Woolsey Bridge closed indefinitely
Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/57082/
A historical Washington County bridge was closed Tuesday due to safety concerns and could be permanently closed depending on the availability of funds to repair or replace the bridge.
County Judge Jerry Hunton said Woolsey Bridge, located on Washington County Road 35 south of West Fork, will be closed until further notice.
A recent inspection found critical deficiencies in the steel truss bridge built in 1925.
County Administrator John Gibson said the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department performed a routine inspection on the bridge Monday and recommended closure.
“ The state can’t close a county bridge, but they can certainly advise us that it would be wise to do so, ” he said.
The bridge is a suspension bridge, one of only a few left in the county, Gibson said, and the steel that holds up the base has rusted out.
He said it will cost about $ 1. 2 million to $ 1. 5 million to fix or replace the bridge.
At this time, he said, the county is studying the bridge and looking at its options.
“ It’s up for debate, ” he said. “ This is not the only bridge that needs attention. There are others that need attention as well, so we have to factor that in. ”
The number-one priority for the county is safety, Gibson said.
“ It’s about 100 feet from the top of the bridge to the White River, ” he said. “ We certainly don’t want anyone falling that far in a car and getting hurt. ”
The closure may be an inconvenience to some people who travel the bridge regularly. Those people will have to travel through the city of West Fork via McKnight Avenue.
Although the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Gibson said, that does not prohibit the county from replacing it with a new bridge. But that doesn’t mean the county is going to replace the bridge either, he said.
“ We’re going to study the bridge a little more and find out what we can do, ” he said. “ Safety is our main issue. ”
Gibson said there are not many people who live on the county road itself but a number of people may travel on the bridge.
“ It will have an impact on the community, ” he said. “ We really did not want to close the bridge, but it was time. ”
Other bridges in the county with historical significance include the Baptist Ford Bridge on County Road 1194, the Harvey Dowell Bridge on County Road 195, the Orr Road Bridge on County Road 67 and the Tilly Willy Bridge on County Road 69.