The City of Little Rock has announced that demolition of the damaged Markham Street pedestrian bridge is expected to begin Tuesday, marking the next step in reopening one of the city’s major east-west corridors to cars and trucks.
The bridge has been closed since July 13 after it was struck by a large truck. Following an engineering assessment, the city determined the structure was damaged beyond practical repair, leading officials to order its removal.
In a previous Arkansas Outside article, city officials indicated there were no immediate plans to replace the bridge, raising concerns among pedestrians, bicyclists, and neighborhood residents who relied on the crossing. Today’s announcement, however, includes an important change in direction.
The City of Little Rock issued the following statement:
“Bridge Demolition Expected to Begin Tuesday
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., City of Little Rock officials have authorized a contractor to immediately proceed with demolition of the pedestrian bridge over West Markham Street. Preliminary site work started today with demolition set to begin on Tuesday. The contractor has up to 14 days to complete the project, though it is likely the bridge will be removed by the end of this week.
Once the bridge is safely removed, the City will reopen West Markham Street to through traffic. West Markham between Barton Street and Thayer Street has been closed since July 13 after a large truck struck the bridge located near the intersection of Markham and Dennison streets.
Structural engineers inspected the bridge and determined the structure was damaged beyond what can feasibly be repaired. The Little Rock Police Department is investigating the crash.
While contractors remove the structure, motorists are asked to use the marked detour or choose alternate routes.
The City of Little Rock will consider options for rebuilding the bridge.”
That final sentence represents a significant shift from earlier messaging. When Arkansas Outside first reported on the bridge’s future, city officials said there were no plans to rebuild the crossing. While the latest release stops short of committing to a replacement, the statement that the city “will consider options for rebuilding the bridge” is an encouraging development for those who have advocated for maintaining a safe pedestrian and bicycle connection across West Markham Street.
The bridge served as an important crossing for people walking and bicycling between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and nearby destinations. Its loss highlighted the vulnerability of pedestrian infrastructure and renewed discussions about the need for safe, connected transportation options throughout Little Rock.
Arkansas Outside will continue to follow the city’s evaluation of replacement options and report on any future plans for restoring this important crossing. Information on other bike/pedestrian infrastructure plans in the area is available here.
Update: Additional Construction Details
Additional information provided by Little Rock City Director Kathy Webb offers a clearer picture of the demolition schedule and the work taking place behind the scenes.
A preconstruction meeting was held on Friday, July 24, with representatives from contractor Weaver Bailey, Entergy, Central Arkansas Water, and a local fiber communications company. Underground utilities have since been located and marked, including lines belonging to Summit Utilities and AT&T, allowing demolition work to proceed safely.
Weaver Bailey received its Notice to Proceed on Monday, July 27, and planned to mobilize equipment and materials to the site that day. Entergy is scheduled to disconnect power to the bridge on Tuesday, after which crews will begin demolition using concrete saws and an excavator equipped with a hydraulic hammer.
The demolition plan calls for removing the bridge span first, followed by the abutments and stairways. All debris will be removed from the site and disposed of by the contractor.
Although the contract allows up to 14 days to complete the project in the event of unforeseen complications, the current schedule anticipates demolition will be completed by Friday evening, potentially allowing West Markham Street to reopen well before the contractual deadline.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
