Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) is a government
department in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound intermodal transportation system for the user. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems within the state such as with aid to individual county road systems. Its headquarters are in Little Rock
.
AHTD and the Nebraska Department of Roads
are the only state transportation agencies in the United States whose name still refers to "highways" or "roads"; most others are now known as the "(name of state) Department of Transportation" after the U.S. Department of Transportation. The "Highway" in AHTD's name is largely required by the Arkansas Constitution
which created the Arkansas Highway Commission as its governing body; the Constitution still calls it the "State Highway Department", but the legislature added "and Transportation" to its name in 1977. Many people in Arkansas continue to call it the "Highway Department" to this day.
, which is covered by District 6.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
department in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound intermodal transportation system for the user. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems within the state such as with aid to individual county road systems. Its headquarters are in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.
History
Originally started as a commission of three elected officials in 1913, the agency has since expanded over the years to include a director and five commissioners appointed by the governor as well as its powers to include full oversight into the planning, construction, and maintenance of Arkansas roads.AHTD and the Nebraska Department of Roads
Nebraska Department of Roads
The Nebraska Department of Roads is the state government agency charged with building and maintaining the state and federal highways in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The main headquarters of the agency is located in Lincoln, the capital city...
are the only state transportation agencies in the United States whose name still refers to "highways" or "roads"; most others are now known as the "(name of state) Department of Transportation" after the U.S. Department of Transportation. The "Highway" in AHTD's name is largely required by the Arkansas Constitution
Arkansas Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arkansas is the governing document of the U.S. state of Arkansas. It was adopted in 1874, shortly after the Brooks-Baxter War replacing the 1868 constitution that had allowed Arkansas to rejoin the Union after the conclusion of the American Civil War; the new...
which created the Arkansas Highway Commission as its governing body; the Constitution still calls it the "State Highway Department", but the legislature added "and Transportation" to its name in 1977. Many people in Arkansas continue to call it the "Highway Department" to this day.
Administration
For administrative purposes, AHTD has divided the state of Arkansas into 10 districts supervised by district offices along with 85 county area maintenance headquarters and 31 resident engineer offices located across the state. Most districts cover multiple counties. As a state agency, its central offices are located in Little RockLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, which is covered by District 6.
Current projects
- 2007-2010 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
- 2007 Statewide Long-Range Intermodal Transportation Plan
- 2006 Needs Study and Highway Improvement Plan
See also
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- List of roads and highways
- State highways in Arkansas
- Arkansas Transit AssociationArkansas Transit AssociationThe Arkansas Transit Association provides services for more than 200 members, consisting of public transit systems and agencies, non-profit human service agencies, related commercial businesses and vendor associate members....