Beaver Bridge (Arkansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaver Bridge |
|
|---|---|
Facing north, the bridge is decorated in red, white and blue bunting to celebrate Independence Day
|
|
| Coordinates | 36°28′15″N 93°46′06″W / 36.4708°N 93.7683°W |
| Carries | One lane of  AR 187, pedestrians and bicycles |
| Crosses | Table Rock Lake (an impoundment of the White River) |
| Locale | Beaver, Carroll County, Arkansas |
| Maintained by | Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension |
| Material | Steel with timber decking |
| Total length | 554.2 ft (168.9202 m) |
| Width | 11.2 ft (3.414 m) (roadway) 12.1 ft (3.688 m) (deck) |
| Height | 746 ft (227.4 m) |
| Longest span | 312.0 ft (95.0976 m) |
| Clearance above | 13.8 ft (4.206 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | AHTD |
| Construction begin | December 19, 1947 |
| Construction end | 1949 |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 650 |
| Designated: | April 9, 1990 |
| Reference #: | 90000730 |
The Beaver Bridge is a special one-lane bridge in Beaver, Arkansas. It's a suspension bridge that carries Arkansas Highway 187 over the White River at Table Rock Lake.
This historic bridge was built in 1949 by the Pioneer Construction Company. It's the only suspension bridge in Arkansas that cars can still drive on! Because of its unique design and history, the Beaver Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Contents
Building the Beaver Bridge: A Look Back
Building the Beaver Bridge was a big project! The job was given to the Pioneer Construction Company from Malvern, Arkansas on December 19, 1947.
Meet the Construction Leader
The main foreman for the project was M.R. Blair. He was a very skilled builder. Later, he led many other bridge and highway projects. These projects were built across Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. He also helped build dams and roads in the southwestern United States. One of his big projects was the "Big I" interchange in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1964.
Building Without Big Machines
What's amazing is how Blair and his team built the Beaver Bridge. They didn't have a huge industrial crane. Instead, they used a smaller crane mounted on a pickup truck! This shows how clever and resourceful they were.
Challenges and Delays
The bridge's construction happened at the same time as the Table Rock Dam was being built. Because of the dam, the United States Army Corps of Engineers asked for the bridge to be raised about 40 feet (12 meters). This change caused a delay, and the bridge wasn't finished until 1949.
Keeping the Bridge Strong
Once completed, the Beaver Bridge was very important for the people of Beaver. It helped them travel and connect. In 1981, the bridge was closed for a major repair to its deck (the part you drive on). More repairs happened in 2003 to keep it safe.
Today, the bridge has a weight limit of 10 tons. This means very heavy vehicles cannot cross it. In October 2018, the bridge was temporarily closed for inspection. This happened after two buses that were too heavy crossed it. This shows how important it is to follow the weight limits to keep the bridge safe for everyone.
