ALC-Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee

He's a quorum of the highway commissioner you advisory committee. The we will begin the. With the report on the progress of each highway under construction for ten million dollars or more If you would the state your name and. Who you're with and you're welcome representing. Thank you Mr chairman committee members on Randy Orton deputy director chief operating officer for the department transportation of the host and bring regress from our director Laurie tutor who's out of state today not able to be here or else you all know she would be here in front of you today so with that being said we submitted to you are quarterly report of projects that are under construction ten million dollars or greater and be happy to entertain any questions or comments you have. Any questions for members. Senator Hammer. Afternoon or any of. Can you tell me on the I. thirty project initially County. Can you tell me if the contract where the contractor is as far as the calendar dates or where is it in the report is that one in here at yes Sir it is in there okay Mr chairman all right can I bring up some support help. NO. Come come every met. This Is Senator Hammer I believe that's on page seventeen seventeen yes Sir state your name and you're welcome. Thank you recommence deputy director and chief engineer. Okay shall look at the chart the explain The up behind Errol. Going to use a seventy. All right Pitsch. With the high energy shows they are they've been assess said five percent of the time. a lot to the project and have completed approximately forty five percent or I'm over here by the post okay they are that are you can hide thank you. The and I know that's difficult project we had to three meetings on it down there I understand that what about the what about the damages that are assessed and are they going to be awarded any additional dates to the contract to be awarded a more time to the contract dates of their or. I believe to. Appeals that they have under consideration right now. Of the we're still looking at the the. The third General fails or not that they're the ones that they have submitted for additional time been denied. Have been denied yes okay and you know what attempt would you know what they're current total damages are as far as any damages that have been assessed because of delays on their part they have not been we don't assess damages until actually reach the estimated completion date so they have not been assessed damages it to date. We won't thereof until the forty in the property for their actually assess damages will begin at that point you we begin to withhold payments. Okay all right thank you Sir. Senator mark Johnson. Thank you Mr chairman of. The store of this is a kind of a similar situation question is what Senator Hammer S. but this is about by the highway ten just west of four thirty someone wrote into the my have my and the Democrat Gazette and described going through that area as an autocross. And I actually fifty years of school so go actually did all across so I can tell you it was not as challenging is going through that area and and I I understand sometimes I'll have to create things like that but about how much longer are we looking in that area between four thirty and say I guess that's a Rodney Perim lie there and I know it's it's construction goes further out than that but that's the very circuitous stake a lack confusing area so I can you just give us a ballpark on that one and how it's coming all right thank you for those of you want to follow along we're on page thirty two in the in the document here as you can see that we've already accepted about sixty percent of the work and they've use just over fifty percent of the time so from that perspective they're progressing quite well now there will be more traffic pattern changes coming up as the job progresses so will be changing the road course over there if you want to use that money autocross dialogue but that project is actually going quite well that is one of our alternative delivery projects it's a construction manager general contractor CMG C. job in the it is got about one year left a little over a year left before it's totally complete so maybe summer of twenty three yes Sir six okay yes well it's I know it's going to be great because that's been a serious traffic areas just to keep getting bigger and bigger but it's this one is a little I mean I I feel for Senator Hammer constituents down on I. thirty ACT that would sometimes is scary this one is more annoying but I appreciate the fact that we're we're coming along so thank you very much thank you Mr chairman thank you senator. Senator Rice. Thank you Mr. Read I just wondered because. Surcharges and and Transportation costing anything related to affect and everything I haven't heard anything how is that affecting your. Structuring projects and also has it affecting your agency do you have a kind of overview that because I would guess it's of significant. Yes it is obviously the the projects that we already have under construction it has less of an impact on those because we have signed contracts in place we are concerned about upcoming projects the prices are escalating that will affect you know how much money. We have to spend to get the proper amount of work done as for the agency itself obviously with the size of the fleet that we have we we do burn quite a bit of gasoline and diesel on our own and we by that fuel in bulk and we are seeing I forget Danny Keane are equipment procurement division it gave reporters here just a few weeks ago on that and the I forget the percentage increase that he quoted at that time but it is a rather significant increases we're seeing so the cost of doing business is definitely going up. Thank you I just remember to be mindful of that because it it's everywhere thank you thank you thank you senator. Representative fight. Thank you Mr back on I. thirty. A. The bill that was a hundred eighty seven million dollars what was a second bid on that the second what was billed. Representative will have to get back with you on that I don't know off the top of my list someone can look it up for us while we're here maybe we can have it before the end of the meeting okay okay my my next