Avenue N bridge opens ahead of schedule
The Avenue N bridge opened ahead of schedule in Marble Falls. Staff photo by Maci Cottingham
After more than a year of detours, the Avenue N bridge connecting Marble Falls and Meadowlakes is complete, restoring direct access between the two cities across Backbone Creek.
Construction on the bridge began in April 2025, and the roadway opened ahead of the project’s contractual timeline, according to Marble Falls City Engineer Jeff Prato. The contractor had until late November to reach substantial completion and until December or January for final completion.
For several weeks leading up to the opening, the bridge appeared largely finished, raising questions about why it remained closed to traffic. Prato said the contractor still had to complete a final punch list before the city could accept the project.
That work included trash removal, revegetation and other cleanup, with recompaction of the project’s decomposed granite trail among the key remaining items. Prato said completing the punch list took about two to three weeks.
Under the contract, the project could not officially be turned over until the city issued a letter of acceptance. That meant the roadway could not open independently while the contractor finished work elsewhere on the project.
“This is why we could not open just the roadway; it had to be done all at once,” Prato told DailyTrib.
Recent inclement weather coincided with the final stages of the project, prompting the city to push for the bridge to open as quickly as possible.
“The timing with the inclement weather was coincidental; however, once we knew, we pushed to open as soon as possible,” Prato said.
The new bridge replaces a former low-water crossing over Backbone Creek that was submerged during the October 2018 flood. The loss of the crossing eliminated a direct connection between Marble Falls and Meadowlakes, limiting access for motorists and first responders.
Funding for the project included $57,631.97 from the city of Meadowlakes through an interlocal agreement approved in 2021. The contribution helped Marble Falls meet the local match requirement for approximately $3.37 million in grant funding through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Texas Water Development Board.