same old things always work; transparency and clear messaging lead to broad-based support.”
While the Issue 1 passage protected local road construction and maintenance funding, it also provided ARDOT with a long-term platform to develop statewide road strategies. One year after the successful Arkansas vote in November 2020, Congress passed a massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that included grants for rail, safer
“In 2014... everyone was laser-focused on road funding. All the talk was about raising revenue. There was just not enough funding to manage the work that was needed.”
Shannon Newton, ATA President
roads, more funding for ports, and supply chain upgrades.
The federal bill in 2021 significantly altered the landscape of infrastructure development in Arkansas, allocating $4 billion for infrastructure needs. This included $3.6 billion for highways, $278 million for bridges, and $100 million for broadband expansion in rural areas.
Issue 1 and the federal funding led to an abundance of new road projects, shifting the Arkansas conversation away from the decades-old debate over a lack of funding. Contractors were now focusing more on the challenges of finding the quality workforce needed to keep pace with increased business opportunities.
If there is an intangible in this discussion of highway advocacy, it is the shift in the relationship between ARDOT and the entities that build, finance, repair, design, and ship cargo on Arkansas roads. Hill points to a specific point in time where relationships shifted:
Advocating for Better Roads
“Looking back, it’s clear that there was no internal tension in the groups supporting the effort, and everyone working together would help us succeed. The same old things always work; transparency and clear messaging lead to broad-based support.”
“The industry and the department (ARDOT) get along much better than ever before. That started when Lorie Tudor was named ARDOT Director. Tudor brought people together in a new way, and it seems pretty clear after only ten months on the job that Jared Wiley is also fully committed to bringing people
Robert Moery, President, Arkansas Good Roads
together in a way that’s positive for the whole state.”
As we approach 2026, inflation is pushing the price of road work up, and the possibility of new tariffs has many private companies rethinking development plans. Conversations about blending needs and resources will always be part of the infrastructure dialog. Each year, the complexities and challenges facing the department shift, but more than ever, the effort to build a better state is driven by respectful conversations and a sense that working together is always more productive.
Bridging the gap between idea + achievement
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Arkansas Good Roads Annual Meeting
November 12, 2025
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Association of AR Counties 1415 W. 3rd St. Little Rock, AR 72201
Scan this QR code for registration & sponsorship information
Please join us for the Arkansas Good Roads Annual Meeting in Little Rock on November 12.
ARDOT Director Jared Wiley will talk about the 2026 issues facing the department. Multiple major projects are underway that will create jobs, improve driving safety, and boost the Arkansas economy.
We will also hear from industry leaders about the state of the economy and job climate in Arkansas.
This will also be a day to honor Bob Crafton, the legendary founder of Crafton Tull, who has contributed so much to Arkansas infrastructure development for more than 60 years. Bob has been a member of the Good Roads Executive Board for decades and has been a good friend to so many of us.
This meeting is always a unique opportunity to have conversations with key Arkansas infrastructure leaders as we move toward the new year.
Paving the Way for American Transportation and Infrastructure
By Bruce Westerman
Last week, it was a privilege to attend the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation’s annual summer meeting in Hot Springs. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, it was deeply encouraging to connect the work our committee does in Congress to the needs of our roads and infrastructure projects across the Natural State. This time spent with transportation industry stakeholders provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on the numerous accomplishments made so far within the T&I Committee.
For much of my career in Congress, a top priority has always been championing legislation to bolster our state’s infrastructure and transportation capabilities. In addition to these important initiatives, this year the T&I Committee introduced several pieces of legislation to increase transparency and accountability within government and federal agencies, improve much-needed disaster relief programs for communities across the country, strengthening the U.S. supply chain, deliver more employment opportunities for our veterans, introduced the PERMIT Act, and more. Coming down the pike, our committee is gearing up to shift its focus after the district work period to efforts regarding surface transportation reauthorization, which currently expires next fall. To curb a bloated bureaucratic budget, committee Republicans are going back to the basics – putting the focus back on our most fundamental infrastructure needs. A key element to securing this vision is to continue empowering states to make the best judgment call on their individual needs while limiting bureaucratic overreach and obtrusive federal red tape.
Next year, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which was signed by President Eisenhower. The Federal-Aid Highway Act came nearly half a century after Henry Ford built the first automobile and addressed numerous public and national safety concerns flagged in the wake of World War II. To this day, our nation’s Interstate Highway System connects Americans with travel and trade opportunities, fostering economic growth and providing rural communities with greater opportunity for easy access to areas that provide critical care and goods. Unfortunately, if this undertaking were happening today, the implementation of this project would be deemed nearly impossible due to frivolous red tape and an outdated permitting process which sets projects like this back decades.
It is important to reinforce the truth that America is a nation that builds, and when current legislation and outdated processes cut us off at the knees, preventing our nation from the ability to build and usher in modernized infrastructure – which our communities desperately need – America is sidelined, missing out on the opportunity to compete with the rest of the world.
House Republicans and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee must stay the course on paving a way toward a future of greater opportunity not only for the transportation industry, but our rural communities and our nation’s infrastructure. The work is just beginning, and House Republicans look forward to continuing to deliver results for the American people.
Arkansas State Highway Commission
Philip Taldo Chairman
Keith Gibson Vice Chairman
Marie Holder Member
David Haak Member
Jerry Halsey Member
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Join Us, Please!
Good Roads works with our members to tell the story of the need for funding and financing to help all communities develop, build and maintain roads and bridges. This drives the local economy and makes the roads safer for all of us. We have corporate and individual membership rates available.
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Arkansas Good Roads Foundation goodroadsfoundation@gmail.com
479-426-5931
P.O. Box 25854 Little Rock, Arkansas 72221
Moving Communities Forward
Arkansas Good Roads Foundation
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Roads are literal and metaphorical connectors. They provide essential delivery of our daily needs – they also lead us to the things that matter most. As Americans, we depend on them for our safety and for our livelihoods. At Ergon, we are proud to work in communities across America helping build and maintain vital infrastructure that connects us all to what matters most.