Demolition of the old Columbia Ouachita River bridge has been postponed because of high water levels, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.

Eric Washburn, project engineer for the Coast Guard, said once preparations for demolition of the lift span begins, the state Department of Transportation and Development won't be able to raise the bridge for barge traffic to pass.

"A big boat or barge could be stuck upriver until mid-August, and we don't want that," Washburn said.

Washburn said that demolition, which could take 10 days to two weeks, had been schedule to begin Monday, but the new target date is Aug. 1.

Normally, the river level is at pool stage, or 34 feet, during the summer, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts that the river will crest at 45 feet on July 23 following heavy rains here and in Texas.

At pool stage, boats and barges would have 52 feet of clearance, which means the lift span wouldn't have to be raised. But a river level of 45 feet would only leave 39 feet of clearance, which isn't enough for many boats.

"There is rarely a request to lift the span during this time of year when we're normally at pool stage, but there are many boats with tall antennas and radar that wouldn't be able to pass at the current clearance," said Jimmy Coldiron of the corps.

Coldiron said recent flooding in Texas has swollen the Red River, which keeps the Ouachita River from draining as fast.

Once the river levels drop, demolition teams will place explosives on all three spans of the bridge and send them splashing into the river. Washburn said when that happens the contractor will have 24 hours to remove the lift span from the river.

The new, $40-million Columbia bridge opened on July 2 after about six years of construction.