Reconstruction of bridge at Barker Cypress and Hwy. 290 to begin in June

Work is expected to begin June 8 on the reconstruction of the bridge at Hwy. 290 and Barker Cypress Road as part of the ongoing Hwy. 290 expansion project.

The first phase of the project involves shifting travel lanes to the western half of the existing bridge, said Karen Othon, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation. Temporary pavement markings will be placed to allow for two lanes northbound and one lane southbound on the bridge.

"There will be lane closures on the bridge and on the main lanes to safely allow for demolition," Othon said. "Before June 8 we anticipate some intermittent closures to prepare for the traffic shift."

Othon said work has already begun on the project—crews have started on storm sewer installation along the frontage road of the highway. The demolition of the bridge is set to begin June 13.

"The goal is to safely reconstruct the bridge to accommodate two through lanes and one left-turn lane in each direction, and to widen the bridge's span across Hwy. 290," Othon said. "This also will address congestion in the area. Since we are widening Hwy. 290, the bridge will be spanning a longer distance so it was necessary to reconstruct."

The reconstruction project is expected to take about 80 days, and construction crews will be working 24/7, Othon said. The project is one portion of the Hwy. 290 expansion project from Telge Road to Mueschke, which will cost $85 million to complete. Work is expected to be complete on the expansion project from Loop 610 to the Grand Parkway by 2017.

See Community Impact Newspaper's June 19 edition for more details on the bridge project.