ARDOT Director Lorie Tudor announces retirement
Lorie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Springdale Northern Bypass and Northwest Arkansas National Airport connector projects.
Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) Director Lorie Tudor announced Tuesday (Dec. 3) she will retire effective Jan. 10, 2025. Tudor informed the Highway Commission of her decision in a letter dated Dec. 2.
“I’ve had a great career at ARDOT. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with a wonderful group of hard-working individuals who all understand the value and importance of serving the people of Arkansas,” Tudor said.
Commission Chairman Alec Farmer praised Tudor for her 41 years of service to the department and to the people of Arkansas.
“She has been a tireless and highly effective leader for the department. Her hard work and all-out dedication will pay off for many years to come,” Farmer said.
Tudor took over as the department’s first female director in March of 2020, and immediately faced the challenges of the COVID pandemic and the emergency closing of the Hernando de Soto I-40 Mississippi River bridge in West Memphis in May of 2021 after a fracture was discovered.
During Tudor’s tenure, Arkansans voted to make the temporary half-cent sales tax a source of revenue for ARDOT ensuring a stable and reliable funding stream. She also helped guide the successful completion of the Connecting Arkansas Program, which included 31 state highway construction projects, which helped modernize the state’s transportation system.
During her time as director, the department also secured funding and took steps for the construction of a Fallen Worker Memorial.
“This monument emphasizes how thankful we are for ARDOT workers and Arkansas Highway Police officers who paid the ultimate price,” Tudor said.
Tudor began work with ARDOT in 1981 as a clerk typist.
After 14 years of service, she left the department to pursue her engineering degree which she obtained from the University of Memphis in 1997. Upon graduation, Tudor returned to ARDOT as an entry level civil engineer in January of 1998 working in the Planning and Research Division.
In 2014, Tudor was promoted to the position of deputy director and chief operating officer. In March of 2020, she was named as the department’s director.
A search for her replacement is underway.