The first of two twin arches for the new Broadway Bridge will be floated into place today, just a quarter of the way into the planned six-month construction period for the new Arkansas River crossing.
[WATCH LIVE: See the new segment floated into place as it happens]
If all goes as planned, the operation to move the arch from where it was erected on the north bank of the river beginning at 8 a.m. will be "quite a choreography of barges, tugs and manpower," said Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, which awarded the $98.4 million contract to replace the bridge.
The department said no additional roadway closures or restrictions will be required to move the arch into place. The river will be closed to traffic for 24 hours to "reduce the potential for disturbing the process," the agency said.
Onlookers shouldn't expect the operation to be as "visually stunning" as a series of explosions in October that helped fell key parts of the old bridge, according to the department.
"Members of the public are welcome to watch, but should be aware that this is a long process," the agency said in a statement.
The Massman Construction Co. team appears to be trying to keep a schedule of moving the arches into place by the end of the month before foul weather and high river flows will be more likely as winter approaches.
Today's operation is dependent on the weather, but the forecast suggests it won't be an issue. It is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of 73, a temperature uncharacteristically mild for this time of year in Arkansas.
The contractor wants to have both arches in place by Thanksgiving, Straessle said.
The arch being moved is downriver from the bridge site and, of the two arches, the one closer to the bridge site, Straessle said.
Moving the arch will be a colossal undertaking, given its size, dimensions and weight. The arch is 440 feet long and 94 feet wide, according to Scott Eldridge, the department's construction coordinator for the Broadway Bridge project.
The arch is 112 feet tall. The height of the entire structure, including the arch, is 178 feet tall from "normal water elevation," he said.
The entire structure weighs 1,600 tons, Eldridge said.
The arch now rests on barges, which will be floated to a point between two piers closest to the north bank of the river, Straessle said. Once the arch is in the position of its "final resting place," the barges will be filled with water, allowing them to slowly sink into the river and lower the arch onto the pier caps, he said.
Moving the arch into place is expected to take three hours, the department said. Another four hours will be needed to "properly align and lower the span," according to the agency.
The second arch won't be floated into place until two footings, including one on the south bank -- which are all that remain of the 93-year-old bridge that is being replaced -- are removed using explosives. When that will happen wasn't available Monday.
The six-month clock for the closure of the bridge to the 25,000 vehicles that used it daily officially began Oct. 1. Today will be Day 46.
Massman, based in Kansas City, Mo., was awarded the contract in September 2014. Work, much of it in the water building the new piers, began in January 2015.
Under the terms of the contract, Massman is required to close the old bridge, build the new one and open it to traffic on or before March 29, 2017.
The contract includes what is called an "incentive/disincentive clause" in which the contractor will earn an incentive of up to $80,000 per day up to a maximum of 50 days for every day it opens the bridge to traffic inside of the six months. Conversely, the company will be charged $80,000 a day for every day it exceeds the six months. The clause contains no limitation on the number of days the charge can be assessed, the department said.
The original bridge, which cost $971,000, opened to traffic in December 1922. Additional work was done on the old bridge in 1972. Two spans on the south end of the bridge were removed to make way for a wider navigation span when the Corps of Engineers developed the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.
The single, silver-colored arch that has become a widely recognized part of Little Rock's skyline was paid for by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at an approximate cost of $2.5 million. It was pulled down last month after it remained standing when a series of explosive charges failed to drop it into the river.
In its place will be a bridge that incorporates two basket-handle arches. The Highway Department had proposed just one arch, but Pulaski County committed an extra $20 million for the additional arch.
Metro on 11/15/2016