Closed bridge hit by boat over Arkansas River east of Fort Smith reopens

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/DAVE HUGHES
A towboat prepares to pull Arkhola Sand & Gravel’s dredge barge from Lock and Dam 13 at Barling after one of four spuds that are lowered into the river to anchor the barge, standing askew at right, struck the underside of the Arkansas 59 bridge Thursday morning. The bridge was closed to traffic for about two hours and was reopened after Arkansas Department of Transportation engineers inspected the bridge.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/DAVE HUGHES A towboat prepares to pull Arkhola Sand & Gravel’s dredge barge from Lock and Dam 13 at Barling after one of four spuds that are lowered into the river to anchor the barge, standing askew at right, struck the underside of the Arkansas 59 bridge Thursday morning. The bridge was closed to traffic for about two hours and was reopened after Arkansas Department of Transportation engineers inspected the bridge.

A bridge over the Arkansas River near Fort Smith has reopened after a dredging boat hit the span on Thursday morning.

A spokesman with the Department of Emergency Management said it happened before 9 a.m. and that the Arkansas 59 bridge in Barling remained shut just before 10 a.m. An Arkansas Department of Transportation crew was expected to inspect the integrity of the span to see if it can reopen to vehicle traffic.

NW News on 07/20/2018

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