Beaver Bridge (Arkansas)

Beaver Bridge
Facing north, the bridge is decorated in red, white and blue bunting to celebrate Independence Day
Coordinates	36°28′15″N 93°46′6″W
Carries	One lane of AR 187, pedestrians and bicycles
Crosses	Table Rock Lake (an impoundment of the White River)
Locale	Beaver, Carroll County, Arkansas
Maintained by	Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)
Characteristics
Design	Suspension, truss arch
Material	Steel with timber decking
Total length	554.2 ft (168.9202 m)
Width	11.2 ft (3.414 m) (roadway) 12.1 ft (3.688 m) (deck)
Height	746 ft (227.4 m)
Longest span	312.0 ft (95.0976 m)
Clearance above	13.8 ft (4.206 m)
History
Designer	AHTD
Construction start	December 19, 1947 (December 19, 1947)
Construction end	1949 (1949)
Opened	1949 (1949)
Statistics
Daily traffic	650
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	April 9, 1990
Reference no.	90000730
Location

The Beaver Bridge in Beaver, Arkansas is a historic one-lane suspension bridge carrying Arkansas Highway 187 over the White River at Table Rock Lake. Built in 1949 by the Pioneer Construction Company, the structure is the only suspension bridge open to traffic in Arkansas. The Beaver Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

History

Close up on north tower

The bridge was bid on December 19, 1947 to Pioneer Construction Company of Malvern, Arkansas. Since the construction was coincident with the building of Table Rock Dam, completion was delayed until 1949 as the United States Army Corps of Engineers required the bridge to be raised 40 feet (12 m). Upon completion, the bridge remained a vital link for the citizens of Beaver until its closure for major deck rehabilitation in 1981. Further rehabilitation occurred in 2003. As of 2014, the bridge is open to traffic.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Carroll County, Arkansas
• List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
• Arkansas portal
• NRHP portal