Judsonia Bridge

The Judsonia Bridge is a single-lane, 397 foot long, through truss bridge with center swing span over Little Red River on County Road 66 in Judsonia, Arkansas, connecting Van Buren St, Judsonia in the north to Kennset Rd in the south. The deck is constructed of wood and is 13.6 feet wide. It was listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places, on April 9, 1990, reference number 90000535. The Bridge was completed in 1924 as part of a national modernizing movement giving the town of Judsonia access to outlying regions on the opposite side of the river. It is the only known swing bridge in Arkansas designed as a cantilever. The cantilever construction allows the weight of the bridge to be centered over the central pivot while supporting the ends of the bridge when it is in the open position. The center turnstile pier originally allowed the center bridge spans totaling 265.6 feet, to rotate perpendicular to the river in order to let large vessels pass; however, the turnstile pier has not operated in many years. After 83 years of wear and tear, the bridge was no longer structurally sound and in 2007, White County Judge Michael Lincoln closed the bridge. Garver LLC, an engineering company based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, conducted a study to determine the repairs needed to restore the bridge’s structural capacity. To preserve the historical character of the bridge, special methods were used in its reconstruction. Rather than using modern designs, replacement parts were created that restored the structural integrity of the bridge while maintaining its original character. After Garver completed the restoration project, the bridge was reopened in February 2013. The bridge is a popular setting for high school graduation and other portraits.