Jail Progress Slowed

We’ve heard that the progress on the Washington County Jail might have a severe case of “he said/he said.” r

Don Abernathy, a project manager with Smith Doyle Contractors of Memphis, said the jail’s projected Nov. 30, 2004, completion date will be met with time to spare. He says the project should be done by Sept. 24.r

Larry Young, project manager with Structural Systems Inc. in Tontitown (the general trades contractor on the project), said that he doesn’t see how it will be finished on time.r

“As the project begins to change and things change and more subcontractors appear on site to do their work, the problems will show up in different ways,” Young said.r

Abernathy said that Smith Doyle has weekly meetings with field crews and monthly meetings with project managers to monitor progress and concerns. Young said they’ve had three montly meetings in the last eight to nine months.r

“In all those meetings, we were handed a schedule,” Young said. “Sometimes they’ve acknowledged my responses and sometimes not.”r

When asked about how the schedule is determined, Abernathy pointed to Smith Doyle’s experience in managing many other jail construction sites.r

Both Young and Abernathy admitted that the main masonry company walking off the job on Oct. 1 was a set-back. There are now 30 masons, more than were orignally working on the job, catching it up to speed.r