Landreth Dam bridge open temporarily

By Sam Waller

The reopening of the Landreth Dam bridge was delayed after an incident caused more damage to the historic structure, according to Tanya Brown, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation Abilene District.

Brown said that early on the morning of Friday, Jan. 14, a vehicle went through the barricades, striking a piece of equipment and pushing it into the concrete railing, causing damage.

The driver of the vehicle was issued a citation for disregarding a warning sign/barricade, a Class C violation, according to Department of Public Safety Trooper Michael Jones.

On Thursday, Jan. 20, a contractor formed new railings and poured concrete to repair the damaged railing. The bridge reopened on Tuesday, Jan. 25, but only temporarily.

The second phase of the repair work is still scheduled to start on Feb. 21 and is expected to take eight work days to complete, Brown said. The second phase will again require closing the bridge to vehicle traffic for the duration.

Brown stressed that the work schedule is dependent on weather conditions.

The bridge had been closed to traffic since Nov. 23, when an excavator collided with the crossbeam of each portal, cutting off access to the southeastern part of the county by that route.

The bridge, located about 11 miles east of Albany on FM 601 at Hubbard Creek, is of historical significance as the only truss bridge in the TxDOT system still serving vehicle traffic.

The bridge was to have been temporarily reopened on Jan. 15 until the most recent incident.