Emergency closure of section of Jack's Fork River could be lifted by mid-March

EMINENCE — Officials hope to be able to lift an emergency closure of a section of the Jack’s Fork River by mid-March.

The closure has been in place for almost a year near a damaged concrete pedestrian bridge at Alley Mill.

Contractors began the process this week to dismantle the 42-year-old structure, said Dena Matteson, chief of interpretation, planning and partnerships for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Contractors dismantle a concrete pedestrian bridge, which was constructed in 1977 near Alley Mill.Photo provided

The main deck was removed Monday and Tuesday, she said. The rest of the week will be focused on taking out the piers. Rip-rap may be able to be removed next week, depending on weather.

“Once the rip-rap causeway is removed, so that there is no heavy equipment in the river, we should be able to lift the emergency closure on that section of the river,” Matteson said. “We hope for that to be lifted within a couple of weeks.”

A temporary rip-rap causeway was constructed between the pedestrian bridge and the adjacent highway bridge, allowing equipment access to the area.

The National Park Service is looking at other options for pedestrians to cross the river in that area. The Highway 106 bridge that crosses the Jack’s Fork here does not have shoulders or other ways for pedestrians to cross out of the flow of traffic.

Floods in April 2017 and February 2018 caused structural damage to the bridge, according to the park service. It has been closed to foot traffic since April 2017. The river below was closed a year later.

Work to relocate utility lines attached to the bridge has also been underway. The utilities were being moved under the riverbed, which the park service believes will improve the reliability of phone, electric, water and sewer lines that cross the river there.

A section of a pedestrian bridge at Alley Mill is removed this week by contractors. Photo provided