Houstonians planning to travel in the area can anticipate some delays as lane closures are expected, according to officials with the Texas Department of Transportation, who are working to put a new, wider bridge in at the site.
“The first main phase of construction requires half of the bridge to be demolished and will only leave enough room for one lane to remain open across the bridge,” TxDOT Public Information Officer Emily Black said.
However, the one-lane closure will not last for the entire project, Black said.
“Once the first new half of the bridge is built, traffic will be switched over to the new half of the bridge for the second main phase,” Black said. “There will be enough room to safely open two lanes across the bridge for the remainder of the project.”
Improvements with the newly constructed bridge will include lengthening the width of the lanes from 11 to 12 feet as well as adding shoulders and six-foot-wide sidewalks. The existing bridge has no shoulders and four-foot-wide sidewalks, Black said.
In an email update regarding the project, Brays Bayou Association President Charles Goforth called the sidewalks dangerous, and noted they are often covered in litter and road debris.
“This is yet another needed improvement for the area,” Goforth said in the email.
The project is estimated to cost more than $3 million with an approximate completion date for the end of 2023.
