ArDOT to address Cherokee Village bridge issue

CHEROKEE VILLAGE, Ark. (KAIT) - Two bridges in Sharp County became impassible after heavy rains fell on Thursday evening.

The two bridges near Cherokee Village Town Center on Highway 175 are part of the overflow plan for Lake Thunderbird and are always flooded after it rains.

Mayor Steven Rose told us last month that the problem could become a thing of the past.

Bruc Street, District 5 engineer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said the bridge flooding issue will be addressed soon.

“The department, at the request of the city, has looked at those, and we are proposing two new bridges. It’s going to contract in May of this year,” Street said. “Those two bridges will expand those creek channels and allow normal flow and stormwater flow to not impede the highway.”

Street explained that bridges are well known to become impassible after a good rain.

“The rain we’ve had lately has reached that point where the lake is at capacity, so every bit of water flows over it,” he said. “It’s a typical occurrence in Cherokee, so we put up barricades on both sides of the crossing. Traffic has to detour around the Lake Thunderbird or other areas to get to the town center.”

Copyright 2023 KAIT. All rights reserved.