The Newport City Council has decided to not apply for a grant that could have turned the Blue Bridge into a pedestrian crossing.
Newport Mayor David Stewart tells Jonesboro television station KAIT that the city council decided Monday to not apply for the grant that could have transformed the historic bridge into a walking and recreational trail. The city applied for the same grant last year but didn't receive it.
Work is now underway to replace the 86-year-old Blue Bridge. The $31 million project is expected to be complete next year.
The bridge is one of three on the White River designed by the late Ira Hedrick, a University of Arkansas engineering graduate who went on to build many bridges throughout the South.
