Highway officials to answer ice-storm questions

LITTLE ROCK — An Arkansas legislative committee is scheduled to hear from state highway officials about their response to a winter storm that left drivers stranded on icy interstates in eastern Arkansas last week.

A joint meeting with both House and Senate members is set for Tuesday to hear from Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department Director Scott Bennett. Arkansas State Police director Col. Stan Witt is also expected to attend the hearings and answer questions.

Lawmakers requested that the transportation committees meet after motorists were stuck in standstill traffic on Interstates 55 and 40 in eastern Arkansas.

Gov. Mike Beebe has criticized the transportation department's response to the winter weather and said it wasn't acceptable that other states cleared their roads faster than Arkansas.

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