question is a of the liquidated damages is around seventy seven thousand dollars a day is that correct yes Sir that's that's once they exceed the contract time okay in if the finish early it's seventy seven thousand dollars is that correct. At the same I instantly yes Sir okay. And the. If you can find that out on the second bit I appreciate that mind if you'll indulge me Mister chair I have another question on highway five one eighty three project. That is two years behind right now and I notices solely three percent change orders in that project right there. Of and utilities I am relocating utilities is the line cost this two year delay in this without the proper and saying that. Yes Sir thank Rison utilities are discovered once the contractor was on site that had not been previously identified. Do they do the utilities made at the beginning of the contract and get updates in which they will move out of the of those utilities relocated. Yes Sir. Is there anything that binds them to have it done in that time period that they say no Sir. Okay thank you Mr so questions I have. Senator Pitsch. Thank you Mr chairman of Randy the on the take off candidate had put Senator out on page forty five. I think I'm dealing with an easement situation is the light that's going on on TV three not only can you update me on that for my constituents. You information. Thanks forty five. Or what was question well we're so far behind I mean we're six percent and we've used over fifty almost fifty five percent of the time and I think with the meetings I've been and it's been an easement situation that was part of a delay but I want to verify that for constituents who might be wondering. Mayors and other forms one thing we have the though there was another project that was scheduled to follow this project and I believe we're going to change order that work actually into this contract to at least not finish this one and then begin another one so we are going to do that but there have been some utility issues eleven right of way issues there we dealt with the city on that issue I know you're very familiar with us it's that one we've talked with with that thank you Sir my latest as you have an understanding on where that's going to go correct or not. That is correct sample on ice like the usable life from my standpoint anyway right do we have any is it are we going to see quite a bit of movement on this here in the not too distant future yes Is that is if it's okay let us get some more detailed information on that project get within specifically will be happy to share with the entire committee if they so desire but let us get some more details for you if you don't mind. Senator Clark representative McElroy. Thank you senator who or to give me a big hit. Ready I will tell you from the bottom of my heart I think of what you're doing in Southeast Arkansas I know I was county judge everybody wants some nobody ever says thank y'all are paving the road in front of my house is so smooth I stepped out of my car forty mile island but when it unless it is the. And the best part about the mail man couldn't one of the construction going on could put my mail out and they put my bills in the sisters mailbox thank you appreciate. I guess I should say thank you representative. If you are considered some rumble strips on either side of his house. Senator Hammer thank you Mr the On the on the highway five Project. You it's it's going to be let here that has a highway five Project been let from where where it finishes up and we're goes back all the way into been when's it gonna be let. Now that is not been let yet seems we can get it estimated date the fill the gap. Yeah late next year about fifteen months away the C. eighteen months from now. Okay to awarded at what point are you going to. Get the utilities involved to make sure that those are moved out of the way. Yes they should be involved right now okay they are okay and then on the Garner springs down into Spring County overlay when when is that going to be let. I'm not mistaken we just order that that contract the I. thirty project Geyer springs to sling County. What we just awarded that contract will be getting that work that we majority night time work I'm sure you're familiar with the payment situation there its situation what I S. R. it's getting this deteriorating rapidly it will not be a total reconstruction is not going to should not cause the traffic interruptions that these other projects to and like I said the majority the lane closures will take place overnight okay and that I was asked to date how how long are you anticipating that project take place so it's not going to be a a daytime and night time relations strictly a bill then I time it will be off peak so there could be some daytime evenings and weekends but the majority the work is to be done overnight. Okay. But I'm sure you saw about this but a lot of times that traffic from where it is right now is backed up all the way in front of. It was backed up all a conger road sometime so um. Just a just action be mindful on that please that's a that's a project we thought about for a long long time because we've got the other I. thirty project under way we've got thirty crossing going on downtown it's not an ideal time to undertake something like this but some things can't be can't be delayed yeah what we preach we appreciate to get done now thank you thank you. Randy eller more than welcome to back up traffic in northeast Arkansas. Senator Chesterfield. Thank you Mr chair thank you gentleman I'm looking at so what you're doing on one sixty one. And also on the thirty crossing I would be remiss if I did not at least bring up the portion that deals with my particular district on the thirty crossing fees and the one sixty one which also has ramifications for my area could you enlighten me more on exactly where you are on one sixty one are you in the make out much area are you further north or south or east or west of that yeah that's a project is not in this book correct right that's a project that we did work through proto junction up to Fairfax and have that work completed and will be dropping that from the state highway system in this county will be taking over we have another project planned to go under the under way from