Work on I-540 bridge started Monday

Fort Smith Southwest Times Record
Updated ·2 min read

For the first time in more than 50 years, the Interstate 540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren is being resurfaced.

The work Monday reduces traffic to one lane in both directions. Motorists might want to find alternate routes. The Midland Avenue bridge from Fort Smith to downtown Van Buren located northwest of the I-540 bridge remains open. The Midland Avenue bridge will be resurfaced after the I-540 one is completed. After that, the Garrison Avenue Bridge in downtown is due for a resurface and deck work that is expected to take six months.

Traffic on Interstate 540 near the 4th Street exit is narrowed to one lane in both directions at the Arkansas River bridge where resurfacing work has started and will last until August.
Traffic on Interstate 540 near the 4th Street exit is narrowed to one lane in both directions at the Arkansas River bridge where resurfacing work has started and will last until August.

Chad Adams, District 4 engineer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation in Fort Smith, said it is difficult to resurface a concrete bridge. Workers will spray the top layer of concrete with water to remove the top layer for the first time. The bridge was built in 1967, so this is the first time to resurface it, he said. The cost is about $6 million.

Some of the rails along the bridge had to be raised for worker safety standards before the surface work could begin, Adams said. Workers are expected to start removing the old surface Wednesday. The crews will be on the job 24 hours a day.

"It's going to take a while, but it would take a lot longer if they were not working at the rate they will work," Adams said.

Traffic delays are expected during morning and evening rush hours. The traffic count is about 50,000 vehicles a day on the bridge.

Cones have been placed along lanes on the bridge Monday, reducing the travel to one lane in each direction.

Lane closures on the bridge started Sunday night. Work is expected to take three to four months and will be done around the clock until the project is completed, Adams said.

Contracted workers first will start resurfacing the right lanes in each direction simultaneously, keeping the inside lanes open in both directions.

The work on all lanes could be completed in August.

Work to resurface the Interstate 540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren will take about four months, the Arkansas Department of Transportation reported as work started Monday.
Work to resurface the Interstate 540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren will take about four months, the Arkansas Department of Transportation reported as work started Monday.

Motorists are urged to avoid the route during the construction work.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Work on I-540 bridge starts Monday between Fort Smith and Van Buren