Texas flooding: Temporary bridge opens for Big Sandy Creek residents

LEANDER, Texas – A temporary low water crossing is now open over Big Sandy Creek. 

It was built by Travis County and allows residents of the Northwest Leander community to bring in heavy equipment and rebuild after the July 4th flood.

Big Sandy Creek Bridge

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Gov. Abbott spoke about the heartache people are still feeling and how the weather continues to hamper response efforts in Central Texas and in Kerr County. He also spoke about how 25 different states have sent teams to Texas to help with the response

The temporary low water crossing over Big Sandy Creek in Leander got the green-light early Monday morning. 

Tim Joubert said the email he got from county officials was a welcome wake-up call.

“It is what it is. We can go in and out right now. That’s a godsend. We’ve been waiting for it,” said Joubert.

Texas flooding: Bridge damage, growing frustration

People who live in the Sandy Creek area in Travis County say they’re frustrated about a bridge closure that’s left them feeling trapped in their neighborhood. FOX 7 Austin’s Jessica Rivera has a look at the bridge and speaks with residents.

The loss of the one and only bridge into this community cut off about 200 homes. Colton Garner and his puppy Nova were among those taking advantage of the new crossing.

“It’s a lot better. We can actually get some supplies in and out. People can get to work or doctor’s appointments. It opens up so many opportunities. I came from the church just to help volunteer, and now we can easily get up there,” said Garner.

It took only three days to build the low-water crossing, but residents were upset that the planning process took longer than construction. The next big step is to determine if this bridge can be saved or if it’s a total rebuild.

“It is technically standing. We know that there’s some danger in putting significant amounts of weight on there, so once we clear the debris, our engineers will take a second look and look at the base of the bridge. See if it can be repaired and from there we will move forward,” said Travis County spokesperson Hector Nieto.

The bridge decking shifted from the impact. Residents are hoping the roadway can be reset and not rebuilt.

“It doesn’t have to be a tear out. It really shouldn’t have to be. I’m not an engineer. They’re saying as well. It should be a quick pickup and slide back over and then reinforce,” said Joubert.