Politics
Little Rock City Council Passes Street Rehabilitation Ordinance, Directing Repairs to Central Wards
The July 7 vote allocates $8.2 million to fix 35 miles of streets in Wards 1, 3 and 5 while deferring work in other districts until at least 2028.
How we reported this
The Little Rock City Council approved the Street Rehabilitation Ordinance on July 7 by a 7-4 vote, sending $8.2 million in remaining federal recovery funds to pavement work on 35 miles of streets in Wards 1, 3 and 5.
Effects on Local Transportation
Residents who drive Asher Avenue, Roosevelt Road and portions of Baseline Road will see crews begin milling and resurfacing this fall. The ordinance lists 22 specific segments, including the stretch of Asher between University Avenue and Interstate 30 and the full length of Roosevelt from the Arkansas River to Interstate 440. Public works records show these corridors carry an average of 18,000 vehicles per day.
Commuters who leave downtown for jobs at the Clinton National Airport or the Port of Little Rock stand to gain shorter travel times once the new asphalt is in place. Delivery trucks serving grocery stores along those routes will also face fewer pothole-related delays, according to the city’s March 2026 pavement condition report that rated 28 percent of local streets below fair condition.
Households in Chenal Valley, West Little Rock and the neighborhoods around Pinnacle Mountain receive no new funding under the ordinance. Their main arterials remain on the deferred list, which the public works department projects will not receive attention before the 2028 budget cycle.
Budget Details and Timeline
The $8.2 million figure comes directly from unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars tracked in the city’s 2025 year-end financial statement. The legislation requires the money to be spent by December 2026, which is why the council scheduled the bidding process to open on August 1.
City engineers estimate each mile of resurfacing will cost $235,000 based on 2025 contract prices. That calculation leaves no contingency for additional sidewalk or drainage upgrades outside the listed corridors. The next council meeting on July 21 will review the final contractor shortlist before bids are released.