Groundbreaking Starts On Llano County Bridge Washed Away By Flood

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Texas Department of Transportation, along with state and local officials from Llano County, recently staged a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the construction of the RM 2900 replacement bridge, which began three weeks after raging floodwaters washed away the old one.

The Oct. 16 flood along the Llano River arm of Lake LBJ was the largest flooding event since 1935, officials explained At the height of flooding, the river was discharging an estimated 290,000 cubic feet of water per second, according to TxDot. After the bridge was washed out, TxDOT got to work immediately on plans for a new one, awarding a contract in just 15 days, officials said..

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Friday, Nov. 9.

“The new bridge will cost $17.3 million, which includes incentives for the contractor, Capital Excavation Company, to expedite construction,” TxDOT Austin District Engineer Terry McCoy said. “If all goes well, the new bridge will open by next April.”

Officials said the bridge will be widened to include 12-foot travel lanes, six-foot shoulders and a six-foot sidewalk. It will also be built as a “perch” bridge, meaning the center of the bridge will be higher than the ends, according to a TxDot press advisory. At its highest point, the new bridge is expected to be about five-feet higher than the previous bridge.

"Texans expect their elected officials to work together in times of need, and I am proud to be part of the effort to have the 2900 bridge in Kingsland rebuilt as quickly as possible,” Dawn Buckingham, State Senator District 24, said. “Over the next few months I will continue to work with TxDOT, as well as local leaders and our federal partners, to ensure recovery efforts adequately meet the needs of the communities affected by flooding."

Some 5,600 vehicles a day travel RM 2900, a north-south route between RM 1431 and SH 71. While the bridge is under construction, drivers are encouraged to use RM 1431 to access Kingsland.

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