Fort Smith-Van Buren Free Bridge
Photos
Composite photo showing the lift span up and down.
Vintage photo provided by Gene McCluney
BH Photo #129857
Description
This bridge carried 2 sets of trolley car tracks inside the trusses, and 2 automobile lanes cantilevered on the outside of the trussesFacts
- Overview
- Lost through truss vertical-lift bridge over Arkansas River on Midland Boulevard (US 71) in Fort Smith
- Location
- Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, and Crawford County, Arkansas
- Status
- Replaced by new bridge as part of the Kerr-McClellan Arkansas River navigation project.
- History
- Built 1912; Refurbished 1956; Replaced 1969
- Builders
- - Foster-Creighton-Gould Co. of Nashville, Tennessee
- Kansas City Bridge Co. of Kansas City, Missouri
- Waddell & Harrington of Kansas City, Missouri (Vertical Lift Designer)
- Railroads
- - Fort Smith Light & Traction Co (FSL&T)
- Streetcar
- Design
- Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 196.0 ft.
Total length: 1,764.0 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +35.43031, -94.35684 (decimal degrees)
35°25'49" N, 94°21'25" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/376833/3921610 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Van Buren
- Inventory number
- BH 38331 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- July 6, 2021: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- September 19, 2016: New photos from Dave King
- January 21, 2016: Updated by Luke: Added lift designer + streetcar stuff
- April 8, 2009: New photo from Gene McCluney
- March 8, 2009: New photo from Gene McCluney
- March 6, 2009: New photo from David Backlin
- December 28, 2008: Updated by David Backlin: Added USGS Info
- December 7, 2008: Added by Gene McCluney
Sources
- Gene McCluney - gmacfilm [at] live [dot] com
- David Backlin - us71 [at] cox [dot] net
- Douglas Butler
- Luke
- Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Geoff Hubbs
Comments
If you look closely, you can sometimes see remnants of the piers in the middle of the river.
THERE WAS SOME FORM OF UPDATING OR REPAIRS DONE TO THIS BRIDGE IN 1946-47 BY KANSAS CITY BRIDGE CO.
MY FATHER, ATWILL REED HUTCHINGS WAS A FOREMAN ON THIS PROJECT. HIS FRIEND OF MANY YEARS, SAM YURBY (SAM BOUGHT THE CLIFF'S THAT OVERLOOK FORT SMITH IN VAN BUREN. HE MANY YEARS LATER RETIRED THERE.) WAS ALSO A FOREMAN.
I WENT TO KINDEGARDEN IN FORTSMITH.
I STILL REMEMBER, SEARS STORE INSTALLED THE FIRST ESCALLATOR IN FORT SMITH. PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL AROUND TO SEE AND RIDE IT. I WAS BETWEEN 4 TO 5 YRS OLD.
THIS IS A PHOTO OF ATWILL REED HUTCHINGS
ROBERT REED HUTCHINGS
THERE WAS SOME FORM OF UPDATING OR REPAIRS DONE TO THIS BRIDGE IN 1946-47 BY KANSAS CITY BRIDGE CO.
MY FATHER, ATWILL REED HUTCHINGS WAS A FOREMAN ON THIS PROJECT. HIS FRIEND OF MANY YEARS, SAM YURBY (SAM BOUGHT THE CLIFF'S THAT OVERLOOK FORT SMITH IN VAN BUREN. HE MANY YEARS LATER RETIRED THERE.) WAS ALSO A FOREMAN.
I WENT TO KINDEGARDEN IN FORTSMITH.
I STILL REMEMBER, SEARS STORE INSTALLED THE FIRST ESCALLATOR IN FORT SMITH. PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL AROUND TO SEE AND RIDE IT. I WAS BETWEEN 4 TO 5 YRS OLD.
ROBERT REED HUTCHINGS
Photo #10.....another tombstone........
I'm willing to bet the flood pictures are of the great 1927 Flood
ATT: Mr. Gene McCluney Feb 18, 2010
Mr. David Backlin
Dear Sir's
Thank you very much for posting the Photos of the "Fort Smith-Van Buren Free Bridge" they are great and brings back memories for my earlier years from the 50's and 60's! I just can't foreget this great bridge and this is the first History I have seen about the bridge. It also reminds me way back when, and the special times Christmas shopping on Garrison Avenue with all the people crowding the Store front sidewalks,was a very special time back during the 50's and 60's. Once again, Thank you for showing the Photos!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ar/sebastian/bh38331/
All that is left of the free bridge as seen from highway 64 bridge