Parsons wins bridge deal in Arkansas

Parsons is heading the project to build the I-40 White River Bridge and approaches in the US state of Arkansas. The contract is to build a 1.92km bridge for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and Parsons is leading the joint venture that also includes CJ Mahan construction. The new bridge will be constructed some 61m upstream from the existing structure. The existing White River Bridge has four 3.66m-wide lanes and 61m of vertical clearance between piers for commercial navigation
January 17, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
3220 Parsons is heading the project to build the I-40 White River Bridge and approaches in the US state of Arkansas. The contract is to build a 1.92km bridge for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and Parsons is leading the joint venture that also includes CJ Mahan construction.  The new bridge will be constructed some 61m upstream from the existing structure.  

The existing White River Bridge has four 3.66m-wide lanes and 61m of vertical clearance between piers for commercial navigation vessels. The new bridge will have 18 spans comprising six lanes and will provide 98m of horizontal clearance between the two main river piers and 15.8m of clearance above the White River. It will feature drilled shaft foundations instead of pile foundations as this will reduce costs as well as the time needed for construction. In addition, construction of the new link will include demolition of the old bridge, earthwork, traffic maintenance, and erosion control.

I-40 is an east-west interstate highway connecting Oklahoma and Tennessee with the majority of the route in Arkansas. Construction of the new White River Bridge and its approach roads is scheduled to begin in March 2017 and is expected to be complete in summer 2019. Once the new bridge is in operation its additional lanes will boost capacity will help improve journey times as well as safety for drivers in the area.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Francis Scott Key Bridge demolition
    July 3, 2025
    Demolition is planned for the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
    Read More
  • Washington DC’s historic bridge replacement project
    June 11, 2019
    The project to replace a historic bridge in US capital Washington DC is providing major challenges for its builders - Mike Woof writes
    Read More
  • Towers of power: California’s Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement
    May 8, 2019
    Challenging ground conditions meant a design rethink - and some engineering firsts - for California’s Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project* The Port of Long Beach on Terminal Island south of Los Angeles is the second-busiest container port in the US. It handles around 15% of all imported goods, much of it with Asia. As the Port of Long Beach was growing in importance over the past half century, the 51-year-old Gerald Desmond Bridge has faithfully been delivering thousands of daily commuters to wo
    Read More
  • A new Indian cable-stayed bridge will improve transport connections
    March 2, 2015
    A major new cable-stayed bridge is being constructed in India - Partha Bratim Basistha reports. In India the construction of a major cable-stayed bridge is underway that will boost connections from capital Delhi to its surrounding areas. The bridge is being built in a bid to ease growing interstate traffic movement between Delhi and the surrounding North Indian states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Named Signature Bridge, this is a landmark structure due to its design aesthetics and
    Read More

Highlighted Content