Benton County bridge project aims for ’22 finish

BENTONVILLE — Work on the longest bridge in unincorporated Benton County is set to wrap up this year, an official said.

Osage Creek Bridge on Old Arkansas 68 will span 502 feet when finished. The estimated cost is $2.33 million. The cost sharing is 80% in federal aid, 18% in state aid and 2% in county money, said Josh Beam, chief county engineer.

The bridge is just west of Logan Road in the southern part of the county. The existing 450-foot-long bridge was built in 1935.

Construction started in October 2020. The Arkansas Department of Transportation handles the day-to-day work, Beam said.

Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said the approaches to the bridge need to be finished, and then a final touch up, and inspections. The goal is to have the bridge open by spring.

Kurt Moore, District 13 justice of the peace, said closing the bridge created some traffic disruption.

“Since the local population saw that the bridge construction was progressing relatively quickly, I’ve had few complaints about the closure other than the inconvenience of having to take longer routes, often on dirt roads, to bypass it,” Moore said. “I’ve also had more complaints about the dirt roads. There will be a collective sigh of relief when it opens again.”

The Arkansas Department of Transportation labeled 15 bridges in the county as “structurally deficient” when Moehring took office in 2017. That number has reduced to four, two of which will be completed in 2022 and the other two are on the county plan to be improved within the next two years, he said.

Other 2022 projects include the Wagon Wheel Road bridge. Right of way acquisition needs to be completed, and then construction can begin on a new 175-foot long bridge over Spring Creek. The project is being done with the help of a Surface Transportation Block Grant with a cost share of 80% federal and 20% county money, Beam said.

The Robinson Road bridge is also in the works. Design work needs to be completed, then construction can start, Beam said.

Design for the Columbia Hollow Bridge is set to complete in 2022, and design and construction of a new structure to replace a bridge on Gaiche Road is planned, Beam said.

Projects finished in 2021 include a new bridge on Bill Young Road, two new crossings on Parrick Road and repair to bridges on Chamber Springs and Logan roads, Beam said.

“I think we have accomplished a lot this past year, especially on the bridge projects that were completed in house by the Road Department crews,” Beam said. “They have accomplished a tremendous amount of work in spite of having to deal with flooding and material availability issues that nearly everyone in construction are struggling with right now.”