Little Rock to demolish damaged Markham Street pedestrian bridge
The City of Little Rock will proceed with demolishing the pedestrian bridge over West Markham Street after engineers found extensive damage following a truck strike.
The city identified the vehicle as a large dump truck. The damaged structure crosses West Markham Street near Markham and Dennison streets.
The demolition decision was published in the city’s July 2026 news cycle. The available city information does not identify the exact date of the truck strike or a date for demolition.
Engineering assessment prompted removal
City engineers assessed the bridge after the vehicle struck it and found extensive damage, according to the city. Little Rock’s announced course is demolition rather than repair.
The announcement establishes that the existing pedestrian bridge will be removed. It does not establish a timeline for the work, a cost for the demolition or how long any related traffic controls may remain in place.
The city also has not announced in the available information whether it has approved a replacement bridge. No permanent pedestrian detour has been identified in the information provided by the city.
West Markham was temporarily closed during evaluation
Little Rock temporarily closed a portion of West Markham Street to through traffic while engineers evaluated the damaged structure. The temporary closure was part of the city’s response after the bridge was struck.
The bridge sits over a major Little Rock corridor, so its removal concerns both pedestrian access across West Markham and traffic circulation on the street below. The city’s decision follows its engineering finding of extensive damage, rather than a previously announced replacement or reconstruction plan.
The available announcement does not say whether the temporary roadway closure has ended, whether additional closures will be needed for demolition or what traffic-control arrangements may be used during the work. It also does not provide longer-term plans for pedestrian access at the crossing.
What happens next
The next confirmed action is demolition of the damaged bridge. Little Rock has not publicly provided, in the available city information, a demolition schedule, project budget, replacement decision or permanent pedestrian-routing plan.
People who travel through the West Markham and Dennison area—whether on foot or by vehicle—will need to await further city announcements for demolition timing and any related roadway or pedestrian-access details. Until then, the confirmed development is limited to the damage assessment, the prior temporary closure and the city’s decision to remove the bridge.
Sources
- City of Little Rock News, City of Little Rock
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