Highway 63 in Lawrence County is at a standstill due to the Spring River bridge near Ravenden failing inspection.
ECNN spoke to the Arkansas Department of Transportation District 10 Engineer Brad Smithee about the closure and ARDOT’s plan to get the road back open.
Smithee says the repairs will take some time, but they are looking for some relief into tonight and early morning hours tomorrow.
The Highway 63 bridge faced construction in the last few weeks, but Smithee assured us that recent work had nothing to do with the failure.
IN PREVIOUS WEEKS, an ARDOT employee was fired for allowing the I-40 bridge near Memphis to pass inspection after a major fault was found.
We were curious to know if that former employee had any involvement in the bridge inspections.
Crews are asking motorists that must travel through the area to take alternate routes such as Highway 62, 67, and 90.
This is an ongoing story in Lawrence County. ECNN will keep you updated with the latest information on-air, online, and on the go.