There may have never been a week like it at ARDOT. On December 3, city leaders and ARDOT officials gathered in the Clinton Library Museum parking lot to celebrate the largest road construction project in Arkansas history; a short time later, ARDOT announced that Director Lorie Tudor would retire in January.

As speculation began about who the Arkansas Highway Commission would select

as the next director, it was worth noting that in the past 52 years, there have only been five ARDOT directors. It’s challenging to think of any public or private sector organization with an average leadership span of ten years.

Tudor was smiling and relaxed at the parking lot news conference to discuss the completion of the 30 Crossing

Project in the heart of Little Rock. More than 120,000 vehicles use the major roads over the Arkansas River daily, which will only grow in the years ahead. The massive 30 Crossing Project was completed almost six months ahead of schedule and is an example of a seamless integration of design and building strategies. The cold, crisp day was a highlight of Lorie Tudor’s career.

A few hours later, the commissioners gathered for a dinner to recognize Alec Farmer of Jonesboro and thank him for his steady leadership as Highway Commission Chairman. Farmer accepted gifts from friends and colleagues with his daughters and wife beside him. He is a soft- spoken and kind leader who guided the commission through good and hard days with a steady hand. His father was on the highway commission years ago, so this work is a family tradition. Few families have contributed as much to Northeast Arkansas as the Farmers.

The morning after the Farmer going-away celebration, the commission members gathered for a regularly scheduled meeting and went into executive session. They emerged to announce that Jared Wiley would become ARDOT’s sixth director in 52 years.

Wiley started at ARDOT as an intern in 2005, and as his new role was announced, it was clear he would continue the tradition of thoughtful, unassuming leadership.

“I am humbled and honored by the trust the Commission has shown me. I commit to building on the legacy of cooperation and collaboration established by my mentor, Director Tudor. She has taught me and our staff many things over her 41-year career.

ARDOT is blessed with a great staff of dedicated public servants. The entire ARDOT team will continue to work diligently to improve Arkansas’ transportation systems’ safety, efficiency, and reliability,” said Wiley.

Wiley began at ARDOT as a Planning and Research Division civil engineer. Following an engineering career path, he advanced through several positions in the Planning Branch, where he oversaw the Department’s traffic count and roadway inventory programs before becoming a Consultant Coordinator in the Deputy Director and Chief Engineer’s office in July 2013.

Wiley was promoted to Assistant Division Head of the Transportation Planning and Policy Division in January 2014 and then to Division Head of Program Management in May 2015. In April 2020, he was promoted to Assistant Chief Engineer for Planning.

From there, he moved into his current position of Chief Engineer for Preconstruction in April 2023.

For Wiley and his team, 2025 will be a vibrant year. It will start with a legislative session as work continues on the I-49 expansion from Alma to

Barling, a new bridge over the Mississippi River, the completion of 30 Crossing, the dedication of a memorial to ARDOT employees who died while working, and the ongoing effort to make work zones safer for workers.

With Alec Farmer’s departure from the highway commission, Philip Taldo will take over as Chairman, and Keith Gibson of Fort Smith will serve as Vice Chairman. In January, Governor Sanders will announce who will succeed Alec Farmer on the commission.

At the same time, after Wiley moves into the corner office in January, one of his first personnel decisions will be who replaces him as Chief Engineer for Preconstruction.

To say the least, this is a transitional time at the department, but the culture and mission stay the same as the state continues to reap the benefits of $3.8 billion in federal road funding and the continuation of in-state funding made possible by the passage of Issue 1 in 2020.