The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded more than $8.5 million to repair and rehabilitate three bridges in the Fort Smith area, members of Arkansas' congressional delegation announced.
The offices of U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and 3rd Congressional District U.S. Rep. Steve Womack said in a news release the grant award is made through the department's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery [TIGER] program.
The grant money will be used by the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad on the railroad bridge crossing the Arkansas River between Fort Smith and Van Buren and two bridges that cross Clear Creek in Crawford County. The railroad will match the department's grant with $5.7 million of its funds, according to a statement from the railroad.
The congressional members, all Republicans, said in statements that the grant will allow upgrading of infrastructure to send and receive goods and improve safety and efficiency.
"The highly competitive TIGER program recognizes projects that will have a significant impact on a region, metropolitan areas, or our country as a whole, Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in the release.
Under the project, rehabilitation and modernization work on the Arkansas River Lift Bridge will be done on many of its structural components, along with electrical and mechanical systems controlling the lift span, the news release said.
The lift span is a section of track that is raised by a counter weight to allow river traffic to pass.
Timber trestle bridge approaches to the Clear Creek crossings near Chester will be replaced with concrete structures that will improve their safety and reliability, the railroad said.
While the railroad will use the money, Fort Smith applied for the grant on the railroad's behalf because a public entity had to make the application, Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman said.
Carloads traveling over the bridges carry commodities important to the region's economic vitality, such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, food products, grains, iron and steel scrap, lumber, metals, and paper and glass products, the railroad said.
State Desk on 03/08/2018