Civil Engineering Division

Civil Engineering oversees design and construction of the city's infrastructure as well as providing information to the public and other city departments. Infrastructure includes streets, subdivisions, stormwater drainage facilities, and other capital improvements. Civil Engineering is divided into three sections: 1) public projects, 2) private development and 3) special programs.

Location

Civil Engineering offices are in the Public Works administration building located at 701 West Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201. The main number is 371-4831; fax number is 371-4460. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may also contact Civil Engineering via e-mail. Contact the Private Development Section at 371-4831. For general inquires about Public Projects, please call 371-4831, fax number 371-4460.

Public Projects Section

Public projects include streets, drainage, and other public facilities (exclusive of buildings) paid for by the City of Little Rock or other public funds and intended for public use. Sources of funding for public projects are capital improvement funds, federal Transportation Improvement Funds, and Community Development Block Grants.

Private consultants or in-house personnel design publicly funded projects within the City. In addition to project design, this team is also responsible for bidding projects for construction. Questions or comments about design of publicly funded projects should be directed to the Design Engineer at 371-4822.

Another team is responsible for insuring the project is constructed as designed and in a timely manner. Public Works personnel are usually on-site, and any questions or concerns about construction should be directed to those persons.

A kiosk, or informational board, is placed at each public project site to provide a brief project description, estimated timetable, funding sources and appropriate contact information. For questions about a public project's status, call the Programs Engineer at 371-4823.

Real Estate Services personnel acquire property for city facilities, right-of-way, and easement acquisition for public street projects, and documentation related to sale of city properties. Contact Real Estate Services at 371-6894.

The Special Projects Analyst coordinates application review for "franchises" (right-of-way use permits). Franchise permits are issued for private use of public property such as parking pads and irrigation sprinklers in the public right-of-way. These may be granted in exceptional cases. Other work within the public right-of-way is generally permitted through Traffic Engineering, 379-1817, especially if work involved requires a Traffic Control Plan (see Traffic Engineering Division).

Private Development Section

Private development includes projects funded by private commercial or residential developers with no public funds. Civil Engineering's Private Development Section is responsible for reviewing and approving all development plans and construction to ensure compliance with applicable city ordinances, including those related to floodplain development, stormwater management, boundary street improvements and land alteration. Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment agenda items are reviewed by the engineering team in Private Development, as are building permit applications. Private commercial or residential construction projects are subject to Civil Engineering inspections. Additionally, Civil Engineering is responsible for supervision of drainage, sidewalks, and street improvements within right-of-way abutting commercial and residential developments, and public projects. Civil Engineering maintains an information database which tracks citizen requests and concerns, and assists investigations determining need for infrastructure improvement. Questions about private development should be directed to the Private Development Section at 371-4831.

Stormwater Management

The City of Little Rock’s stormwater management program is a comprehensive program consisting of various program elements and activities designed to reduce pollutants to the Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP) and eliminate prohibited non-stormwater discharges through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater discharge permit.

Stormwater management refers to the development of programs and policies that preserve, enhance, or control the quality of stormwater runoff, reduce erosion, and prevent flooding. Our mission is to educate the public, and businesses (construction and other industries) on storm water pollution prevention related issues and permitting requirements respective to protecting our creeks, rivers, and lakes to improve our lifestyle, natural environment, and water resource use.

In addition, the Program includes enforcement inspections to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local storm water regulations as well as water sampling to detect and correct water pollution in Little Rocks’ creeks, rivers, and lakes. For questions about stormwater management please call Public Works at 371-4811, or refer to the links below.

The following links are provided for more information on stormwater management: EPA’s Clean Water Act, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) NPDES permit requirements, Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District (PCRSWMD) for proper disposal of household hazardous waste and motor vehicle fluid, Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) stormwater management program, and Little Rock’s stormwater management brochures: Commercial construction, Residential construction, Household hazardous waste.

Floodplain Management

Also the division provides oversight for the Flood Insurance Program including development permits for construction on floodplain properties, and excavation and erosion controls for projects within the City of Little Rock. In addition to oversight, the division provides a floodplain determination service, including copies of elevation certificates for the public, if available. Floodplain maps within Little Rock can be accessed on the web at gis.littlerock.org. For questions about floodplain regulations or floodplain development, please call the Floodplain Administrator at 371-4461 or 371-4817, or access the FEMA web site at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/floodplain/index.shtm.

Special Programs Section

The Special Programs Section of Public Works is primarily responsible for providing information to citizens, other divisions of Public Works, and other city departments. Special Programs includes Mapping & Graphics, Geographic Information Services, and public information.

