Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) attended the Liberty County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, August 13, to provide a crucial update regarding the FM 787 bridge over the Trinity River, located in north Liberty County near Rye and Romayor.
The bridge has faced significant challenges following severe flooding in April and May 2024, which led to the failure of the western approach slab on May 7. Martin Gonzalez, the area engineer for TxDOT’s Beaumont District, informed the court of the current status and future plans for the bridge repairs.
After the initial damage to the western approach slab, the eastern approach slab has now begun to fail. This failure occurs just a year and a half after repairs were completed following damage from Hurricane Harvey. Gonzalez stated that TxDOT had initially entered into an emergency maintenance contract to address the western approach. However, with the new issues arising on the eastern side, the decision was made to combine both repair projects into a single contract. This move aims to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness while addressing both sides of the bridge simultaneously.
“We are going to be doing a temporary repair. Everything we do at this location is temporary. We have been fighting this battle for more than 45 years. The water is going to do what water wants to do. We can try all we can, but nature is going to win in the end,” Gonzalez said.
To tackle the immediate problems, TxDOT plans to add a couple of additional spans to bridge the gaps over the failures, although these are only temporary measures. Gonzalez explained that the long-term solution involves realigning the highway and constructing a new bridge away from the problematic river bend.
The emergency repair process differs from standard bid letting procedures. TxDOT actively seeks out qualified contractors, bypassing the typical bidding process.
“With emergency maintenance, we do the design and search for contractors. It’s not like the typical process. We actually seek out contractors we know are capable of doing this kind of work,” said Gonzalez.
This allows TxDOT to select the most suitable contractor for the project without being constrained to the lowest bidder.
Gonzalez anticipates finalizing the design modifications this week, with the project going out for contractor bidding next week.
“After we award the contract, we are anticipating approximately four months before the bridge reopens, weather permitting,” he said, adding that safety and the swift reopening of the road to the public remain top priorities.
Alongside the temporary repairs, TxDOT is actively working on a permanent solution, which involves bridge realignment. Studies are being conducted to determine the best relocation site, considering the river’s behavior over recent years. The project is slated for an official launch in 2028, with the new bridge expected to open by 2030, although efforts to expedite the process are ongoing.
Gonzalez invited county commissioners and County Judge Jay Knight to a town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 15, at 7 p.m. at Rainbow Baptist Church in Rye. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to engage with officials and express their concerns.
“We understand the frustration. We really do,” Gonzalez acknowledged. He emphasized TxDOT’s commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer money, ensuring that the combined approach will yield better results and value.
The public is encouraged to attend the town hall meeting, where Bluebonnet News will also be present to record the proceedings. However, due to the area’s unpredictable Internet connections, the video may need to be uploaded from a different location post-meeting.
That’s really smart open your check book let them write the amount that last time we went throw this your repair was half of what a new bridge would and we had know it was not going to last stop wasting our taxes
I wonder if TXDOT has seen it since the pilings on the west end started sinking. Go down much more and the two sections will be in the river.
I thank God and the American people for helping me through the flood that destroyed this bridge. 😔
Thanks to Bo Smith and Chief Bo Potter with Romayor Vfd for closing the bridge the night before collasap . IT WAS NOT TX DOT that closed our bridge… thanks Bo Smith and Bo Potter