Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Springdale to Close Fortieth Street Bridge for 12 Weeks After Structural Damage Found
Summary
City staff announced a 12-week closure of the Fortieth Street bridge starting May 23 to repair structural damage found during deck replacement for the West Emma Avenue project; staff also outlined lane- and trail-configuration changes on nearby Harbor Avenue tied to the project.
The Springdale City Council was told that Fortieth Street’s bridge over Brush Creek will be closed for about 12 weeks starting May 23 after crews discovered structural damage while removing parts of the bridge deck.
Ben, a city staff member providing an infrastructure update, said the cracks “could be a catastrophic failure” if left unaddressed and that the closure is needed for public safety. He gave a projected reopen date of Aug. 12 and said the timing was chosen to coincide with summer construction schedules.
The closure affects Fortieth Street between Emma Avenue and Delmon Lane. City staff said Emma Avenue itself will remain open; the closure is limited to the bridge span and the approaches immediately north of Emma Avenue. Drivers will be detoured to Gutenson Road and other nearby routes until the bridge reopens.
In the same update, staff described related work on the West Emma Avenue project: the new overpass is expected to open June 25. Staff proposed restriping a section of Harbor Avenue — converting a four-lane segment to a three-lane section with bike lanes — to connect the Bridal of Springdale Trail to Jean George Boulevard and Harbor Meadows. The restriping would use contract underruns on the West Emma project and would not exceed the current contract amount, staff said.
Public works staff said the 3-lane conversion would include a buffer and a six-foot bike lane and that the change is intended to improve safety: “Four-lane roads typically are less safe because you get a lot more rear end accidents into left turn people,” a staff speaker said. Staff added that the city will continue pursuing a trail alignment along Brush Creek where feasible.
Council members asked for public-notice and routing details and for a list of streets included in the city’s next overlay program; staff said bids came in under budget and additional overlay miles would be added and presented to council later.
The council did not take a formal vote on these operational updates during the meeting; staff presented the closure and proposed striping changes as information and for council feedback.
