Arkansas

Top Three Infrastructure Concerns:

  1. Roads
  2. Bridges
  3. Wastewater

Key Infrastructure Facts

  • 25% of Arkansas’ bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
  • There are 103 high hazard dams in Arkansas. A high hazard dam is defined as a dam whose failure would cause a loss of life and significant property damage.
  • 21 of Arkansas’ 406 dams are in need of rehabilitation to meet applicable state dam safety standards.
  • 5% of high hazard dams in Arkansas have no emergency action plan (EAP). An EAP is a predetermined plan of action to be taken including roles, responsibilities and procedures for surveillance, notification and evacuation to reduce the potential for loss of life and property damage in an area affected by a failure or mis-operation of a dam.
  • Arkansas’ drinking water infrastructure needs an investment of $3.54 billion over the next 20 years.
  • Arkansas ranked 14th in the quantity of hazardous waste produced and 34th in the total number of hazardous waste producers.
  • Arkansas’ ports handled 13 million tons of waterborne traffic in 2005, ranking it 33rd in the nation.
  • Arkansas reported an unmet need of $4.8 million for its state public outdoor recreation facilities and parkland acquisition.
  • 32% of Arkansas’ major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
  • 39% of Arkansas’ major urban highways are congested.
  • Vehicle travel on Arkansas’ highways increased by 58% from 1990 to 2007.
  • Arkansas has a $160 million backlog in highway maintenance needs.
  • Arkansas has $408 million in wastewater infrastructure needs.

Sources

*Survey of the state’s ASCE members conducted in September 2008

Deficient Bridge Report, Federal Highway Administration, 2008.
National Inventory of Dams, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2008.
Drinking Water Needs Survey and Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency, 2003.
National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report, Environmental Protection Agency, 2007.The U.S. Waterway System Transportation Facts, Navigation Data Center, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, February 2007.
2007 Annual Report, Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program, National Park Service.
TRIP Fact Sheet, March 2009.
Grading the States ’08: A Management Report Card, Government Performance Project, Governing Magazine.
Clean Water Needs Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, 2004.