It simply isn’t there.
On Thursday, TxDOT released a report of structurally deficient bridges throughout the state, including the Toll Bridge Road bridge as one of more than 2,000 in the state and one of five in the county. Of the state’s structurally deficient bridges, 282 are currently being rehabilitated or re-placed.
An additional 1,303 are set for work under the state’s Unified Transportation Plan.
Other structurally deficient bridges in Bell County are: a bridge crossing Nolan Creek on Central Avenue in Belton; Bottom’s Road bridge crossing Big Elm Creek; Taylor’s Valley Road bridge crossing the Leon River; and Darrs Creek Road bridge crossing South Darrs Creek. The Central Avenue, Toll Bridge Road and Taylor’s Valley Road bridges are scheduled for construction within the next 10 years. The other two bridges have not been scheduled.
While considered structurally deficient by the state that doesn’t mean the bridges are unsafe, according to state officials. Those bridges just need additional repair and maintenance to remain in service, and they also usually have posted weight limits.
That was the case for the Toll Bridge Road bridge before it collapsed after a pickup truck hit a corner of the structure in early 2006.
Barricades and low earthen walls now block the road to keep drivers from barreling over the end of the road and into the Lampasas River. According to the TxDOT report, the bridge that is not there has a structurally deficient rating of 16.2 out of 100.
“As a district we don’t conduct our own inspections, they come in from Austin,” Roberts said. “This entire report was provided from the Austin bridge division. They obviously used their last report - there’s no bridge there, so the bridge has no rating.”
The bridge, built in 1889, was designated with a historical marker in 1991.
“A lot of people told me they would ride over the bridge just because it was so pretty,” said Colleen Gilchrest, who lives on Toll Bridge Road, just south of the former bridge’s location.
The bridge fell about midnight on Feb. 3, 2006; a female passenger was injured when the pickup truck struck the bridge.
Mrs. Gilchrest, who keeps a file of articles and information about the bridge, said an accident on Interstate 35 earlier that day caused travelers to take Toll Bridge Road, including semi-trucks and trailers, even though the bridge had an 8,000-pound weight limit. The legal limit for a secure bridge is 80,000 pounds.
“We think that weakened it,” Mrs. Gilchrest said, noting the bridge had been struck before and survived.
This time the 50-yard long bridge with wooden planking fell about 40 feet into the river.
Roberts said the bridge was rated structurally deficient in 2004 and was due to be reinspected when it collapsed. A replacement bridge, with 2006 figures, would cost an estimated $500,000 with $15,000 of matching money. It is tentatively planned to be rebuilt in January 2010.
Belton City Manager Sam Listi said the city hasn’t received a lot of requests to have the bridge replaced.
“There has not been a groundswell of support,” he said.
That has led the city to wait for the state to replace it using primarily state dollars.
The bridge’s historical marker now resides at the city’s public works shop.
Mrs. Gilchrest said the lack of a bridge hasn’t created a problem, but said it could if the south end of Toll Bridge Road is ever blocked.
“The traffic flow has slowed down a whole lot,” she said.
While Bell County officials released the other bridges’ locations previously, the Toll Bridge Road bridge location was not released by the state because of homeland security constraints.
“That was the direction given by our department,” Roberts said.
Other structurally deficient bridges are:
· Coryell County - Moccasin Bend Road, Leon Street, County Road 314 over Station Creek and the Leon River, Oak Ridge Road.
· Lampasas County - County Road 2925.
· Milam County - County Road 428, County Road 405, County Road 276, County Road 138, County Road 258, FM 1915, County Road 417, County Road 440.
The complete state list of structurally deficient bridges can be found at www.txdot.gov.
jsicking@temple-telegram.com
