Remainder of Bridge Demo to begin 

Posted Date: 01/17/2025

Remainder of Bridge Demo to begin 

Stacy Burge, the District 9 Engineer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, was the featured speaker at Rotary on Thursday, Jan. 16.

Burge spoke about various DOT projects in the area and locally and then added an update on the downtown bridge. 

Additional rock formations have caused some setbacks on the $9.8 million job. The completion date is set for April 2026, which is still the target. Burge said the company has done an excellent job on the project and is very pleased.

Burge explained the next phase of the project. West Plains Bridge & Grading will demo the remainder of the old structure adjacent to Central Ave. ARDOT announced Friday afternoon that the trail underneath that section of the bridge is now closed.

Motorists will be inconvenienced for a period of time while traveling East Central Avenue and that portion of Main Street where they intersect. East Central will be squeezed into two-lane traffic without a turning lane. Drivers turning onto East Central from Main Street will have a stop sign and have to merge into the flow of traffic when it is safe.

As the construction crew demos the remaining portion of the old bridge, they will need more space to work and keep motorists safe.

Thursday, DOT workers checked out the lights to ensure they would be ready for this change but will remain out of commission during this part of the demolition.