The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is set to make repairs to the U.S. Route 59 bridge in Sugar Land after the Brazos River below has eroded the structure for years.
The river flows about 90 miles through Fort Bend County and is now threatening the highway bridge that crosses over. TxDOT has determined a repair is urgent.
TxDOT is now on the cusp of a 38-month project to reconstruct part of the bridge to keep it stable.
The state agency is launching a $53 million U.S. Route 59 Bridge Extension project, moving the highway bridge and frontage roads north by 1,000 feet for the new spans. It will also add armoring, which is a metal protective barrier, to minimize erosion and eliminate the Brazos River Turnaround.
TxDOT spokesperson Kris Hadley said the closure was the best option.
"Around 2016, they permanently closed that turnaround out of concern for public safety," Hadley said.
TxDOT said the bridge extension is part of other government-funded projects across Fort Bend County to curb erosion and save homes and neighborhoods repeatedly hit by flooding.
Once work begins, the most immediate effect for drivers, besides a new collection of traffic barrels, will be the closure of the entrance and exit ramps at University Boulevard.
Traffic on the main lanes is expected to remain open during the day. But that will change on nights and weekends, as traffic will be diverted to the feeder road, which might lead to traffic jams.
The work will begin mid-June, according to TxDOT.
Source: Fox 26 Houston, ABC13.com
