LAGO VISTA, Texas – A month after the deadly and devastating floods, crews are about halfway done on a new bridge that connects Marble Falls and Lago Vista.
The hope is to open it less than a month from now.
Floods wash away RM 1431 bridge
The backstory:
The RM 1431 bridge over Cow Creek was washed away on July 5.
This is also the area where Marble Falls Fire Chief Michael Phillips disappeared while responding during the floods.
The old bridge was built in 1960.
New RM 1431 bridge
What we know:
After the storm, TxDOT started clearing debris and searching before designing a new bridge. They got an emergency contract with Hunter Industries, who started work on July 21.
The contract is 60 days, but if the contractor finishes 20 days early, they’ll get a $1 million bonus.
“We wanted to incentivize this project to get finished because we know a 40-mile detour or so is inconvenient,” TxDOT Austin district manager Tucker Ferguson said.
The new one has 48-inch columns. The center driving surface will be five feet higher and the ends will be about three and a half feet higher than the old bridge.
“This bridge is built to today’s standards,” Ferguson said. “The opening is larger, it’s stronger, and would withstand that same type of storm.”
On Aug. 5,crews could be seen putting in beams. Once that’s done, the deck will go up. Then they’ll prepare the surface and put in the bridge rail.
Residents react
Local perspective:
Mike Pfister, who lives along Cow Creek Road, is pleased with the progress after the storm.
“There’s a low water crossing that’s out down the Cow Creek and you need a truck to get across it, but they’ve fixed the roads up. The county’s fixed the road up pretty good so that you can get across there. I think the work is being done on the bridge here in Cow Creek. It’s been very good,” he said.
What’s next:
If the contractor finishes ahead of schedule, the bridge will open at the beginning of September.
At the latest, it will open in mid-September.
The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin’s Angela Shen.
Great Job Angela.Shen@fox.com (Angela Shen) & the Team @ Latest News | FOX 7 Source link for sharing this story.
