New U.S. 281 bridge signals progress for Marble Falls; some road work remains

JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — Ray Dale Ashabranner watched the ribbon cutting Oct. 9 at the north end of the second U.S. 281 bridge from the driver’s seat.

A few minutes later, he drove local officials south across the span in a 2014 Ford Mustang — the first non-construction vehicle to cross the new bridge.

“It was great,” he said after. “It sure is pretty.”

Crews finished striping the bridge and then opened the southbound span to traffic later that day.

Many spoke about the opening in terms of safety and collaboration.

“The two bridges are signature projects for Marble Falls and the entire U.S. 281 corridor,” said Burnet County Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery. “From working on the right-of-way acquisition more than four years ago, to the opening of both bridges, it has been a successful collaboration of all the entities.”

As owner of the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, John Kemper sees many visitors who cross the bridge to eat at his restaurant.

“We need both bridges; I think it’s a big improvement to Marble Falls,” said Kemper, who has owned the Blue Bonnet Cafe for 34 years. “It gives a little redundancy. If there’s an accident, we can still get across (the lake).”

However, as someone who grew up in Marble Falls, Kemper called the opening of the second span “bittersweet.”

“The old bridge has a special place in our heart,” he said. “Most kids who grew up here jumped off it a time or two. We love that old bridge, but progress comes and you have to go with that. I’m glad to see the new bridges. I think it’s great.”

Although the second span is open to traffic, the entire project will not be complete until December, according to Texas Department of Transportation officials.

Some items that remain to be completed include:

• constructing a northbound traffic barrier (separates traffic from sidewalk)
• building medians and installing pavers
• constructing water retention ponds under bridges in front of abutments
• final line striping
• constructing sidewalks, curbs and islands

Once the project is complete, northbound traffic looking to turn left onto First Street will have a turn lane. Vehicles on First Street looking turn onto U.S. 281 will only be able to turn right out of their lane.

After the project is finished, both bridges will accommodate two lanes of traffic with a wide shoulder on the outside lanes of each bridge and a sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists.

jared@thepicayune.com