Mapping & Graphics

Mapping & Graphics maintains up-to-date maps of the City of Little Rock. These maps include, but are not limited to, information on city limits, the city street system, subdivision properties, annexation, and capital improvement projects.

Mapping & Graphics also has responsibility for street address assignments. Addresses are assigned to new buildings based on a grid, referenced from the intersection of Markham and Main streets in downtown Little Rock. Correct address assignment is crucial for delivery of 911 services.

Adopt-A-Street

Mapping & Graphics also administers the Adopt-A-Street program. Adopt-A-Street is a program in which neighborhoods, businesses or individuals can "adopt" a street and pledge to keep streets clean by picking up litter. As of October, 2005, there were 162 organizations with 132.2 miles of adopted streets. The Adopt-A-Street program has many available streets for adoption. Adopt-A-Street helps keep our communities clean, and provides community involvement. Please call 371-4808 for more details.

Geographic Information Services (GIS)

GIS provides geographical representation of data in the City of Little Rock with a computer mapping system. GIS uses a graphical database representing most features that can be seen in aerial photography. This is used with other records and databases containing information about such things as the City's demographics, locations of various buildings, police and fire districts, and infrastructure for mapping and analysis related to needs of the City of Little Rock.

GIS has proven to be a useful management tool and allows Public Works to easily produce a large quantity of specialized information about the City of Little Rock. Public Works is a founding member of PAGIS, the Pulaski Area Geographic Information System, a countywide consortium with mutual interests in operation of a GIS.

Public Information

Special Programs coordinates public information programs for the Public Works Department. Information about Public Works services is disseminated to citizens and community groups facilitating a better understanding of Public Works, and encouraging citizens to use the wealth of resources the Department has to offer. Brochures, informational packets, this web page and the Public Works Resources Guide, both in printed form and online, are a few of the tools used for customer relations and public information.

Things You Should Know...

Public Projects

Civil Engineering is divided into three sections. Questions or comments regarding publicly funded projects should be directed to 371-4831. For private development inquiries, call 371-4831. Special Programs may be contacted at 371-4714.
Street resurfacing is planned according to need and the availability of funding. Streets meeting improvement criteria will be scheduled for resurfacing with the Public Works Operations Division as funds become available.
Requests to have potholes filled or ditches and inlets cleaned should be referred directly to the Operations Service Request Desk at 918-3600 or visit our E-Service web site. This will facilitate scheduling of these routine services.
Special regulations apply to areas within the floodplain. For information, call the Environmental Compliance Engineer at 371-4461 or 371-4817.
A Flood Hazard Area Development Permit is required prior to any development within the floodplain. Call the Environmental Compliance Engineer at 371-4461 or 371-4817 to obtain a permit application and information.
Questions about construction of public projects can be directed to the city inspector at the construction site or to Civil Engineering at 371-4823. Other appropriate contacts and project specific information can be found on the kiosk at the project site.
For questions about proposed public projects or projects currently under design, please contact Civil Engineering's Projects Engineer at 371-4822.

Private Development Projects

The City facilitates reporting of illegal stormwater discharges and improper disposal through the Service Request Desk at Operations (918-3600) or visit our E-Service web site. Potential impacts on water quality are referred to and investigated by Civil Engineering. Please call the Environmental Compliance Engineer at 371-4461 or 371-4817 for more information.
For questions concerning applicable construction regulations or permits for private development, please call 371-4831. Concerns or questions regarding construction of private development projects should initially be directed to the developer or the private inspector on site.
Drainage facilities are subject to certain city standards. If you have questions about storm drainage regulations, please contact Civil Engineering at 371-4831.
Subdivisions must be developed in accordance with floodplain, land alteration and stormwater management ordinances, and approved street and drainage plans. Call Civil Engineering at 371-4461 or 371-4817 for more details.
Questions or concerns about right-of-way widths may be referred to our Land Surveyor at 371-4871.

Special Programs

You can access the Public Works Resources Guide online.
Special Programs has a number of useful maps for sale at reproduction cost, including city limits maps, aerial photographs, and special purpose maps in hardcopy or digital form. Prices vary with product purchased. Please call 371-4537 or 371-4434 for a complete price listing.
The Street Index Book is useful for locating any city street within Little Rock. The book is revised annually and currently costs $7. Call 371-4537 to purchase one.

For More Information

Mike Hood, P.E. - Manager
Civil Engineering Division
701 West Markham St.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Office:(501) 371-4811
Fax:(501) 371-4460

For General Service Requests
Service Request Desk at (501) 918-3600 or the E-Service Website