Two weeks after winter storms dropped several inches of snow and ice on Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, the state highway department Wednesday acknowledged efforts to clean up the mess were unacceptable and frustrating.
In response to criticism over how roadways were cleared following the snowfall, Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department Director Scott Bennett released a statement Wednesday, saying, “We did not achieve desirable or even acceptable results in some areas as our crews worked to clear highways during the recent winter storm.”
Bennett went on to say, “We are aware of and frustrated by the unsatisfactory conditions that persisted too long in some areas. We also know situations like this create perceptions that can only be addressed by improving the results we achieve, and that’s what we intend to do.”
The director said road crews are not to blame, as many of them worked extra hours away from their family to help clear the roads. He instead blamed a lack of “proper tools to address these storms,” saying Arkansas’ status as a southern state with a mild winter climate keeps it from obtaining the necessary equipment to deal with winter weather similar to what dropped on the state two weeks ago.
“We must make sure we utilize the resources we do have available to the best of our ability,” Bennett said in the statement.