San Antonio Street Bridge Updates

The Texas Department of Transportation has informed the City of New Braunfels that the $4.5 million dollar San Antonio St. Bridge project is significantly complete and will reopen to traffic on July 15^th, weather permitting.

Preparations for the bridge reconstruction project began in August of 2019 followed by the full closure of the bridge on September 3^rd, 2019.  Once closed, TXDOT contractor Capital Excavation began the work to upgrade the structural and safety aspects of the bridge while retaining its historical ambiance and architecture.  These improvements include widening the bridge from 30-feet to 48-feet, making way for 15-foot vehicle lanes with shoulders, 8-foot wide sidewalks for pedestrians on each side of the bridge, and a 1-foot area for the bridge rail.

The original bridge, which was built in 1923, lacked shoulders and only had narrow sidewalks that posed safety risks for pedestrians and drivers.  Additionally, the weight limit on the original bridge could not support heavier vehicles, including emergency response vehicles, which impacted response times.  With the completion of this project, those heavier vehicles can now safely cross the bridge and there is now ample space for vehicles and pedestrians.

Although the bridge will be open to traffic, Capital Excavation does still have some clean up items to complete on the project, although that final work should not affect vehicle or pedestrian traffic.     

Initially, the bridge was scheduled to open by the end of 2020, but with construction innovations learned from other historical structures, Capital Excavation and TxDOT were able to substantially reduce the completion date on this project.  The details for a potential dedication ceremony are still pending.  For more about the San Antonio St. Bridge project, log on to www.nbtexas.org/bridge.

As part of the ongoing reconstruction of the San Antonio Street Bridge, Capital Excavation, the contractor on the project, will be delivering large pre-cast bridge beams this week, potentially causing traffic delays in and around the downtown New Braunfels area.

At approximately 8:00am on Thursday (02/13/20), drivers can expect to see a total of 18 large trucks lining up in the center left turn lane along Business 35 (Elliot Knox Blvd.) from Spur St. to Live Oak Ave. Those trucks will then proceed along Business 35 and turn left onto Seguin Ave. on their way to the Main Plaza. From approximately 8:30am until 12:00pm, drivers should expect intermittent closures of the Main Plaza traffic circle to allow those large trucks the space needed to safely deliver the beams. As this work is proceeding, an additional 18 trucks will be delivering beams on the north side of the bridge.  These beams will be staged in Prince Solms Park requiring the closure of Liebscher Dr. into Prince Solms Park during this same timeframe. 

The next day, at approximately 8:00am on Friday (02/14/20), an additional 27 large trucks will make their way down Loop 337 to Common St. and, ultimately, to Prince Solms Park so that crews can place beams on that side of the bridge reconstruction project. Due to the amount of truck activity in the area, the Liebscher Dr. access into Prince Solms Park will be closed throughout the day until approximately 5:00pm.

On both days, the delivery of these beams will likely cause periodic traffic impacts. Traffic control officers from the New Braunfels Police Department will be on hand to help minimize those impacts to area drivers.  However, drivers are urged to avoid those areas, if possible, on those days, and to have patience if they find themselves temporarily affected by traffic.

For additional details about the San Antonio Street Bridge Reconstruction Project, please log on to www.nbtexas.org/bridge.