Bridge repair on State Highway 75 north of Interstate 40 in Poinsett County has required immediate closure of a section of the route 2.86 miles north of the Cross County Line, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
Cracks in several of the structure’s wooden support columns have rendered the bridge impassable. This section of State Highway 75 will remain closed to through traffic until repairs can be made, which is estimated to take approximately two weeks. Local traffic, however, will be permitted in this area.
The attached detour map illustrates available routes motorists can take to get around the closed section of State Highway 75. The bridge is located approximately 27.16 miles north of I-40 and 8.05 miles south of Marked Tree. The closure includes 18.7 miles of State Highway 75 between State Highway 42 at Coldwater (south end) and U.S. Highway 63 at Marked Tree (north end).
The two-lane structure was constructed in 1955 and is composed of precast concrete channel beams on concrete-capped timber piles. It is 75 feet long and 24 feet wide. There are no weight restrictions for this bridge which is inspected every year. The last of which was in April 2015.
Portable electronic message boards, barricades, and warning signs have been placed to alert motorists of the closure at various points along State Highway 75 (both north and south of the closure).
Additional State Highway closures can be found at www.idrivearkansas.com/closures/ or www.arkansashighways.com.
