JONESBORO, Ark. — South Main Street in downtown Jonesboro could partially reopen as soon as today as crews work to stabilize a building at 219 S. Main St., following structural issues late last week.
City spokesperson Brian Richardson announced Monday evening that stabilization efforts are progressing after he and the city engineer inspected the building earlier in the day. Richardson expressed optimism about the progress, stating that crews aim to complete structural shoring by Tuesday, which would allow for the reopening of the area.
Shoring is a process in which temporary support is added to reinforce a structure. City officials confirmed that while additional cosmetic repairs will be necessary after stabilization, these are not expected to affect the road's reopening.
“We certainly appreciate the owner quickly taking action,” said Richardson, emphasizing the importance of the immediate response.
The 200 block of South Main Street was closed on Friday afternoon after a portion of a front column on the building detached and fell onto the sidewalk below at approximately 1:30 p.m. No injuries were reported, but the building was evacuated, and its structural integrity was assessed. Vehicle traffic has since been restricted between Huntington Avenue and Cate Avenue, although pedestrians have been allowed to proceed outside of safety-taped areas.
Officials are hopeful that with stabilization efforts nearly complete, the road will soon return to partial or full operation, restoring a vital downtown link.