LR span set to close for eclipse
Officials worried crowd would overload Junction Bridge
A sign posted near the Little Rock entrance to Junction Bridge says that it will be closed starting Sunday at 10 p.m. and re-open Tuesday, the day after the total eclipse.
The eclipse is set to bring an influx of tourists to Little Rock, one of the cities in the path of totality, and landmarks such as bridges may become hot spots for viewing. Realizing this, those in charge of the Junction Bridge decided to close for the day.
According to Mary Beth Bowman, who manages the Junction Bridge’s maintenance and repair projects, this is because of safety and logistical reasons.
“We’re only allowed to have so many people on that bridge at one time — about 2,500.” said Bowman. “[Being open during the eclipse] would require us having security and people counting.”
Since there are other dedicated sites for eclipse viewing, including several sponsored by the City of Little Rock, the Junction Bridge Board thought it would be safer to close that day, according to Bowman.
A board, made up of five volunteer members appointed by Pulaski County’s county judge, is responsible for the Junction Bridge. The board is separate from Pulaski County and the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock. All three entities provide financial support to the bridge.
Other bridges don’t have the same constraints as the Junction Bridge, which is located near the River Market area. Being a dedicated pedestrian bridge with an elevator currently under repair, it is especially difficult to accommodate a large amount of people, Bowman said.
“We’ve had a lot of problems with the elevator,” she said. ThyssenKrup maintains
the bridge’s elevator.
“We just had to replace four Plexiglas windows that were smashed due to vandalism. We just got them replaced two weeks ago,” she said. “We’ve had problems with rats eating the wires … we’ve got pest control out there.”
Bowman thinks that the elevator will be open very soon, but not in time for the eclipse.
“We thought it would make it difficult. Even though people could get on, they couldn’t go up. It’s harder for people in a wheelchair to go up to another level,” she said.
Missy Penor, the president of the board, says that being open during the eclipse presents a two-fold issue.
“As a structure itself, we have to monitor the number of people — from a poundage standpoint — that can be on the bridge at one time,” she said. “To allow that many people on the bridge, we would have to hire security guards and someone with a clicker … That’s something we really don’t have the resources for at this time.”
“Also, at this point in time, we are not ADA compliant because the elevators aren’t functional and that creates a hazard or risk,” Penor said. “We don’t want somebody to hurt themselves, and we don’t want anyone frustrated because they can’t get to the second floor.”
The other bridges in downtown Little Rock will be open, according to Penor. So will the Big Dam Bridge and Two Rivers Bridge.
The Broadway and Main Street bridges do not have the same capacity constraints because they also carry vehicles, but they do have pedestrian access.
The Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, a pedestrian bridge comparable to the Junction Bridge, will be open during the eclipse, and the library itself will be hosting its own event. Tickets and reserved parking spaces for the event are on sale at their website.
The pedestrian bridges in west Little Rock will be open to the public on the day of the event, says LaTresha Woodruff a spokesperson for the county.
Information about their pedestrian capacity was unavailable to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, but both bridges are notably newer than the Junction Bridge. The Big Dam Bridge was opened in 2006 and the Two Rivers Park Bridge was opened in 2011.
Being publicly run in a high traffic area and having an elevator that is open to the public present unique issues for the Junction Bridge, Penor said. According to her, they are committed to serving the public but it can be difficult especially during special events, like the eclipse.
“We also close the bridge down for holidays, when there are fireworks on the river. That’s also for safety reasons,” she said. This is not out of the ordinary, but what is out of the ordinary is that we are going to be closed for the whole day.”
Gates on both sides of the bridge will be closed for the entire day, according to Penor.