Construction workers move materials near the site of the underground walkway at the Arkansas Capitol on Nov. 15, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
The construction of a $3.6 million underground walkway that Arkansas lawmakers approved last year is nearly complete, putting it on track to be ready for the upcoming legislative session in January.
The underground walkway connects the Capitol to the nearby Multi-Agency Complex building, commonly known as Big MAC. The two are roughly 50 yards apart down a steep hillside.
From above, the road behind the Capitol covering the tunnel has been paved, and freshly painted parking lines border the nearby sidewalk. A portion of the road, however, is still blocked from general access. Crews also recently laid fresh sod in the surrounding area.
Subsurface, workers are currently installing elevators, flooring and the ceiling grid, said Marty Garrity, director of the Bureau of Legislative Research. Per renderings Garrity provided, the tunnel is expected to be painted in a light color and include wooden elements and dynamic lighting. It looks similar to the Capitol’s basement.
During session, lawmakers often trek from the chambers and meeting rooms in the statehouse to two well-used committee meeting rooms in Big MAC. The building also houses offices for legislators and other state employees, including those with the Bureau of Legislative Research.
Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, recently told the Advocate that the tunnel will provide a number of benefits once completed.
“Session is in winter, and we deal with a lot of inclement weather,” Hester said. “From something as basic as staff traveling from building to building — and they travel … sometimes with thousands of pages of printouts — we just think it’s for safety as we’ve had staff fall over the past years. For efficiency, I think there’s going to be a lot of benefit.”
Hester said he didn’t know if the general public would have access to the tunnel, but he also noted that there aren’t many areas in the Capitol and on public grounds that are restricted.
“Once it’s completed and we see how it’s functioning and where members’ offices are, we will make a determination,” Hester said regarding public access.
Arkansas legislators OK construction of underground tunnel on Capitol grounds
Garrity said it is her understanding that the walkway will be open to the public with Capitol police responsible for security.
For most of the last year, the area between the two buildings has been surrounded by blue fencing to shield the work of Little Rock-based Kinco Constructors LLC. Many legislative committee meetings have been held through the sound of jackhammers and other construction noise.
Garrity said Kinco has done a “great job of managing the project,” and she didn’t report any notable issues over the last year.
The construction of the underground tunnel was planned in tandem with a $4.5 million project for a mechanical room for a new air handling system to cool the north end of the Capitol building. Lawmakers cited savings if the projects were done together because of the need to dig up the same ground.
Brent Stamp, director of Capitol facilities in the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, said the mechanical room was completed without any construction issues to report.
Previous attempts to fund a similar tunnel project were unsuccessful as officials voiced concerns about it being an unnecessary expense. In 2009, lawmakers approved $1.8 million for a 100-foot tunnel project, but then-Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, said the project was unnecessary and refused the funds.
Likewise, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last July told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that she was concerned about the need for the project and its cost. After lawmakers approved the construction contract in August 2023, Sanders noted their authority to do so.
“If legislators feel this is a needed upgrade to our Capitol that uses taxpayer dollars responsibly, then they have the ability to move these improvements forward,” she said at the time.
Lawmakers will convene for the state’s 95th General Assembly on Jan. 13.
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