Pocahontas Bridge
Description
Erected in 1934, after extensive administrative complication, by the PIttsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company, the Black River Bridge at Pocahontas is significant as a swing bridge, one of three in the state. Similar in design to the bridge over the St. Francis River at Madison, both having been designed to allow the passage of river traffic, the bridge at Pocahontas differs from the Madison Bridge largely in the details of its trusses.-- Historic American Engineering Record
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge with a center swing span over Black River on US 67 at Pocahontas
- Location
- Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas
- Status
- Replaced by a new bridge
- History
- Built 1934 by the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co.; parallel bridge built 1986; closed to traffic and demolished starting July 5, 2016
- Builder
- - Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. of Des Moines, Iowa & Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Design
- From northwest to southwest:
One tee beam approach span, 30.5 ft.
Four tee beam approach spans, each 30 ft.
One 7-panel Parker through truss, 130 ft.
One 12-panel polygonal Warren swing through truss, 230 ft. (115 ft. navigation clearance)
One 7-panel Parker through truss, 130 ft.
Fifteen tee beam approach spans, each 30 ft.
One tee beam approach span, 30.5 ft. - Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 115.1 ft.
Total length: 1,253.6 ft.
Deck width: 23.9 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 15.2 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on April 9, 1990
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +36.25423, -90.96935 (decimal degrees)
36°15'15" N, 90°58'10" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/682440/4014058 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Pocahontas
- Inventory numbers
- AHTD 483 (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept. bridge number)
NRHP 90000522 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 10553 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 09/2014)
- Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 37.0 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 2014)
- 11,000
Update Log
- December 11, 2016: Updated by Stephen Greer: Gone.
- September 16, 2016: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
- July 11, 2016: Updated by Stephen Greer: Demolition has started
- July 3, 2016: New photos from James Baughn
- June 20, 2016: Updated by James Baughn: Demolition will begin July 5, 2016
- June 4, 2016: Updated by Alexander D. Mitchell IV: Demolition delayed by nesting migratory birds!
- December 10, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
- January 26, 2015: HAER photos posted by Dave King
- June 26, 2014: New Street View added by Ralph Demars
- August 22, 2013: New photo from Douglas Butler
- March 5, 2011: New Street View added by J.P.
Sources
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- HAER AR-8 - Black River Bridge, Spanning Black River at U.S. Highway 67, Pocahontas, Randolph County, AR
- Alexander D. Mitchell IV
- James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
- Stephen Greer
- Dana and Kay Klein
Comments
At 7:32 AM on October 2,2016,the main truss was blown up, falling into the river.
Despite the migratory birds, demolition of this bridge will begin July 5.
Not so fast:
http://www.thv11.com/news/local/migratory-birds-postpone-bri...
"The Jonesboro Sun reports that the dismantling of the Black River Bridge, a historically registered landmark, was scheduled for July. But state regulations prevent the demolition of a structure that migratory birds have nested in.
Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tim Scott says the birds were discovered shortly after a bid for the demolition was accepted on March 23."
This bridge is being scrapped in just a few months per AHTD.
Article with photographs:
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/30847844/black-river-bri...
Today,12-29-15, this bridge got its top scraped by an oversized load. It closed the bridge, and no serious damage is thought to have occurred on the bridge. This is another good reason to replace it: height.
I am not sure if this one is still scheduled for replacement or not. I would have to check state records. That being said, when I drove over it this evening, there was no evidence of construction going on. I will cross it in the morning. I will let you know if a parade of earth moving equipment appears by then 😄
This bridge is planned to be replaced, probably within the next 5 years. KAIT 8 has the story on their site : http://www.kait8.com/story/23447628/85-year-old-pocahontas-b...
The mayor states it would happen after the Blackrock bridge is finished, and that the Pocahontas truss bridge was originally supposed to be torn down when the parallel bridge was opened back in the 80's, but never was due to traffic volume.
You never know; old-fashioned engineering could outlast the new bridge. It happens.
It looks like the swing span will never open again. As the new bridge is in the way and the swing span would hit it.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ar/randolph/pocahontas/
I knew this one was potentially doomed when I crossed it last year. I didn't realize that it would be gone this soon however...