Georgetown, TxDOT celebrate opening of Lakeway Drive bridge

Photo by Audrey Spencer

Representatives from the city of Georgetown, the Texas Department of Transportation and Chasco Constructors celebrated the opening of the new Lakeway Drive bridge at a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 19.

The project to replace the two-lane bridge over I-35 broke ground in December 2011 and faced obstacles such as the original contractor going bankrupt a year into construction.

A new Lakeway Bridge has been a long time in becoming a reality, Mayor George Garver said. The old bridge was the only crossover for a number of miles. Getting to the Georgetown High School from the west side of I-35 has been a safety issue. ...The flow of traffic has been hectic with a number of accidents.

TxDOT closed I-35 overnight between Feb. 15 and 16 to demolish the old Lakeway Drive bridge.

The total cost of the project, which included realigning intersections on both sides of I-35 and installing traffic signals, was $10.25 million, including $2 million from TxDOT for utility relocations, $5.75 million in federal funding and $2.5 million from the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corp.

"With the growth of our city, this new bridge is avery important element," Garver said. "Sincere thanks to all of those who have made this badly needed bridge, which is well designed, a key part of our road [infrastructure]."

Chasco President Chuck Glace said landscaping work and painting of the bridge are expected to be complete in March.