Riding the wave.

That's how residents describe driving across Beaver Bridge over the White River in Arkansas.

Buzz Peine, who lives in Beaver, said, "They're driving uphill all the way across, and the bridge sags behind them. It's impressive."

But it's not supposed to make a tidal wave, like the wave two buses made while driving over it.

Roger Shoffit, who lives in Beaver, said, "With the GPS, a lot of the cars and heavier vehicles are taking this route to go around Eureka Springs. And we're afraid they will close this bridge due to the overweight loads that are going across it."

On the drive toward the bridge, you'll find multiple signs saying vehicles weighing more than 10 tons are not allowed.

Shoffit said, "The problem is that there's over 62 signs between when you get onto our road and when you hit the bridge."

But that still did not stop two buses from crossing the bridge this weekend.

Shoffit said, "It breaks my heart every time I see this."

A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Transportation says each bus could weigh up to 35 tons.

That's more than three times the weight that's allowed on Beaver Bridge.

ARDOT was already doing routine maintenance on the bridge, and inspected it for safety Monday.

The bridge is 70 years old and designed to flex, but not for that much weight.

"It doesn't take a scientist or engineer to realize when you're overweight on that bridge. When it straightens out, you know you're overweight," Shoffit said.

And those buses weren't the only overweight vehicles that drove over the bridge.

Shoffit said, "This past weekend we had one fire truck with 500 gallons of water go across."

The bridge is up to state standards, and residents don't want their bridge to be torn down or replaced, or worst of all, to collapse altogether with a bus full of people on it.

Peine said, "But if people respected it, it'll last. There's nothing wrong with it. The supports are good. They're out here maintaining it now. Their engineers are out here every year looking at it."

ARDOT said it did not find any structural issues related to the overloading and will continue with its routine maintenance.

ARDOT also was not sure what company owned the buses that crossed the bridge.