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Committee passes bill to streamline utility relocation for highway projects statewide
Summary
The House Transportation Committee passed Senate Bill 492, a negotiated bill that creates scheduling, communication and relocation procedures for utilities affected by Arkansas Department of Transportation projects and applies statewide to RDOT projects.
State Representative Robin Lunstrom, District 18, and Senator Bryant, District 32, presented and the House Transportation Committee passed Senate Bill 492 on a voice vote after brief questions from members.
The bill, Lunstrom said, was negotiated with “at least 30 people from the highway department [and] all the utilities” and aims to make “the highway process or building a highway in Arkansas much a cleaner process.” Senator Bryant told the committee the measure began in February 2023 and grew out of contractor and commuter concerns in multiple districts.
The legislation restructures how utilities are relocated on large highway projects by setting communication protocols, scheduling requirements and agreed penalties intended to keep projects on time and reduce costs. Senator Bryant said the negotiations produced a compromise that preserved municipal-government flexibility while addressing private-utility concerns: “communication was key,” he said.
Representative Whitaker asked whether the measure applies to water authorities; Senator Bryant replied, “Yes.” Representative Barry asked whether the initiative is statewide; Senator Bryant said it applies to “Any RDOT project statewide on their infrastructure.”
Representative Lunstrom closed by thanking the participants and asking colleagues for a favorable vote, saying the bill would “help get our construction projects moving along a little bit quicker.” Representative McElroy moved to pass the bill; the committee approved it on a voice vote.
The bill’s text was discussed as the product of multi‑party negotiations including the Arkansas Department of Transportation, municipal utilities and private utility representatives. Committee members noted the measure seeks to address long‑standing coordination problems dating back to earlier practices referenced during discussion as having existed “since 1970.”
The committee recorded the motion and passage by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was given in the hearing record.
