Spanker Creek bridge replacement to start soon

NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY A sign at the Spanker Creek Bridge near Bella Vista shows it will soon be under construction. Benton County about to hold construction meetings on the bridge's replacement and work will close the road for six months or more. Which will detour school traffic and drivers who use the road as a shortcut between Bella Vista and Bentonville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY A sign at the Spanker Creek Bridge near Bella Vista shows it will soon be under construction. Benton County about to hold construction meetings on the bridge's replacement and work will close the road for six months or more. Which will detour school traffic and drivers who use the road as a shortcut between Bella Vista and Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials say replacing Spanker Creek Bridge should begin soon after months of delay.

"That's imminent," County Judge Barry Moehring said of the project, which could close the bridge for up to nine months. "We got the bids and awarded the work to Crossland Heavy Construction. We should have a preconstruction conference in the next couple of weeks. At that time, we'll get a more detailed work schedule."

Bridge plan

Benton County has a five-year bridge replacement plan in place running from 2018 through 2022. The county is working on new bridges for Spanker Creek Road and Wagon Wheel Road. Other bridges on the list include Osage Creek, Cow Face Road, Robinson Road, Coon Hollow Road, Columbia Hollow Road, Stoney Point Road and Honey Creek.

Source: Benton County

The county has been planning to replace the bridge on Spanker Creek Road, just north of its junction with Benton County 40, for several years, Moehring said. Acquiring rights of way delayed the project for several months.

Flooding damaged the bridge in April 2017 when the creek topped it and washed away the asphalt, leaving the concrete structure exposed. The pavement was replaced as a temporary measure. The county plans to replace the 8-year-old bridge.

The bridge is a 60-foot span on six box culverts. The new bridge will span 102 feet and raise the approaches on the north and south, according to the county.

The county estimated the replacement at $1 million. The bid from Crossland came in at $443,943.

Moehring said the county has been working with Bella Vista and the Bentonville School District to detour traffic. Bella Vista Mayor Peter Christie said the route from Bella Vista to Bentonville is used by thousands of motorists daily.

"We're putting together an informational package for Bella Vista residents, or anyone who uses the bridge," Christie said. "It's still going to be difficult."

Christie said drivers use Spanker Creek Road to avoid traffic congestion on Bella Vista Way through Bella Vista. State and county traffic information Christie provided show the daily count on U.S. 71, at the Arkansas-Missouri border was 23,000 in 2017. U.S. 71 is Bella Vista Way through Bella Vista. Just south of Mercy Way, the count increased to 41,000.

He said the daily traffic count on Benton County 40/West McNelly Road was 9,700 in 2017. A Road Department traffic count this year as part of the bridge replacement showed the count about 10,500. Spanker Road connects to West McNelly Road, which connects to Bella Vista Way.

Christie said the city has asked the Arkansas Department of Transportation to install more traffic lights on Bella Vista Way, but no improvements will be considered until after the planned bypass around Bella Vista, meant to connect Interstate 49 from Arkansas to Missouri, is completed.

"The bottom line is there really is no way to ease the traffic congestion on U.S. 71 until the bypass is completed," Christie said.

The bypass project has no completion date. At one point Missouri had money set aside and Arkansas didn't, so Missouri used the money on other projects. Then, Arkansas voters passed a sales tax in 2012 dedicated to road construction, including I-49 improvements. Now, Arkansas has the money set aside and Missouri doesn't have enough.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission applied for a grant in July from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development grant program. Jeff Hawkins, executive director at regional planning, said if successful, $25 million would pay for most of the construction of 4.5 miles of I-49 in McDonald County, Mo. That would, in turn, allow the Arkansas Department of Transportation to complete the remaining 14.1 miles in Benton County.

Benton County has another bridge replacement similar to the Spanker Creek project planned for Wagon Wheel Road just west of Springdale. The bridge has become more heavily traveled as the city has grown to the west.

The county earmarked $250,000 for engineering work on the Wagon Wheel Road bridge this year and next, with $200,000 coming from the federal Surface Transportation Block Grant program and $50,000 coming from the county.

The county's preliminary estimate puts the cost of replacing the bridge at $1.5 million. The one-lane bridge was built in 1975. The road is 18 feet wide and the bridge is 60 feet long. A replacement will be at least 34 feet wide, with the span to be determined during the design phase.

Recent traffic counts on the bridge show about 1,500 vehicles use it daily. There are alternative routes available to and from Arkansas 112 east to Springdale on streets north of Wagon Wheel Road.

The county did some maintenance work on the bridge this summer, shoring it up until it can be replaced, Moehring said.

The engineering could continue into 2019, according to the county. Once that's done, Moehring said, the county will have to reapply for the grant program for construction costs. He said the competitive application process will take most of 2019 and, if the county is awarded the money, construction would likely begin in 2020.

Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse said the project is important to the city.

"We certainly support it," he said. "I know there's been some money approved to make that project happen. It is an important connection for many of our residents."

NW News on 09/30/2018

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