HOT SPRINGS – A long-awaited project on the north end of the suspended sidewalk along North River Street in downtown recently wrapped up, just in time for the summer season.
The project was the result of negotiations between the City of Hot Springs, the State Department of Transportation, ISG (design firm) and Corr Construction regarding a flaw in the design of the suspended sidewalk, completed in 2024.
The settlement has ISG paying the City of Hot Springs $27,138.65 to offset the total cost of $37,176 to have Corr Construction come back to town earlier this month and extend the suspended sidewalk at its north end by approximately 10 feet, 5 inches. This extension corrected an issue which placed the northernmost tower directly in the path of the transition from the suspended sidewalk to the regular concrete sidewalk.
Due to this flaw, the city was forced to put up signs saying the sidewalk was closed in order to avoid pedestrians needing to step into the street to get around the tower.
The City of Hot Springs was responsible for paying Corr Construction a little over $10,000, which would had been the cost the city would have paid originally, had the sidewalk been designed and built with the appropriate specifications.
Accordingtotheagreement, Corr Construction needed to have the project completed no later than August 15, 2026.
“We understood the highway project was hard on businesses, and because this extension was on the City’s timeline rather than the State’s, we wanted to make the project work as smoothly as possible for everyone involved,” stated City Administrator Aerial Allison recently. “After speaking with businesses in the vicinity, the goal was to complete the work either before tourist season began or after it ended, targeting either early May or late September. Corr Construction was able to get us on their schedule quickly and will be wrapping up the project this week or next.”
Regarding another pending downtown project, Allison said the Kidney Springs Gazebo reconstruction is ongoing.
“The statue is still secured in the city shop while we gather quotes for the sanding and painting of the fiberglass columns and bases. We still hope to get this work done while the Kidney Springs area is torn up due to work on the Minnekahta Bridge.”