BENTONVILLE -- Benton County will begin two major bridge projects this month, including replacement of the Corinth Road Bridge.
Jeff Clark, county public services administrator and head of the Road Department, said work on a new bridge for Corinth Road will begin Jan. 25 and is scheduled to be done by June 3.
The bridge, which spanned Limekiln Hollow Creek in northeast Benton County, was washed away by a flood on Aug. 8, 2013, Clark said.
The lack of a bridge has meant a 10-minute detour, he said. The county didn't have to do a traffic count as part of the design work to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to replace the bridge, but Clark said an estimated 50 vehicles cross the bridge daily.
Replacing the Corinth Road Bridge has taken longer than usual because of changes needed to meet state and federal regulations, County Judge Bob Clinard said. Marshal Watson, county emergency services administrator, said a new bridge can't be built as the original bridge was in the 1940s or 1950s, which complicated the FEMA approval process.
"FEMA is here to assist you in returning your community to pre-disaster conditions," Watson said. "In this case, we can't technically rebuild that bridge in the same style that was there and still have it meet current standards. That changes the scope of the work completely."
The cost to replace the bridge will be $483,767, he said.
"It's not a major bridge for the county, but for the folks who live out there, it's major," Clark said.
The bridge will be 43 feet long and 23 feet wide. The bridge surface will be 5 to 10 feet higher than the old bridge to reduce damage from any future flooding. Raising the height of the bridge would necessitate raising a nearby roadway, as well, Clark said.
Clark said the county had to seek a waiver from state requirements that the bridge be built to withstand higher-recurrence flooding.
The old bridge had a pier in the middle, and the new design is for a span that's open through the middle of the creek bed to reduce flooding damage, Clark said.
"That should alleviate a lot of problems with sediment building up and debris hanging up in the middle of the bridge," Clark said.
The second bridge project will replace the Stage Coach Bridge over Spavinaw Creek in the Gravette area. Construction is set to begin today and end May 27.
The bridge ties Arkansas 72 to Mount Olive Road and is estimated to carry more than 500 vehicles daily. The county will close the bridge and post detour signs, Clark said.
The new bridge will be 33 feet long and 24 feet wide. The replacement bridge is expected to cost $389,811.
The old bridge was still passable but has been deteriorating for years and requires more and more maintenance and repair work, Clark said.
"It's been patched for many, many years," he said.
Pat Adams, a Benton County justice of the peace and chairman of the county's Transportation Committee, said the county also will continue to work on a project to repair the century-old War Eagle Bridge.
The War Eagle Bridge will be discussed when the Transportation Committee meets Thursday, Adams said.
"We'll know more when we hear from the Great River folks," Adams said. "I truly believe we're going to be able to reopen the bridge and make it usable."
Metro on 01/18/2016