New Broadway Bridge to open to traffic next week; work progresses ahead of schedule

Broadway Bridge
Broadway Bridge

The new Broadway Bridge is expected to open at some point next week, reconnecting a major route between Little Rock and North Little Rock weeks ahead of schedule, according to the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department.

The department said the exact opening time has not been finalized. A "ceremonial first crossing" of the new span will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, department spokesman Danny Straessle wrote in a news release.

The Broadway Bridge closed Sept. 28, 2016. The old span was demolished and the new one reconstructed by a Kansas City-based company, Massman Construction Co. The firm had 180 days to complete the project.

Based on Arkansas Online's countdown clock, Massman still has 35 days to complete the project within the slated timeframe. The release said crews made quicker-than-expected progress in part because of the "unseasonably warm winter months."

Members from the transportation department, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola will all be in attendance at the ceremony Monday. That ceremony will only be open to credentialed media as the area is still an active construction zone, the release said.

[BROADWAY BRIDGE: Full coverage of closing, demolition + construction of new span]

When the bridge opens, the southbound off-ramp that connects to westbound Arkansas 10 will still be closed and will eventually open in the following weeks, officials said. The shared pedestrian and bicycle pathway will also be closed while crews continue work to connect ramps on both sides of the river to the Arkansas River Trail, the release said.

Once the bridge is open, travelers can still expect occasional lane closures during off-peak times, the release said.

There will also be a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially celebrate the new bridge. That ceremony, which will be held across from Dickey-Stephens Park at 4 p.m. on April 6, is open to the public.

Written into the Massman contract are an incentive and disincentive to finish the project on time.

If the bridge is drive-able before the deadline, the company earns $80,000 per day for a maximum of 50 days. But if that deadline is passed, Massman could be charged that same amount per day with no limit on the number of days the state can collect.

If the bridge opens early next week, Massman would be about 30 days ahead of schedule. Straessle said multiplying the days by the payout amount gives a rough idea of a potential payout: $2.4 million.

That money comes from the total budget allotted for the project from the transportation department, Straessle said. However, officials will not have anything close to a final estimate for awhile because a lot of cost calculating happens after a job is completed, he said.

Massman crews will still be performing minor work on the span for two months after it reopens to the public, Straessle said. After that period, the department will total up the costs, including some of the unforeseen change orders that often happen during large construction projects.

Once all of those small changes are appraised, officials will have a more exact idea of what Massman is owed for completing the job ahead of schedule, Straessle said.

Straessle said incentives like the one promised to Massman could be used as motivation for future bridge projects funded by the state. Shaving off time would do the public a service and save money in the long run, he said.

“[Massman is] very conservative in their estimates but wow, did they deliver,” Straessle said.

Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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