LITTLE ROCK — The director of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department isn’t letting two mayors’ rejection of a proposal to convert the Broadway Bridge into a pedestrian crossing stand as the final word on the matter.
Department Director Scott Bennett said his department is crafting a response to a letter from Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays that will address the concerns of the mayors.
“This is a very detailed issue, and I think there are some issues that the mayors don’t really understand about federal funding and the condition of the bridge,” Bennett said Friday.
In their letter, Stodola and Hays said the Highway Department’s proposal to build a new bridge next to the existing span is unacceptable.
The proposed design for the new bridge is unsafe for pedestrians and vehicular traffic, and their cities cannot afford to repair and maintain the 90-year-old bridge, the mayors said in the letter, released Thursday.
The mayors argued that the best option is to remodel the existing bridge and build a new one upriver later.
“We can only hope that this letter will begin a productive dialogue between the AHTD and the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, which could further clarify what now appears to be opposite viewpoints on a number of issues regarding the present status and potential use of the existing Broadway Bridge,” the letter said.
Bennett said Friday that there’s no need to begin a productive dialogue, but a need to continue one.
“We’ve had the cities and the county at the table at every step of project development, and we’ve been trying all along to respond to their comments,” Bennett said.
The department first proposed in 2009 building a new bridge to replace the current one and has been working closely with the cities since 2010, Bennett said. Throughout the process, the department has made a number of changes to address the concerns of city officials.
After the city approached highway officials with concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety, the department included a 16-footwide facility, which is wider than that of the Big Dam Bridge.
Each day, 23,000 vehicles use the Broadway Bridge, which the Highway Department scheduled for replacement by 2013, to cross the Arkansas River.
Earlier this month, the city released a study that estimated the cost to revamp the bridge would be between $16 million and $24 million. The Highway Department had budgeted $3 million to go to the bridge’s demolition, but had agreed to make that money available to the cities if they took possession of the bridge.
The mayors called this estimated cost “significantly in excess” of the Highway Department’s allotment.
Their letter also rejected the aesthetic aspects of the side-by-side plan, calling the plan’s presentation “unworkable.”
The height difference of the river to the west and the 25-foot minimum distance between the two bridges raises additional concerns about traffic noise and the requirement to have a baffle barrier between the two bridges, which could further obstruct sightlines, the mayors said.
The cities each allocated $30,000 to pay for the study of the Highway Department’s various proposals.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 07/28/2012