Fairfax all the way north of the Jacksonville city limits as you're aware of that project we were ready to go to contracts in the county judge came in want to partner with this you want to do some more extensive work then we were able to do the scope of work and so since they're gonna be taking that project over we're going to drop it from the system of the county will be doing that work okay we'll not talk to the judge right now that's that's a good way to do it tell me more because I had the experience of trying to access six three the other day. A well you wrong county city tried six three different town. Thank you made my winded my way through that but tell me a little bit more about the ninth street bridge if you would and and exactly some of those challenges that we're we're dealing with right there so that I can update my constituency that is a project of this magnitude requires many many changes and as you as you know we we close down the ninth street or pass we tore down one weekend we have rebuilt it and we have opened it back up to traffic the same weekend we opened nine street to traffic we shut down the six tore out six street so The challenges I have ordered to to explain to people to take a little extra time if you're going to the downtown area I will say I'm a native of this area it is still a confusing to me if I don't follow the signs are I must commend the the team that is down there and they have done some very good trail blazing to find your way around of that doesn't make it easier. but it is something I believe we've got about fifty eighteen months twelve but no less than a year before we get six street opened up again okay and we are on time with the project that project is moving along quite well it is a massive project it's of the contractor the team that's out there stays very very busy of the big. Actually the big benchmark we're looking forward to is moving traffic over onto the new bridge later this year Ridge juicy paving taking place on right now that's that's actually half of what will be there in the end the plan is to get their traffic the traffic over under that new payment later this summer that point will be able to remove and demolish the existing I. thirty bridge and begin constructing the other half thank you thank you Mr thank you senator. Representative image. Thank you Mr chair over here. Hello and thank you all for the ninth street Bridget is pretty nice so my constituents I live downtown so I'm talking about the I. thirty project of. The make art the park bridge the pedestrian bridge to lights are out and I've got a lot of complaints about this a safety issue at night can you tell me I called energy needs at its nine a purview I think City of Little Rock this niner purview. Are those lights out because of the construction you doing on the I. thirty crossing project that is correct is my understanding that that pedestrian overpass is eliminated through the high mast lighting which has all been disconnected for this project there will be lighting obviously once it gets done but throughout the construction there is no I'm as lighting in that area. Okay all right thank you all right I'll have one more question for you allow me when do you think the Broadway Exited B. fannish the on the north little rock son. Well I don't know the actual sink would think of that can we get back with you on that I don't want to give an answer that I don't know for sure okay thank you all right. Senator garner would you get back in the queue we missed a missed you somehow. Thank you Mr chairman as we know right now we have record. Hi gas prices affect nearly seeing our cans and across the state I know that many states including the State of Arkansas as discussed the suspension of the gas tax which I believe is way too high in the State of Arkansas is kind of a river relief to average our Kansans as they go about their day to day with record inflation and numbers other issues with any of that if that became a reality in Arkansas affecting these projects or they already paid for how how would that happen if we did a suspension of are extremely high gas tax or the state of Arkansas all right thank you senator you would it would in practice there's no doubt about that I don't know I have not heard how it would be handled at the state level there was discussion on on suspending the federal gas tax in the proposal there was to suspend the gas tax but to replace that revenue would general revenue so that would not have affected our federal revenue stream I don't know how it would be handled at the state level well that's not a bad model considered Arkansas has what a billion dollar surplus mean I had the reality between the state government having more money or average or cans and get a little relief at the pump I know what I would choose would that be a model that or dot would accept if we did move for the spin and gas tax I don't I don't know this program may contact con comment on any specific model but are consideration would be cash flow thank you we would need to continue revenue. Representative right. Thank you thank you Mr chairman AJ for a long term rail from the plant told I five five five which is one thirty five highway there's two bridges there that are in terrible condition and we really can't put the equipment on education but I've noticed that over one sixty three that there was one lane work at a time with a red light that's temporary that can be pulled down. And I sure wish we can get this fixed because all of the Northeast Arkansas that's actually in the Jonesborough areas is going toward Memphis is taking that road one thirty five to Memphis each morning and this is for very bad it's really dangerous and the school bus uses that road to. Yeah I'm very familiar with those bridges in the and the issues that we have specially those concrete joints I don't know what we're going to one sixty three of the top of my head but we can certainly look into that and we'll get back with you on will that be a viable option I don't know. Please R. J. O. say this March the that one lane that's being used with that red light is a perfect deal especially for those bridges it cannot hold heavy equipment yeah thank you thank you representative. Representative car. Thank you Mr chair so I