§251. Contracts for projects

A. All projects for the construction or maintenance of, or improvements to, highways or other public facilities under the control of or advertised and let by the Department of Transportation and Development shall, except as otherwise provided in this Part, be undertaken only under contract.

B. Every contract exceeding the contract limit, as defined herein, for construction, maintenance, or improvement of a department facility under the provisions of this Part shall be made in the name of the department and shall be signed by the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or his duly appointed designee and by the contracting party. The contract limit for this Part is hereby defined to equal five hundred thousand dollars. No such contract shall be entered into nor shall any such work be authorized which will create a liability on the part of the state in excess of the funds available or which will be available for the project.

C. Every contract for the construction of or improvements to highways shall include a warranty by the contractor as to the quality of materials and workmanship for a duration of three years. The Department of Transportation and Development shall implement the purposes of this Subsection and shall submit a report on its implementation of the warranty requirements to the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works no later than July 1, 1998.

D. There shall be established by the Department of Transportation and Development a cash management plan which shall to the greatest extent possible effectively and efficiently utilize the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the department to assure the timely construction of projects. The department shall submit a report on its implementation of the cash management plan to the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Highways and Public Works and to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget no later than July 1, 1998.

Amended by Acts 1977, No. 291, §1; Acts 1997, No. 555, §1, eff. July 3, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1112, §1, eff. July 14, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1329, §1; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 161, §3, eff. May 7, 1998; Acts 2001, No. 563, §1; Acts 2007, No. 386, §1, eff. July 1, 2007.