December 2023 City Scoop: Little Rock
Little Rock
Chris Handley
Geotechnical Dept. Manager
Terracon
As is the case in numerous other metropolitan areas around the country, Little Rock’s busy construction market is having to adapt to the shortage of labor to fill critical positions while navigating material scarcities, says Chris Handley. At the same time, he says, the industry is juggling those issues while clients are voicing increasingly high expectations regarding cost, schedule and quality.
“The past year in construction in Little Rock feels like most folks are settling into and trying to understand the ‘new normal’ in a busy and demanding industry,” he says. “The challenges are amplified by uncertainties with the economic outlook on a large scale,” he says.
The new year, Handley predicts, will see key infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges, water resources, transmission lines and telecom infrastructure continuing to be prominent.
Additionally, Handley says, the boom in renewable energy is helping the capital city, with both solar and lithium extraction expected to continue to influence construction projects during 2024.