just have a quick question for you on a job be B. zero nine zero three it's on the page twenty eight of your hand out so I know this job takes place at the interchange of the highway forty nine and also walnut road Rogers so I notice it looks like it's very close to completion and as there's a there's a sign there for the on ramp it looks like it just has sand bags on it looks like you guys are ready to move it plan it permanently I noticed on your a project you got eighty percent of the work accepted almost all the time to complete a ninety eight point five percent as characters not close our and when you all think you can get that done I'm sorry represent what what page did you say that Page twenty eight on on the hundred ten pages it's actually job B. B. zero nine zero three. On I. forty nine yes Sir. Highway seventy when they're injured permits. Sorry our pages are number different in your house okay. United parcel twenty eight. Can. That's another way that they know that we had we had right of way issues on okay and then there were some I'm sorry. Yeah the licensee's utility issues on that one as well that again that came up after the fact after the contract was awarded we are on on on track to have that completed this year so we're we're happy about that and I'm sorry I was looking for pages and I'm not sure if I got your specific without you dead to okay yeah it's gonna be great when it gets openings walnut backs up quite a bit right now so we're we're excited about that interchanges going to this is it's a design is going to help traffic flow we think tremendously in that area after I sure appreciate the work you are doing on that thank you represent car. President of makes. I'm way over here thanks are really easy quick question looks like the four thirty bridge work is getting close to completion you'll have a final date on when the four thirty virtual wrap up ideas were. I we've had some delays on the some of the software has been ordered with everything else is backed up but it is nearing completion I don't know exactly we get that the okay that matter probably by summer time would be hope so mid summer. You know what it's looking good so let the speakers how soon we might get back to normal now thank you that that kind of goes back to some of Senator Rice as regional questions about employ impacts this one has to a supply chain. Senator hill. Over here. On page forty eight Randy's work where I'm at on the highway three sixty seven eighty nine. In Cabot which is three point three point two miles is taken almost well it will have taken three years to go three point two miles want to said and done in my concern with this one is one which will get it done I think it's gonna be great but right now strawberry season unless you know how serious that is in Camden Arkansas. In the traffic right through there and I don't know if you've heard and some individuals that have to have the bill Maher okay up in my my concern with this one now is once this is done everything's gonna be good and great is the road getting to this role will have one heck of a road to travel on get get Cabot get through there the bypass but it's so the road that are connecting into that one that are really in serious need someone to help. So I'd like for you ought to put that on your books take your gas check that one out. It's highway three twenty one continues on impact of actually telling you earlier when your daughter goes work I'd like to order start driving down that road we get it fixed thank you senator bill appreciate it thank you Sir. I see no other questions nobody. All right yeah. Okay. Okay of. Carroll County I have a a one lane bridge is actually called up ilk re age. A elk ranch road. And now originally I was told it will start construction on that and this past November I met last year. H. Elkridge a hill road is raised is this is that a section of highway one eighty three one eighty seven one eighty seven I mean I'm sorry one eighty three is and Bryant yes this is Carol. I haven't heard any more about that and know quite a few could state your it's been it's it's really in bad shape. All right let let us check into that give back the representative bro okay thank you all right. Seeing no other questions. we will move on to the next item. A review of the LC efficiency study recommendation rules for implementation. Randy all right you are welcomed all right thank you Mr chair of. Let me back up just a little bit reminds you kind of how we've got to this point you know following the adoption of the guide House review study by legislative counsel back in November twenty twenty the next step for our dot was for us to develop rules on how we would implements those thirteen recommendations over six focus areas we actually presented our first draft of those rules to this committee at your September fifteenth meeting last year we've provided your hard copy at the end of the meeting so was not a discussion topic at that meeting but we came back November seventeenth meeting has some discussion about our proposed rules following a November seventeenth meeting then we were able to go out for public comment we advertise this set out for public comment to the majority of all of December and part of January through that time we only received two public comments both regarding record a recommendation number six was is to implement a construction contractor performance measurement if you look on page twelve of hopefully this page twelve of what we provided to you. That is recommendation number six. And you'll see the changes that we have there the comments that we got we are creating a contractor performance evaluation committee it first we had that entire committee made up of are not representatives we received comments from the contracting community asking that they be represented on that committee and we believe that's a good idea and we're in the process of naming to from the contracting committee to be on the contract for the valuation Committee now this committee will not be evaluating contractors another words we won't have contractors evaluating other contractors this is the committee that oversees the development the long term implementation and overall management of this recommendation so we felt like that was an