Wirtz Bridge gets new timeline after archaeological delays
A rendering of the Wirtz Dam Bridge, which will span 1,750 feet over Lake Marble Falls. Photo courtesy of K.C. Engineering
Construction of the Wirtz Bridge is moving forward after major delays due in part to the discovery of prehistoric artifacts on the build site. Work was expected to begin on the project in the fall of this year, but that timeline has been pushed back.
The bridge would span Lake Marble Falls just west of Cottonwood Shores, providing a connecting route between RR 1431 and FM 2147 over the Colorado River. This would give drivers the ability to avoid circuitous crossings over the Highland Lakes chain at the U.S. 281 bridge in Marble Falls or the RM 2900 bridge and Slab Road in Kingsland.
According to Burnet County Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery – who is representing the county in the project’s development – if all goes according to plan, construction could begin on the bridge by fall 2029 and be completed by 2031.
“You should be able to drive across it by 2031,” he told DailyTrib.
The bridge had to undergo a slight redesign in March 2025 after the discovery of the artifacts near its proposed route during an environmental review of the project. An archaeologist with the Texas Historical Commission reportedly discovered evidence of Early Archaic Period (8,000-6,000 B.C.) human activity, including rocks that appeared to be cracked by fire, a spear point, and stone fragments that indicated tool crafting.
According to Dockery, it is still unclear what the exact path forward will be with the dig site, but the bridge construction should no longer impact it.
The redesign following the archaeological findings added about a year to the bridge’s construction timeline.
Dockery also said that the resignation of former Burnet County Judge James Oakley in December 2024, who had been spearheading its development, also caused some delays.
The project largely depends on the plans of the Texas Department of Transportation, which will actually be building the bridge. Burnet County is financially responsible for acquiring the necessary rights-of-way, easements, and utility relocations to accommodate the bridge. But TxDOT will take on the estimated $35 million buildout, funded by state and federal dollars.
The exact costs to the county are still unknown, but a 2024 estimate put it at about $3 million.
“All we can do is play by the rules, so we are going to follow every state and federal law we can to ensure that our funding isn’t jeopardized,” Dockery said.