City begins planning to replace Austin Avenue bridges

Georgetown residents will have several opportunities between February and May to give their input on how they would like the city to move forward with the replacement of the Austin Avenue bridges.

In 2014 the Texas Department of Transportation placed load-bearing limits on the bridges after structural deficiencies were found during an inspection in December 2013. Prob-lems included asphalt cracking, rusting and crumbling portions of concrete, according to a report by engineering firm Aguirre & Fields.

The load limits restrict vehicles weighing more than 48,000 pounds—including Georgetown Fire Department ladder trucks as well as fuel and garbage trucks—from driving across either bridge, Georgetown Transportation Services Director Ed Polasek said.

As of press time Jan. 8, City Council was expected to consider a contract with the firm at its Jan. 12 meeting to provide engineering and support services to develop a plan for the bridges replacement, Georgetown Transportation Engineer Bill Dryden said.

The city will host four public meetings over the course of four months to gather input, which will be used to determine the best alternatives for the bridges’ replacements, including whether the bridges should be four or five lanes and include pedestrian facilities, he said.

“In July the consultant will select based on public meetings the two most viable alternatives,” Dryden said.

The two alternatives will most likely be presented to City Council in late 2016 for a final decision on how to move forward, Dryden said.

In 2015 the city was awarded $1.3 million from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The city has also applied for funding from TxDOT’s off-system bridge replacement program.

Construction to replace the bridges could take 18 to 24 months and could be completed in phases to keep lanes open throughout the process, Polasek said.