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
- Van Buren, 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
- 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
Comments
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/
If you look closely, you can sometimes see remnants of the piers in the middle of the river.