SAN BENITO — TxDOT engineers say changes to construction plans for the rehabilitation of the mechanical lift bridge at Rio Hondo have pushed the date for the bridge to re-open to traffic to late June.
“Right now the projected completion date would be late June of 2018 due to the fact we have some issues in regard to painting the bridge,” said TxDOT’s Candido Bocanegra at the recent Harlingen-San Benito Metropolitan Planning Organization board meeting.
“As of this date, we have change work that they implemented into the contract basically to improve the steel members that are basically on the bridge structure,” he added. “The total amount … for the additional work would be approximately a half-million dollars. With additional work we have additional time involved as well.”
The now $13 million rehabilitation of the iconic yellow bridge over the Arroyo Colorado has split the City of Rio Hondo into east and west. The bridge, which opened in 1953, shut down to vehicular traffic in September 2016.
TxDOT engineers had cautioned the project could be a difficult one, since there are practically no operating mechanical lift bridges left in the United States. Some of the parts needed in the refit had to be machined since they were no longer available commercially.
Even so, the project is ahead of its 33-month TxDOT work estimate — the official finish date is in spring 2019 — and has only used up about 77 percent of that allotted time. The work is about 95 percent complete.
Open bridge or not, residents plan to celebrate Rio Hondo Bridgefest on April 28 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The event will have food and live entertainment in the downtown area. There is no cost to attend.
Bridge rehabilitation Rio Hondo lift bridge
Location: Rio Hondo
Cost: $12.4 million
Project length: 0.117 miles
Contractor: PCL Civil Contractors Inc.
Work started: Summer 2016
Completion date: February 2018
Work finished: 95 percent
The project consists of a complete overhaul of the mechanical lift bridge over the Arroyo Colorado.
