Brazos River bridge demolition among most complex parts of I-35 overhaul – Waco Tribune-Herald

Crews continue work on what is considered one of the most difficult elements of the $341 million Interstate 35 project the demolition and replacement of bridges over the Brazos River.

Workers with Webber LLC started hammering away the decking from the southbound bridge last Friday and soon will be cutting away the metal beams underneath, said Clayton Zacha, Waco area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation.

The delicate work over the Brazos River is part of what could be a four-year project to rebuild and expand Interstate 35 from 12th Street north to Loop 340.

Waco residents and local businesses already are growing weary from the inconveniences and delays from the massive highway project, but officials promise they are doing everything they can to minimize the pain.

Any time you work over water, it presents unique challenges for sure, Zacha said. Overall, it typically causes slower production and workflow because of environmental protections that have to be in place, plus access obviously is completely different from working over dry land.

Crews are using large barges under the bridge to catch falling debris to prevent it from getting into the waterway.

While this weeks rains have slowed the pace of the work a bit, it has helped workers minimize and control dust from the debris. But the rain also has quickened the pace of the water flow, Zacha said.

Without the rain, crews keep the work area watered to control dust debris, he said. But there are other measures that must be taken, such as fences or filters, to prevent debris that gets into the waterway from flowing downstream, Zacha said.

Before the southbound bridge demolition started, workers removed lead paint from the pair of main-lane bridges, causing closures along parts of the east and west riverwalks. Signs are out warning that the riverwalks remain closed, but TxDOT and city parks officials will work together to open them for special events, Waco parks director Jonathan Cook said.

No-wake boating also is still allowed under the bridges, Cook said.

Interstate traffic is being diverted to the northbound bridge during this phase of the project, TxDOT spokesman Ken Roberts said. After that, traffic will be shifted to the new southbound lanes while the northbound bridge over the river is taken down and rebuilt.

The river bridge projects should take about two years, officials said.

All signs at this time point to everything proceeding like we would like it to, Zacha said.

He said it is normally easier to remove a structure over water than to build one. However, when you introduce a waterway into the equation, both operations become a little more complicated.

Particularly when you have equipment on the water that you are using to do both, Roberts added. When equipment is on the water, there are a considerable number of safety concerns that have to be addressed at all times.

After the deck is removed with jackhammers, crews will cut the metal beams in pieces and remove the parts with a crane.

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Brazos River bridge demolition among most complex parts of I-35 overhaul - Waco Tribune-Herald