ArDOT Road Crews:
Business as Usual BY DAVID NILLES
W
HILE THE COVID-19 VIRUS HAS FORCED MANY
“I would like to commend everyone for the way they have
ArDOT EMPLOYEES TO ADAPT TO NEW
stayed focused and kept such a cooperative attitude despite
PROCEDURES AND TO WORK FROM HOME,
the disruptions, the daily changes and the adjustments to the
DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION CREWS
way we’ve had to complete our assignments. I am grateful and
ACROSS THE STATE HAVE REMAINED IN THE FIELD DURING
feel privileged to be working with the people in our crew.”
THE COURSE OF THE VIRUS. “Our core responsibility remains to keep the highways open and safe, and our Maintenance crews are out on the roads daily to ensure that our highways can continue the safe movement of
District 9 Construction Engineer Mitchell Archer believes Resident Engineer (RE) crews and Bridge Inspection crews have done a fantastic job adapting to the changing guidelines related to the COVID-19 precautions.
people and goods,” said ArDOT Director Lorie Tudor. “To keep
“Our crews’ workloads have not really slowed down much,
our employees safe, we have had to change the way we deliver
so they have simply figured out how to handle it and still limit
that service.”
exposure as much as possible. They have had to learn new
ADAPTING TO CONDITIONS To guarantee the health and safety of employees during the COVID-19 virus, several policies and procedures have been implemented. Among them: • Hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes have been provided in all Department vehicles; • Travel was limited to one person per vehicle, or two
methods of doing business, such as scanned daily delivery tickets instead of paper copies. Crews are staying on the front lines without complaining. They are troopers!” In District 4, it has been business as usual, and then some, according to District Engineer Chad Adams. “Due to reduced amounts of traffic on the roadway, highway contractors are able to work hours that weren’t available previously to them. This means our RE Office employees
people wearing masks sitting diagonal from one another in a
have seen an increase in their workloads. Our Construction
quad-cab truck with the windows open;
personnel and Bridge Inspectors are to be commended for
• No overnight travel, day trips only;
adapting to the necessary health precautions and carrying out
• No self-service at Department fueling stations – only the
their work”
station attendants are to handle the fuel pump; • To the extent practical, employees keep six feet distance from one another; • Masks are worn when proper distancing cannot be maintained. Resident Engineer Joe Plyler in District 7 had this to say about the Department crews he works with.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD Highway construction projects are progressing as long as the contractors are able to work. "It is very important for our Construction oversight personnel to work with our contractors to ensure the quality of (continued on page 12) ARKANSAS HIGHWAYS MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
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