TxDOT officials answer questions about FM 787 bridge failure during town hall in Rye

Rainbow Baptist Church in Rye on Thursday, Aug. 15, was packed with concerned residents from north Liberty County, as well as those affected by the closure of the FM 787 bridge over the Trinity River near Romayor. The town hall meeting, organized through the tireless efforts of Liberty County resident Nancy Murphy, was aimed at addressing the growing frustrations surrounding the closure of the bridge, which failed during recent flooding.

Liberty County Judge Jay Knight and Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur were in attendance to provide updates and address the concerns of the community. Knight opened the meeting with an acknowledgment of the slow pace of government operations.

“Thank you all for coming. Thank you for your concerns and questions. Government moves slow. I hate to say that. I am not a patient man, but one thing I did learn in the last 10 years is that government moves slow and there are reasons for it,” Knight said, adding that while impatience is understandable, “jumping up and down and stomping your feet does little to help a situation.”

Knight went on to express his confidence in Martin Gonzalez, the Beaumont district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). He praised Gonzalez, who oversees eight Southeast Texas counties, for his honesty and commitment to transparency.

“He will tell you the truth, no matter how much you might say it hurts. I’ll echo that hurt with you. But he will tell you the truth on what it’s going to cost, what the engineering aspects are for this project,” Knight told the attendees.

Gonzalez then took the microphone to provide the latest updates on the FM 787 bridge situation. He explained that the remedy will be two-fold: a temporary repair to the bridge’s east and west embankments, both of which were washed out during the flooding, followed by a long-term plan to construct a new bridge north of the current location. The Trinity River’s shifting path, particularly where the bridge is located, presents ongoing challenges, making the long-term solution crucial to avoiding future washouts.

“We all know we got a lot of rain, and the Trinity River has been flowing the way that it’s going to flow for years, right? And we all know that this has been an issue that has been ongoing for over 40 years in this whole area, and I understand the frustration and I share your frustration with what has happened to this point,” Gonzalez said, adding that while he cannot speak to past decisions, he is focused on ensuring a safe and effective solution moving forward.

Gonzalez detailed the emergency maintenance contract process, explaining that the initial focus was to add spans to the west end of the bridge to prevent further erosion. However, when additional cracking was discovered on the east side, which had been repaired after Hurricane Harvey, the decision was made to also address this side, too, to ensure the integrity of the bridge.

“The reason for that is because our crew went out there, and we were trying to see if we could repair it ourselves in-house. When Bridge Division came out there and looked, and they saw that there’s a significant amount of settling and some issues with the wall that was built after Harvey, the decision was made to add spans on the east side as well,” Gonzalez explained.

The timeline for these repairs, once the contract is awarded, is estimated at 120 days from the start of construction, with a target of early September to begin work. Gonzalez assured the community that every effort would be made to expedite the process while maintaining safety and quality standards. He also discussed the use of high-yield, early-strength concrete to speed up the construction process.

While the temporary repairs are underway, Gonzalez and his team will continue working on the long-term solution, which involves realigning the road to the north of its current location. This project, which will include elevating portions of the road to avoid future flooding issues and land acquisitions, is expected to be completed between 2030 and 2031.

Throughout the meeting, Gonzalez reiterated his commitment to the safety of the community and the importance of getting the project right, even if it takes time.

“I know it’s frustrating, and I know that I would love to be able to just put a bridge up as quickly as possible, but I want to do it right. I don’t want to just do it fast,” he said.

TxDOT officials stayed for another hour after Gonzalez spoke, addressing questions and concerns from residents in attendance.