The Texas Department of Transportation recently awarded a $14.6 million dollar project to J. H. Strain & Sons, Inc. who will be the contractor who will widen the existing bridges and replace the bridge decks over Elm Creek, the Colorado River, and the South Orient Railroad/ FM 382.

Barricades are set and initial work, which will occur on the underside of the Railroad/FM 382 bridge, is expected to have little impact on traffic.

The existing bridges were built between 1958 and 1963 and need to be wider to accommodate the increased truck traffic through Ballinger. The Elm Creek and Railroad bridges will be widened 12 feet and the Colorado River Bridge will be widened by a foot- and- a- half. The average daily traffic on the Colorado River bridge is greater at 8,700 vehicles, than the Elm Creek and Railroad bridges which has 5,600 vehicles per day cross their spans.

Funding for this project is “traditional”, meaning that monies were received from legislative appropriations and bond issuances.

Go to txdot.gov for more information.

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