Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
West Fork to give historic Woolsey Bridge new home
Officials plan to incorporate it into the trail system
FAYETTEVILLE — West Fork is the proud new owner of a historic southern Washington County bridge that city officials plan to move downstream and use as part of the bike and pedestrian trail system.
Washington County and the state Highway and Transportation Department plan to replace the 90-yearold Woolsey Bridge, which spans the West Fork of the White River just south of West Fork, on Washington County 35. The bridge, which dates to around 1925, is part of the National Register of Historic Places and has been closed since January because of safety concerns.
“We have received notification from the AHTD-Environmental Division, that West Fork has been selected for retention of the historic Woolsey Bridge,” James Scanlon, public works director, said in an email to city residents. “We are currently working through the plan to keep the Woolsey Bridge in West Fork. With community support, our plan is to use the reconditioned bridge in the immediate area of Riverside Park as part of our sidewalk and trails system with the primary objective of connecting both sides of our community with a safe pedestrian and bike passage way across the river.”
The city will be working with government and private agencies to secure money to set the bridge just upstream from the Arkansas 170 bridge at Riverside Park.
West Fork had considered a suspension bridge for the trail, but the proposed million dollar price tag was cost prohibitive, Scanlon said.
Then the Highway Department offered the bridge to anyone who would take and maintain it.
“We pretty much had the plan, we just needed a bridge,” Scanlon said. “It’s a great opportunity. It’ll be a landmark that will draw people to the area.”
Scanlon said the Arkansas 170 highway bridge is too narrow to add bike and pedestrian lanes and officials don’t want school children and others using the trails on that bridge.
The Highway Department will reimburse the cost of preserving and moving the structure up to what demolition would have cost, about $90,000. City officials are working with the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad on a plan to move the two 150-foot spans by rail the two and one-half miles to the park.
Once on site, the bridge will be refurbished and new piers will be built. The bridge will be lifted into place and new decking will have to be installed.
Because of its place on the register, the Highway Department offered to donate the 300-foot structure to any organization willing to preserve and take responsibility for it, according to a letter dated Aug. 13. The bridge is one of five of its kind in the state.
“It pretty much had to go to a town and we’re the closest,” said Mayor Charlie Rosetti. “And it’s part of our heritage, so the Highway Department gave it to us.”
The bridge is no longer considered safe for vehicles, but such bridges in the past have been used as pedestrian walkways in public parks and fishing areas, said Diana Wilks, section head of cultural resources at the highway department.
“These bridges are a piece of our history, and if they can be moved and adopted to some use, then I think that’s just great,” she said.
Woolsey is among several bridges slated for replacement in the county. Unlike some of the other county bridges, the work is being done with help from the Highway Department. Survey work was done early this year, and the new bridge is being designed, said Shawn Shrum, the county’s assistant road superintendent.
Bob Scoggin, a program director with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, said the bridge was made in the twilight of an age when private companies designed and built unique spans.
“They were prolific in the early 20th century,” Scoggin said of the companies, adding since then governments have taken charge of, and standardized, the bridge-building business.