Lake Bella Vista dam closed; bridge planned

A rainy May has washed out the Lake Bella Vista dam and led officials to close the path across it, though a new waterway crossing is planned and construction could begin this year.

Bentonville Parks and Recreation director David Wright said that, while the city is waiting for judgment in an ongoing suit with Cooper Communities before taking any action on the dam itself, a new bridge will be needed regardless and will allow park users to cross Little Sugar Creek on the north end of the lake sooner than if the city waits for the case to conclude.

After May storms, he said, engineers examined the dam and concluded any measures taken to make it usable by pedestrians will be temporary and unlikely to last the next significant rain.

A proposed bridge that will be installed a short distance north of the existing dam can proceed regardless of the direction the lawsuit takes the city and will be far less susceptible to floodwater damage, he explained.

“It will ensure that … any time it does flood in the future … the trail will stay open,” he said.

The creek crossing is expected to cost Bentonville between $600,000 and $800,000 and is currently in the design stages, he said. It is expected to tie into a Razorback Greenway extension that was completed in 2018, he added.

Design and architectural firms will make sure geotechnical studies, permitting and other necessary work is done to generate construction drawings and documents for the city to go to bid with, he said.

The design will also be vetted to ensure the bridge does not cause increased flooding, he added.

“They’ll take all the precautions that they need to,” he said.

Wright said he hopes to have construction started by the end of the year.

The bridge in question will be a prefabricated piece, meaning the construction firm will mostly be handling footings before the bridge is placed with a crane, he said.

Using a prefabricated bridge will help keep the project’s costs down, he said.

Wright said that, while he understands the park is less usable because of the inaccessible dam, he hopes to have this issue resolved soon.

“We understand there’s an inconvenience for the trail users out there and we’re doing everything we can,” he said.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Gates are closed and signs are in place letting potential trail users know the Lake Bella Vista dam crossing, which was severely washed out last month, is currently closed and a new crossing is in the works.