A virtual public meeting will be held by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) Thursday, May 20, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on the proposed design for replacement of a low-lying, one-lane bridge over Leatherwood Creek on Hwy. 187 with a two-lane bridge. People will have 15 days after the meeting to provide comments on the proposal.
ArDOT said replacement of the one-lane bridge has been considered since the 1980s. The bridge leads to the back entrance of Holiday Island and the town of Beaver through Elk Ranch. ArDOT has said it will keep the one-lane bridge open during the two years it is expected to complete the project.
ArDOT District Engineer Steve Lawrence, Harrison, said they will build one half of the new bridge right beside the old bridge, move traffic to that half, and then tear the old bridge down and build the other half.
“The old bridge is in serious need of replacement,” Lawrence said. “In addition to being a one-lane bridge, structurally we have to pay close attention anytime it floods. We have had to do a lot of work on it in the past.”
In 2015, a local man was swept away and drowned after driving his vehicle over the bridge during flooding.
An issue that has been raised is that because this project is going to be federally funded, they have to use federal design standards. That means two lanes that are 11 ft. wide each with six-ft. shoulders on either side, and then some embankment space.
Concerns were voiced that a new, modern bridge would take up quite a bit of land on either side of the bridge for approaches. Those whose land has been in their family since the 1820s could be affected. Properties in the area include homesteads, a Civil War cabin and unmarked graves.
Lawrence said that, to his knowledge, no homes or historical resources will be destroyed.
“We have an environmental division in Little Rock,” he said. “Anytime we have a project, extensive investigations are done to see if we are impacting anything of a historic nature. If so, adjustments are made as far as trying to make sure it is handled correctly and nothing is lost in the construction. We go to great lengths to address that.”
The environmental division will also be reviewing environmentally sensitive areas around that bridge to protect the resources.
Ruby Johnson, public involvement section head of ArDOT, said they are still in the early stages of the environmental process and hope get bids for construction in 2022. Currently, ArDOT is working on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that requires agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed major federal actions prior to making decisions. The project will be 80 percent federally funded.
“We’re in the NEPA stage so it is still in the early stage,” Johnson said. “The document is not complete. We are taking comments on the proposed design.”
Information on the project can be found at ardot.gov under the Events Feed ribbon at the top of the page. It is titled “Live” Virtual Public Involvement Meeting – Highway 187: Leatherwood Creek Structure & Approaches – Job 090549. Some residents were unable to access additional information at the website on May 17, but that could have been due to problems with Cox internet service. Some Cox customers have had increasing difficulties with accessing the internet or Cox phone service since the February winter storms.
Johnson said that internet availability is a concern of ArDOT, but staff will be available after the meeting to answer any questions.
“Internet has been an issue throughout this whole pandemic,” she said. “We are trying to get the message out as best we can. You can also visit with district staff to review design plans. We want to engage with citizens and mayors if they have questions. At the virtual meeting, citizens will have the opportunity to engage with ArDOT’s staff. They can utilize the Webex chat function and raise a hand to ask a question. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the website. We will try to do what we can to make sure everyone is informed.”
She said the purpose of the public involvement meeting is so citizens will see exactly what the department is proposing and be free to comment on the proposed design. “We are hoping citizens will be able to the attend meeting or review project information on department’s website,” Johnson said.
The Elk Ranch Bridge leads to a landmark suspension bridge in Beaver. That bridge is not scheduled for replacement, but the bridge will be closed Monday mornings through Thursday afternoons starting May 24 to continue replacement of the wooden decking.
More information about the bridge replacement can be obtained by calling Lawrence at (870) 743-2100.