The Texas Department of Transportation announced late Monday afternoon that the Highway 190 Dam B Bridge is being closed effective 5:00 p.m. Monday due to unspecified damage, and will be closed for “a number of weeks” until repairs can be completed.
U.S. Highway 190 is a major east/west traffic route through Deep East Texas, and is the main link between Jasper and Woodville.
According to TXDOT, traffic is being rerouted to Recreational Road 255 to the north. Drivers can also use Farm to Market Road 1013 to the south in order to cross the Neches River.
Texas State Representative James White said that he is aware of the situation and he said that he’ll be pushing for the repairs to go as quickly as possible. White said “We’re going to do what we can to get this expedited”.
White also noted the importance of the bridge in this area. “We know how vital that is for our truckers, our first responders, our people that are trying to enjoy the lake. We’re going to get this expedited so that it is still respectful of our tax dollars and the integrity of our contracting system”, said White.
You may remember when massive record breaking water releases from Toledo Bend Dam in the spring of 2016 caused damage to the base of the Highway 63 Burr Ferry Bridge over the Sabine River. Transportation officials said that the process of obtaining the permits and then repairing the bridge could take years.
White vowed to speed up the process. He did. The repairs were completed and the bridge was reopened 8 months later.
https://www.kjas.com/community/civic_events/article_215ecf54-88d3-11ea-9eb1-b7587c0de4d0.html