appropriate change to make Mister chair I'll be happy to pause right here to see if anybody has any questions regarding that rule change. Questions from members. Seeing none all right thank you if you now join with me looking at the monthly update that we submitted to you you can see the picture of the cover on the screen in front of you it's dated April twenty first so now that we have the guide House study complete we have our recommendations from the study we have our rules on how we plan to implement those recommendations A. L. C. rules for this subcommittee say that we will provide monthly updates on our progress of implementing how we're doing implementing those rules so if you'll turn to page a couple of pages on that document you'll see a table of contents that lists out all thirteen recommendations over the six focus areas Flippo over I don't know couple of pages click to page three was like a recommendation number two recommendation number two UC takes up the top of the page the top of the page is right out of the recommendations from the guy House report that was adopted by a LC strength and knowledge management anticipation of increased retirement right below that you'll see in red words as rules below that in black type is what we are proposing that we have proposed and we're using is the rules to implement that. What you will see in green is what we're going to add new each time now this is our first time to submit this to you so there's quite a bit a green type in this one because we've been keeping track of some of these things we had in progress during the guide House study while it was going on so they've been going on but everything in green is what you see is new so our plan is to. I think it's in black and white the green is the real lack. Real light print all right. That's the very good observation because one thing we wanted to do today was to understand if this was a good format a good process and if we're dealing with black and white we need to change. We do not have the study loaded on the computer I apologize. But. But are but we can certainly do that from now on if it's committee would like that. Okay. Yes but we will take that in consideration of what you get is a black and white version of and we'll see if we can't delineate the new information but our plan is to submit this you know we are we will continue to do the quarterly report on projects of ten million dollars or more and now we will begin submitting this report monthly and and every time that we submit it the what you see in green in this report will show up as black next time and is won't go away so you can always go back to refer to it but anything new that's added will be shown in green each time so that's the plan that's that's our proposing suggestion would be happy to take feedback from from the committee on the if there's a better way to do it. Sir Chesterfield you have something. As I look at page five in. Page four and from. That the assistant chief seems to be doing quite a bit. Do you have several assistant chief source only one first no we we have for assistance so we have three assistant chief engineers one for design one for operation for planning and we have assisted chief for administration so I see the assistant chief engineer for planning is dealing with the the issue of number one final as a KPIs and implement format and then you have the assistant chief administration for recommendation number two and three and then you have that also for recommendation for so I'm just wondering if this is one of the same person or. Is the assistant chief that we do have we wanted to keep a high level of oversight on these recommendation on how the implementation is doing with the appropriate assistant chief the divisions building beneath that assistant chief will be the ones implementing those recommendations so the system chief of planning is shared widely is here today assistant chief for administration is Kevin Thorton he's here so that's that's the way we have structured so that is one of the same person for recommendations two three and four we have the assistant chief for administration that is correct all right and then on five you have the deputy director and chief engineer and assistant chief administrative that is correct. That person feel a bit over low or. Can they handle that that's a really really good person can really handle it yes ma'am I thank you Mr. Is there any other questions. Mister five could very quickly I'd like to point out of that fail to do this at the beginning I may be in trouble we have one of our highway commissioners Marie older from here in Little Rock here with us today so just wanna make sure you are recognized that. Thank you for being with us today. I'm sorry Mister chair if I could real quick yes a representative fight I believe asked about the second low bid on the I. thirty project of the low bid of course that we're going with that is under way is about a hundred eighty seven million dollars a second little bit was three hundred and three million. Hendrickson five yes okay so so in that project right now we're looking at best I guess about seven million and liquidated damages. That's. Okay that is the estimate testament they're not there yet but yes it appears the number of days if I did I did my math right I did with the calculator so I'm confident. I thank but that between that and the second bit is a pretty huge mine money. And so did did you all see any. Cerner that big a divide in it right there. Knowing that you could not give it to that second bid that is correct every bit every bit that we receive on every project goes through a very thorough review to make sure that all the items make sure the contractor's bid the product project properly and there are times the contractors make errors and they do submit a bid that they cannot fulfil but this bid was reviewed and it was determined to be a good bit. That it was. Possible practical for them to complete that projects the way they bid. I thank you Mr I just want to point out the difference between and actually the savings to the state I think thank you. Three other questions from members. There's no question consider this item reviewed your any other business to come before the committee. Saying none We are adjourned.