By Juan Montoya
Cameron County Public Works crews have started the prep work for the construction of the new bridge over Old port Isabel Road in Precinct 2.
The bridge was closed a few months ago after is sustained extensive guardrail damage that made crossing it dangerous to the public.
The thoroughfare is used by many of the neighborhoods in the area and is used to go from FM 802 to FM 511. When the bridge was closed it forced local residents and motorists heading north to use an alternate route around the Buena Vista Cemetery and the n on to FM 511.
Public Works crews were notified that the repairs to the bridge would start the week of October 7, weather permitting, and that Rene Capistran's Noble Texas Builders would be performing the new construction. Expected completion is 10 weeks, again, weather permitting.
Workers were at the site clearing brush and vegetation from the right-of-way and,m as can be seen, cleared some trees with their backhoes. The start of the project will be delayed a bit longer since a fiber optic cable runs under it and it will have to be rerouted before work can proceed.
In the picture on to Public Works employee Martin Salinas points out the posts where the damaged guardrails used to be and the crews removing vegetation from the banks of the resaca.