MEMPHIS, Tenn. — More rain could mean more trouble for parts of the Big River Crossing trail, which connects Tennessee and Arkansas via a bridge over the Mississippi River.
Part of the trail on the Arkansas side was closed in February and March while the river was high.
Noe Silva’s West Memphis graphics business is just a few steps away from one trail entrance in Crittenden County.
“We get a lot more foot traffic around here,” he said.
But lately, that traffic slowed down.
“I used to ride my bike down there, but it’s flooded now,” bicyclist Montique Hill said.
“A lot of bike riders have to re-route. They go up there and have to turn back,” Silva said.
The sidewalk on parts of the trail has been uprooted and broken. Much of the pathway is roped off with caution tape.
“We knew this was a possibility. It happens. It was a little earlier in the year than we anticipated,” said Jim Johnson with the West Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The entrance of the trail is buried in mud, and there is no way anyone could get on it.
“Some areas will have to be resurfaced of what we were using on the bike path,” Johnson said.
West Memphis officials said engineers are currently evaluating what it’ll take to fix the path.
“I hope they just fix it and make sure everything turns out for everyone,” Justin Silva said.
No matter the cost, officials knew it’d be worth it for the growth of the local economy.
West Memphis officials said they didn’t know yet how much all the work will cost.
