SAN ANGELO, TX — Reece Albert crews continue demolition work on the section of the Bell St. bridge that was damaged on Mother's Day.
The bridge that is an overpass of the Houston Harte Expressway and U.S. 67 on the northeast side of San Angelo was hit by an oversized load, a truck tractor pulling a semi-trailer with a very large and tall column for a power generation windmill, on May 12.
Texas Department of Transportation San Angelo District office Public Information Officer Karen Threlkeld said traffic around the damaged bridge has been diverted while demolition is underway.
U.S. 67 southbound will be closed in this area and motorists will take the Bell Street exit to go around the closure.
For drivers on the northbound side of US 67, they will exit at Bell Street and come to a stop sign at the corner of the frontage road and Bell Street. Due to the demolition work, the traffic signal will be inoperative.
Watch: video of demolition:
Bell Street over US 67, and its sidewalks in this area, will be closed during the demolition work. Two 26,000 pound bridge beams will be removed as a part of the effort.
The bridge overhang, which is the sidewalk area, will also be removed. This accounts for roughly 11 feet on each side of the bridge that will be removed.
Demolition will be contained to only the southbound side of the bridge. Reece Albert will be working continuously during daylight hours to complete the task.
They estimate demolition will take 14 days.
After the demolition, Threlkeld says TxDOT will then bid out reconstruction. The entire process will take about a year and there will be additional road closures.
When the big rig transporting a wind turbine tower section slammed into the bridge on Sunday May 12, it caused serious damage to the bridge. Both Bell St. and U.S. 67 were closed while engineers inspected the damage. Another big rig transporting a wind turbine tower section got stuck under loop 306 on June 5.
The construction of wind turbine towers to generate energy from the wind is big business in the region. Threlkeld says over 100 oversized wind tower-related loads travel through the 15-county San Angelo District every day.
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Comments
"The signal on the frontage road by Stripes will be constant green to keep traffic flowing."
Wanna bet?
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PermalinkSo far that light hasn't been steady green. Every time I have went through I have had to stop for the light, even when there is NO traffic coming off of Bell Street going Southbound.
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PermalinkSo, demolish a partially functional heavy traffic route and THEN put it out for bid to repair - ensuring it will be closed for at least a year. What idiot decided this was the smart way to get the Bell St. bridge repaired and operational in the most expedient manner?
I'm beginning to think the main purpose of the TXDOT and COSA Management is to serve for others as an example of what not to do.
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PermalinkThey have turned Texas roadways into something that resembles that of a third world nation. It's as if none of them realize that there is truth in "You get what you pay for." Consistently awarding contracts to the lowest bidder means we're consistently getting the shoddiest repairs and construction. Last summer TXDOT contractors resurfaced ten miles of FM road near my home. It took one and a half days and it shows. Most of the asphalt has separated and sections are much like gravel roads. I'll bet they don't repair it anytime soon either.
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PermalinkIs there any update on when they will begin fixing this? Or does anybody know where I can look to find an answer?
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