The Arkansas Department of Transportation has temporarily closed its Central Office Tower as of July 1, 2026, after recent air quality tests detected unacceptable levels of asbestos particulates. The closure is a precautionary measure to ensure employee safety while further environmental assessments are conducted. Read more below.

Officials reported that independent air quality testing, utilizing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), was conducted between June 17th and 22nd. While ARDOT states they have regularly monitored the aging building’s air quality without previous issues, this recent round of testing revealed elevated asbestos levels in a small number of samples.

The department cited ongoing building renovations, which involve asbestos abatement procedures, as the probable cause for the elevated particulates. ARDOT stated that the building will remain closed out of an abundance of caution until any necessary remediation measures are fully implemented to guarantee a safe return to the workplace for employees.

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