Ambulance crews this year may take longer to reach residents north of the Harvey Dowell Bridge east of Fayetteville.
A fire chief said his large fire trucks for years have traveled almost four times the distance to reach those same homes.
Washington County construction crews begin today preparing to replace an 87-year-old bridge. The one-lane bridge crosses the West Fork of the White River along Washington County Road 195, also known as Harvey Dowell Road and Molly Wagnon Road.
Round Mountain Fire Department crews travel 8.8 miles to reach residents 2.4 miles from their station on County Road 195 because the large fire trucks are too heavy, said Shane Wood, fire chief.
Medical calls were not a problem because ambulances could cross the bridge that has a 7-ton weight limit, Wood said.
Washington County plans to close parts of Harvey Dowell Road and Molly Wagnon Road today. The bridge will be demolished and replaced.
The county Road Department plans to spend between $400,000 and $500,000 to replace the bridge, said Shawn Shrum, assistant road superintendent.
Engineers designed the new bridge to be 177 feet long and 28 feet wide, Shrum said. The bridge is 174 feet long and 14 feet wide, according to data released last year by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
Motorists will see signs with today’s date stating the roads are closed.
“We'll take out the old bridge and then we'll start pouring our footings for our piers,” Shrum said.
Shrum said he expects crews will finish replacing the bridge by December, weather permitting.
Washington County property records list 21 homes on Harvey Dowell Road between the bridge and Wyman Road.
Wood said fire crews responded to a couple dozen calls to properties north of the bridge during 2012.
Frank Tiritilli, a Prairie Grove resident, stopped Monday afternoon to take a photo of the bridge before it’s demolished. His parents who live in Elkins drive over the bridge every Sunday on their way to church, he said.
Despite the fondness of crossing the old bridge, Tiritilli said he understood the importance for fire crews to have the capability to cross the West Fork of the White River.
“It's a well-known landmark for anybody that runs these roads out here,” Tiritilli said. “There's a lot of people that know it.”