Explosives will be used to bring down the main span of the old U.S. 67 bridge over the Black River in Pocahontas early Sunday, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department said.
U.S. 67 will be shut down between U.S. 62 and Old County Road beginning at 7:15 a.m. to allow the contractor to "establish a clear zone in preparation for blasting," the department said.
The bridge is scheduled to be detonated at 7:30 a.m., after which the highway will reopen. The highway closure will last 15 to 30 minutes, with delays in through traffic required, the department said.
The clear zone will be strictly enforced, the department said. Units from the department, the Pocahontas Police Department, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the contractor, Jensen Construction Co. of Des Moines, Iowa, will control access to the zone, the department said.
Any encroachment into the clear zone will require the timing to be reset and delay the detonation, the department said.
Weather also could delay the detonation. "There is a 'daylight' requirement, which requires clear line of sight for 1,000 feet," the department said. "Weather impacts such as fog may impact specific event timing as well."
The agency said that because of the clear zone, it will be difficult for people to view the bridge detonation.
"Unfortunately, terrain in vicinity of the bridge does not provide a good vantage point for witnessing the event," the department said. "While this event is an unusual and very interesting occurrence, the general public is encouraged to avoid the area and not to be present for the event due to expected traffic congestion."
The 490-foot river span was built in 1929 by the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. of Des Moines. Jensen was awarded a $10 million contract in March 2016 to remove and replace the bridge. The project is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2018, the department said.
Metro on 10/01/2016