2 Broken Arrow Bridges Closing For Repairs

Starting Wednesday, drivers in Broken Arrow will see lane closures on the Aspen and Elm bridges that cross over the Creek Turnpike.

The city said runoff water is causing erosion on both bridges and causing the barrier to sink.

“Water has gotten down in there as well as being down from the outside of edge of the wall and it’s eroded out some of that soil and that’s what is causing problems," said Travis Small. 

Small is Broken Arrow's Transportation Manager and said crews aren't sure yet how much damage the runoff water is causing. 

“Basically the surface runoff from the deck and the bridge is I guess getting into the cracks and then the surface of the deck," said Small.

He said while water erosion is a common issue with roadways, it is not always easy to find until the water creates problems like it has on these bridges.

“Especially when it’s kind of in a discreate area or an area where it’s not easily observed," said Ethan Edwards.

Edwards is the Director of Engineering and Construction for Broken Arrow. He said the city found the erosion in January and the two weeks of February’s hard freeze didn’t help the situation either.

“In this case you can physically see the barrier wall has sunk on both of the bridges. One significantly and one slightly. So that was the visual indicator that something is happening that we couldn’t see," said Edwards.

He said this area sees tens of thousands of cars daily and the public will still be able to use the bridges, but drivers should expect delays. He said they are hoping repairs will only take 30 days.