A construction milestone has been made on the new Harbor Bridge Project as the last segment of the approach portion of the bridge now set in place.
The last segment was installed on the North Beach side of the bridge on Friday.
Construction is inching closer to it's estimated 2025 completion date as more crews will soon begin shifting their attention from the approach of the bridge to the main cable stay portion of it, which extends portion over the water.
Harbor Bridge Project Spokesperson Lynn Allison said the segment completion of the approach portion is a major development that was a team effort.
"We have up to 500 people, craft employees, administrative, sub contractors, just transporting one of those segments from our precast yard from Robstown takes a lot of traffic planning coordinating, a full police escort," she said.
At the precast yard is where about 700 of those segments and delta frames remain. Allision said in the next couple of weeks, crews will finish casting all of the segments needed for the entire project.
"What it really means for our workforce as we shift these crews from the approach bridges, we are able to commit more of our talent to the cable stay bridges where there is a ton of activity," she said.
Activity that includes running the second permanent cable on the north pylon tower. You can see that take place the first week of October along with the first permanent cable to be set in place at the south tower as well.
"The north tower has another 100 feet to climb the south tower has another 115 feet to climb to get to that 536 foot total height," she said.
Allison said that Leopard Street, which has been closed off the last couple of years is about to reopen in about two weeks, weather permitting.
"Once Leopard Street opens up I think you will see a lot more connectivity around that south interchange area we still have a lot of structural work going on we do ask people to please please please slow down in the construction zones," she said.
Residents are also encouraged to be aware of a full IH-37 nightly closure that will affect all northbound and southbound mainlines from the Port Avenue to Staples Street. Detours will be in place as crews work on overhead construction around the south interchange.
It will happen next weekend, Sept. 22-25.
Motorists heading northbound on IH 37 from US 181 can access southbound SH 286 via the Northwest Loop Ramp or continue towards Calallen by taking the Port Avenue exit and remaining on the Martin Luther King Drive frontage road to reenter IH 37 at Stillman Avenue. Motorists heading northbound on IH 37 from the Bayfront area will follow the detour signs to Chaparral Street, Belden Street, N Tancahua, and remain on the Martin Luther King Drive frontage road to reenter IH 37 at Stillman Avenue. Motorists heading southbound on IH 37 to southbound SH 286 will follow the detour signs to Port Avenue, Comanche Street, and the SH 286 frontage road. Motorists heading southbound on IH 37 to the Bayfront area will follow the detour as written above to southbound SH 286, make a U-turn at Tarlton Avenue, and head northbound on SH 286 to the northbound US 181 and Staples Street exit.
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