YELL COUNTY, Ark. – It’s been 10 months since a semi-truck caused a historic bridge to collapse in Yell County.
The mess on the Petit Jean River has been cleaned up, but the Dale Bend Bridge is still not fixed.
The bridge was a main thoroughfare for people living near Ola and Centerville.
The Office of Emergency Management says there is a plan to replace the bridge, however there is no timetable.
Henry Mills lives just down the road. He remembers when the entire thing happened on January 30, 2019. He says with the bridge gone it cuts out a shortcut to get to where he needs to go.
“If the bridge is in, it’s 5 minutes and you’re in Ola. I have 5 miles there and 6 miles to Centerville.”
He says now he’s waiting on Yell County to replace the bridge along Dale Bend Road.
“It takes a little while, about 15-20 miles, where it would take 5 to 9 minutes,” he explained.
The Yell County Office of Emergency Management Director Jeff Gilkey says they are working to find a solution to fix the problem.
“Currently there are several options as far as replacing the bridge.”
They are also working with the trucking company and insurance companies to figure out funding and costs.
“If we have to do a free span bridge, it will be over a million dollars. Through the permitting process, if we are given the permit, we could do a center pier on that bridge and cost half a million. Save everybody some money,” Gilkey said.
A bridge to no where without a timetable to fix it in place.
“Stuff don’t happen overnight so, I’m patience,” Mills said.
