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Council hears update on Main Street Viaduct funding and plans; engineering work underway
Summary
Council members reviewed a memo on the Main Street Viaduct that traces years of deterioration and recent grant-seeking; staff said engineering and environmental studies are in progress and that the city has coordinated with Union Pacific as it seeks federal and local funds to design repairs or replacement.
The North Little Rock City Council on March 9 received a memorandum briefing members on the Main Street Viaduct’s condition and the city’s recent steps toward design and environmental review.
The memo, read into the record, said the bridge has been rated in poor condition since at least 1999, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation records. It summarized grant-seeking since 2021 and noted the city applied for congressionally directed spending (CDS) funds included in federal legislation signed on Feb. 3, 2026. The memo stated the city submitted a total $2 million appropriation request that includes $400,000 the city had appropriated on May 9, 2025; the 2026 city budget also appropriated $600,000 to begin planning, environmental review and design work that was not contingent on receiving a grant.
Council members asked what the city has done to make the project shovel ready. Staff answered that the city has applied for multiple grants (including in 2022), met with federal representatives and coordinated repeatedly with Union Pacific; staff reported a meeting with Union Pacific on Feb. 25 to resume work and said the engineering consultant Garver has begun environmental work and will meet with Union Pacific and city staff for follow-up.
City staff emphasized that engineering studies, environmental surveying and Union Pacific approvals must precede construction. David Cook, speaking for city staff, said the city has budgeted funds to start engineering and that Garver has started the environmental process and is reviewing scopes of work.
Why it matters: The viaduct carries local traffic and has been rated poor for decades; advancing engineering and design is the necessary step before applying for construction funds or seeking formal approvals with the railroad owner, Union Pacific.
Numbers and uncertainties: The memo and council discussion referenced a $2 million congressional request (including a $400,000 earlier appropriation) and a separate $600,000 allocation in the 2026 budget for planning and design. At one point a speaker stated a total near "3.2 million" and listed figures "2 million, 1.6 and 400,000," but the transcript did not provide a clear breakdown; the exact composition of the city and external funding packages was not fully reconciled on the record.
Next steps: Staff said Garver will continue environmental review and meet with Union Pacific; the city will proceed with engineering work funded in the budget so the project can be positioned for future construction grants.
