CROSS COUNTY | June 28, 2024
The Highway 42 Bridge over the St. Francis River in Coldwater – which has been closed since last fall due to structural concerns – has collapsed.
The 56-year-old wooden bridge was closed to traffic on Nov. 2, 2023 due to weaknesses identified in the bridge piling (the columns supporting the bridge). ARDOT had been working with an engineering consultant to determine the best course of action for repairs, which began this summer.
It is too early to know the contributing factor that led to the collapse of the bridge. ARDOT engineers are currently onsite to evaluate.
Traffic in this area should use the detour that has already been in place since the bridge closure last fall:
- Traffic traveling east on Highway 42 from Birdeye will be detoured south on Highway 75 then east on Highway 64 to the intersection of Highway 149. From the intersection of Highway 149 and Highway 64, traffic will be detoured north on Highway 149 to the intersection of Highway 42.
- Traffic traveling west on Highway 42 will be detoured south on Highway 149 to the intersection of Highway 64 at Earle then west on Highway 64 to the intersection of Highway 75. From the intersection of Highway 64 and Highway 75, traffic will be detoured north on Highway 75 to the intersection of Highway 42.
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