South Elm Street bridge in Keller to be demolished, reconstructed in February

The bridge along South Elm Street in Keller is expected to be closed for four months starting in February.

What residents should know

Elm Street will be closing at Pecan Street with southbound traffic on Elm Street detouring to US 377 as a reconstruction improvement project continues in Old Town Keller. The bridge will be demolished and reconstructed to meet current floodplain standards, Public Works Capital Projects Manager Rick Hardcopf said in an email. The new bridge will also have pedestrian access to cross the creek beneath the bridge, he said.

“Work on Elm Street is like replacing a car engine while you’re driving the car,” he said. “We’re working within the space constraints of a narrow, developed project corridor and need to build new infrastructure while keeping all the existing services running and maintaining public access and safety during construction.”

Other improvements to South Elm Street include on-street parking and off-street parking, gateway features, landscaping, benches, trash cans and bike racks, according to previous reporting. Hardcopf said Public Works is also working on other improvements like:

• Replacing water and sewer lines
• Changing the street from bar ditches to curb-and-gutter drainage
• Stamped and stained concrete
• Lighting for pedestrians

Rachel Reynolds, the city's communication and public engagement manager, said icy conditions from Winter Storm Fern at the end of January pushed the demolition date back and a final start date in February will be determined later.

The background

The reconstruction project, which the city’s public works department said is currently budgeted at $30.7 million, is part of a larger effort to improve Old Town Keller. South Elm Street and Bates Street, which was completed October 2023, per previous reporting, are both part of the second phase of Old Town Keller improvements.

Construction for South Elm Street started in 2025. Hardcopf said the street is on schedule to be completed by summer 2028.