Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is working on two bridge projects in the Ben Bolt - Palito Blanco area in Jim Wells County. The San Andreas and Tranquitas Creek Bridges are in serious need of repair.
TxDOT will start work on the first part of the project on Monday, Feb. 3, on County Road 440. The projects will replace two bridges and their culverts.
Precinct 4 County Commissioner Mauricio "Wicho" Gonzalez said the safety of motorists who use these bridges is a concern. The San Andreas Creek has deep cracks that run vertically and horizontally; it also has missing concrete pieces exposing the rebar.
“Those bridges were determined to have some lower ratings and deemed that replacing them would be the best option,” said Eric Martinez, TxDOT Alice area engineer.
Eric Martinez is the TxDOT Alice area engineer. He said the combined total of the projects will cost over $1.4 million - money awarded from a federal fund towards TxDOT Highway Projects throughout the state.
Former County Commissioner and lifelong resident Javier N. Garcia said you don’t realize the damage driving on the bridges, but it’s there.
“They’ve been in bad shape for many, many years,” Garcia said. “The highway department comes and checks on them. The problem was that - they tell you all the things that are wrong with them, but we could never get any funds for them.”
Commissioner Gonzalez took neighborhood news reporter Melissa Trevino under one of the bridges to show her the cracks and deterioration of the concrete.
“TxDOT does the inspections on the county bridges every two years. One of the two that’s going to get redone is this county road,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez has property that runs along the San Andreas Creek, but he said the decision on which bridges to repair is a TxDOT decision - not one made by the commissioners court.
“It’s very much needed. There’s a lot of damage to this bridge here. You can see the rebar. I’m surprised it’s still up,” Gonzalez said.
The bridge projects are estimated to take at least eight months to complete. Officials ask for patience and for motorists to find alternate routes as they work.
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