Historic Flooding Forcing Hwy 23 Bridge In Ozark To Close Tonight

OZARK, Ark. (KFSM) — Historic flooding along the Arkansas River has forced the Hwy 23 bridge in Ozark to close tonight, according to  Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials.

Crews will be at the bridge starting tonight at 8:30 to monitor rising water levels.

The Hwy 23 bridge is already down to one lane due to high water. ARDOT says they will wait as long as they can before closing it.

Emergency crews are continually monitoring the rise of the river and reporting data back to the Corps of Engineers in order to determine what roads need to be closed.

ARDOT spokesperson Danny Straessle told 5NEWS that if bridges are closed due to flooding it’s because of the water flow, not because of the structure itself. He says the bridges are designed to handle tremendous water flow.

Click here for a list of the roads closed in Franklin County due to the flooding.

BREAKING NEWS: the State Highway 23 Bridge crossing the #Arkansas River at Ozark is closing tonight. Crews will be on-scene at 8:30 to monitor rising water levels. The route is already down to one lane due to high water. We will wait as long as we can before closing it. #ARnews

— Arkansas DOT (@myARDOT) May 28, 2019