BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials hope to have some assurance from the state Highway and Transportation Department that repairs to War Eagle bridge will remedy any defects in the bridge before they undertake the work.
Bob Clinard, county judge of Benton County, has interviewed three engineering firms that responded to the county's request for qualifications seeking a company interested in doing the engineering work to repair or rehabilitate the bridge. He thinks any of the three can assist the county with the project, but he wants to meets with state officials first.
"That's a point of concern," he said. "Do we talk to the state first about what they'll accept? About how we can meet state laws and Highway Department regulations? My thinking right now is that we'll pick an engineer and go to the state and see what they're going to approve. If we get positive results from them, then we'll proceed with the engineering work."
County officials are trying to develop a plan to keep the historic bridge open to the public and repair structural defects identified by the state during periodic bridge inspections.
Clinard said he wants to avoid repeating what the county went through five years ago.
In 2010, Benton County spent about $642,000 to repair the bridge, accounting records show. The bridge was closed during the summer of 2010 while the wood decking was replaced and work was done on the bridge's steel supports.
Minutes of meetings in which the project was discussed show at that time it was expected the bridge could be kept for another 50 years.
The county had identified additional repairs in 2010, with a total estimated cost of about $1.8 million, but did not complete all of the recommended work.
A Highway Department bridge inspection report from October 2013 listed three deficiencies as category B, which should have been addressed within six months. The report listed another 10 deficiencies in category C, which are considered important, and five more deficiencies in category D, which are considered routine.
Those problems remain to be addressed. The county has lowered the weight limit on the bridge to 3 tons as a safety measure while officials consider how to proceed.
Kurt Moore, justice of the peace for District 13, said the county can't repeat the 2010 mistake of not fully repairing or rehabilitating the bridge. The county needs to do whatever it can to involve the state before the work is done to be certain the county's plans are adequate, Moore said.
Metro on 06/24/2015