Editors note: Since this story was published, the Texas Department of Transportation has announced that the project will be delayed approximately two weeks. In addition, cost estimates, the project's approval date and a completion date have been provided.

The Texas Department of Transportation is set to temporarily close I-69 starting on Jan. 13 to reconfigure lanes for a $5.9 million bridge replacement project on I-69 over Oyster Creek.

According to a Jan. 3 news release, the new configuration consists of closing both inside high-occupancy vehicle lanes and shifting the traffic to the south. Four lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained, the release said.

The southbound closure will begin Friday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. in the southbound direction, and traffic will be forced to exit south of Williams Trace Boulevard and can reenter north of Hwy. 6.

"The northbound direction will maintain two open lanes," the release said.


In the evening on Saturday, Jan. 14, the southbound direction is expected reopen in the new configuration. At that time, the northbound direction will be closed completely. Traffic will be forced to exit north of Hwy. 6 and will be allowed to reenter south of Williams Trace Boulevard, according to the release.

Both lanes are expected to reopen Jan. 15 at 5 a.m.

The full project is set to be completed Jan. 18, 2024. The replacement project was approved on Sept. 22, 2022.