Newport Bridge
Photos
Overview
Photos taken Sept. 2001 and provided by the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department
BH Photo #100564
Description
The 400-foot, double-cantilevered bridge at Newport was a major construction project in 1929-30. The bridge, along with two similar bridges at Augusta and Clarendon, Arkansas, was designed by renowned bridge engineer Ira G. Hedrick, and became part of a main interstate highway route.-- Historic American Engineering Record
Timeline
Compiled by James Baughn
- June 1928
- Congress approved construction of bridge at Newport
- 11May 1, 1929
- War Department finally gave approval for the bridge to be built over the navigable White River
- May 15, 1929
- Bids received for construction of bridge and approaches
- Sept. 10, 1930
- Two-day festival held to celebrate the bridge's completion
- Sept. 18, 1930
- Bridge officially opened to traffic, with a 50 cent toll for automobiles
- Apr. 1, 1938
- Tolls removed ahead of schedule thanks to a special Federal funding program
- May 26, 1938
- Another festival held to celebrate removal of tolls
Facts
- Overview
- Cantilevered through truss bridge on AR 367 (formerly US 67) over White River at Newport
- Location
- Jackson County, Arkansas
- Status
- Open to two-lane traffic
- Future prospects
- Replacement bridge under construction as of July 2020.
- History
- Built 1930
- Builders
- - Ira G. Hedrick of West Salem, Illinois
- List & Weatherly Construction Co. of Kansas City, Missouri
- Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. of Leavenworth, Kansas
- Design
- Cantilevered Warren through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 400.0 ft.
Total length: 2,830.3 ft. (0.5 mi.)
Deck width: 23.9 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 16.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +35.60618, -91.28839 (decimal degrees)
35°36'22" N, 91°17'18" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/655033/3941617 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Newport
- Average daily traffic (as of 2014)
- 2,100
- Inventory numbers
- AHTD 00612 (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept. bridge number)
NRHP 90000503 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
AHTD 612 (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept. bridge number)
BH 10388 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of March 2018)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 20 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- September 21, 2020: New photo from Joel
- May 5, 2018: New photos from Leslie Sessums
- November 17, 2016: Updated by Nathan Holth: Updated status to note new bridge is under construction.
- September 15, 2016: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added categories "Pin-connected", "Riveted"
- June 24, 2016: Updated by David Backlin: Available for Reuse
- January 26, 2015: HAER photos posted by Dave King
- February 28, 2014: New photos from Jack Schmidt
- April 24, 2012: Updated by David Backlin: Scheduled for replacement
- March 5, 2011: New Street View added by J.P.
- January 18, 2005: Posted AHTD photos
Sources
- HAER AR-12 - Newport Bridge
- AHTD
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- David Backlin - us71 [at] cox [dot] net
- Jack Schmidt - jjturtle [at] earthlink [dot] net
- HAER AR-12 - Newport Bridge, Spanning White River at State Highway 14, Newport, Jackson County, AR
- Nathan Holth
- Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth
- Leslie Sessums - leslie-loves-you [at] hotmail [dot] com
Comments
I did a quick field visit to this bridge today. It is still open to traffic. The new bridge is still a long ways from being completed so you probably have at least a few more months to see this bridge. The Center span of the new bridge still has no I beams in place. I was surprised as I figured that it would be much farther along by this time.
That being said, you will want to get here as quick as you can. This bridge will not be around forever and it is very much worth seeing.
You'll have to ask HAER about the milkman. It's their photo.
Can somebody please dumb this down to a Kardashian level for me? I am not quite getting the connection between this bridge and the milkman...
I visited this bridge on 2-27-18. Based on the level of completion on the new bridge, I'm guessing this one will survive one more Summer
Bridge is still being built. Approach spans are well underway, but there are no beams set over the main channel yet.
I drove across this bridge today. The new bridge is under construction immediately to the west. You still have time to drive over the bridge, but plan to visit in the near future. The boat ramp parking lot is still open.
I have only crossed this bridge one time in my life.My dad has inspected it and says it's the scariest bridge he's ever been on,and there's some pretty scary bridges in Arkansas.
Good to hear that the town has an interest in preserving it.
The Newport White river bridge is being replaced.
Construction might start as soon as 2013.
The bridge is on the national historic registry and has ben offer to be taken over by the town of Newport. The city has sent A letter expressing the intrest in taking over the bridge and turning it into A Musem and walking bridge.
This Bridge is one of three sisters similar in design over the White river. 1 Newport Ar, 2 Agusta Ar & 3 Clarendon Ar. Note the Agusta bridge has been demolished and replaced the Clarendon bridge is being replaced and it look's like the old brdge will be Demolished .This means the Newport bridge will be the last of 3 twins left over the White River.
This bridge is A pice of history ! Hopefuly It will be preserved for the future . It woukd be nice to still see it STANDING Proud! when it reaches it's 100 Birthday.
This thing scares the daylights out of me every time we have to cross it.And we do,whenever we go over to the western part of the state (Mt.View,etc) taking horses to ride somewhere.It's especially bad to go over it at night.Maybe it's just me,but,I don't like it.It's gotten to where we drive around by Diaz and past the Entergy plant just to avoid this.
We crossed the old blue bridge 01-01-09 . Yo can tell that time and weather has taken A tole on the Historic Landmark.
The Steel cantlever suports need A new coat of paint. The road bed seems to get narrower each year and needs a good layer of concreet added to it to smooth out the bumps. It has withstood 2 historic Floods the 1982 Flood and 2008 spring flood. It worries me there have been no atempts in the last 2 or 3 years to even try to keep her shored up in good condition. I am Afraid this means we will oneday loose this lanmark ! Some towns Are currently trying to get old HWY 67 Established the Rockibilly highway . Well think hard almost every one in Jackson Co at one time has crossed this bridge and is now A part of history we need to preserve it like the cotter bridge across the northern White River . Old blue deserves the same chance . I hope the politicians see this and help us before it is too late .
Remember The White River monster need's A home or bridge to live under here in Jackson Co!
I was six years of age, at the time I crossed this bridge. The year was 1968. We were going to Fort Leonardwood, MO. to visit my Aunt, who was an Army Major. We even stayed on the Army base. Dad decided to go through Newport. We crossed this bridge spanning the White River. Dad knew I was fascinated by bridges. He definately let me get a chance to see this bridge. It's a Masterpiece. Wonderfully built. I hope it stands for a long, long, long, long time.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ar/jackson/newport/
Visited this bridge on July 23, 2020, crossed it twice, and took a photo. As of July 2020, the bridge is still open to traffic while its replacement is under construction. According to a local news report from July 17, 2019, the estimated completion date of the new bridge is September 2020. The article also states, "There is still no plan of what will happen to the Blue Bridge after attempts to refurbish the bridge were turned down."
Article from local news outlet:
https://www.kait8.com/2019/07/17/new-bridge-still-under-cons...