LITTLE ROCK — After sitting idle since 1985, the Junction Bridge was opened Saturday as Pulaski County's second pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River.
The Junction Bridge now joins the upstream Big Dam Bridge on the Arkansas River Trail system.
"It's like the Big Dam Bridge, except in an urban setting," Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines said as several hundred people crowded onto the bridge for a ribbon-tying ceremony.
Although ribbons are usually cut at these types of ceremonies, officials wanted to have a ribbon-tying ceremony instead to promote the idea that the bridge ties Little Rock and North Little Rock together.
The bridge, which connects near the Riverfront Amphitheatre in Little Rock and Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, was constructed as a railroad bridge in 1884, said Billie Ann Myers, chairman of the Pulaski County Bridge Facilities Board.
The $5.8 million Junction Bridge project has been a joint venture between the two cities and Pulaski County.
About 80 percent of the work was paid for through federal grants passed down from the state Highway and Transportation Department, Myers has said. The two cities and Pulaski County will each set aside $25,000 annually for the bridge's upkeep.
With a 360-foot section permanently fixed 38 feet above the main span to allow ships to safely pass underneath, the Junction Bridge isn't as bicycle-friendly as the Big Dam Bridge. To reach the elevated portion, bikers have to carry their bikes up several flights of stairs or take a glassenclosed elevator.
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http://focus.arkans…">Junction Bridge grand opening
"This bridge is intended to be a little more leisurely that the Big Dam Bridge," Villines said.
On Saturday, cyclists said having another bridge connected to the unfinished River Trail system was great but they were really waiting on the Clinton Foundation to renovate the Rock Island Bridge near the Clinton Library. Once opened, it will complete the eastern end of a 14-mile hiking and biking loop, with the Big Dam Bridge at the western end.
The renovation of the Rock Island Bridge, which is planned to include easy bicycle accessibility, was delayed after cost estimates on the work rose. Clinton Foundation officials have said they are committed to seeing the project through.
At the ceremony, Bud Laumer, who moved from California to Arkansas in 2005, said he already had plans for a Junction Bridge outing.
"I plan on using [the bridge]with a beer in my hand next week," referring to Riverfest, the annual Memorial Day weekend festival.
The south end of the Junction Bridge may be closed temporarily before Riverfest as crews begin preparing Riverfront Park for the festival. No Little Rock officials could confirm whether the south end would be completely closed or for how long, though Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola said the bridge would be open to pedestrians during Riverfest.
The bridge will be closed again after Riverfest for the some final construction, including a staircase that will rise from the North Little Rock riverfront. But for now, pedestrians crossing the river from the north shore can use the 300-foot concrete ramp that branches off a sidewalk on Washington Street, next to the Enclave building.
Arkansas, Pages 24, 28 on 05/18/2008