New weight limit on Highway 20 bridge causes concerns
PHILIPS COUNTY, Ark. — A weight restriction on a bridge in Phillips County, Arkansas just south of Helena-West Helena has caused concerns amongst local industries.
The bridge on Highway 20 previously had no weight restrictions as truckers use the bridge to get fertilizer to farmers in the region. But ArDOT says some structural repairs are needed.
“The weight restriction on the bridge really came as a shock and quite frankly it couldn’t happen at a worse time,” said Mark Pruett, terminal manager at Helm Fertilizer Terminal. “On any given day just from this location here, we could have 180 to 200 trucks that would cross that bridge trying to get back to the farm.”
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Pruett says the irony of it all is that there has never been a weight restriction posted for the bridge, which now means trucks like the ones leaving his terminal are restricted to 17 tons.
“You figure that a truck empty is 30,000, we’re going to put 50,000 pounds or 25 tons on there, and with a 17-ton weight restriction,” Pruett said. “That’s 8 tons less than we would normally load on a typical truck.”
Pruett says trucks leaving his terminal are already limited by state law to 80,000 pounds and it’s not just Helm Fertilizer. At least five other industries in Helena Harbor as well as area farmers are impacted by the weight restriction.
“That’s going to mean more trips in and out of the terminal, that’s going to be more diesel fuel burned, that’s going to be more labor as far as drivers,” Pruett said.
Patience is key: Week 2 of construction on I-55 bridge
An ArDOT spokesperson says the weight limit was imposed after bridge inspectors found structural deficiencies in some steel supports.
The restrictions come as businesses have made substantial investments in Helena Harbor and worry those investments could be at risk.
“The repair issues that are needed to get the weight limit removed from this bridge are being discussed right now in order to get normal traffic going across that bridge but it is a very urgent issue,” said John Edwards, Economic Development Director for Helena Harbor.
ArDOT has notified WREG that it will start repair work on Tuesday on deficient steel girders on the northbound lane of the bridge. ArDOT will open the southbound lane and there will be no weight restrictions.
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