Two Bridges on State Highway 8 to be Replaced with One Long One

Two narrow bridges on State Highway 8 crossing the upper end of Wright Patman Lake will be replaced over the next few years according to plans approved in April by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

According to a press release, “We will be replacing the two bridges crossing Lake Wright Patman between Bowie and Cass Counties with one long bridge,” said Paul Wong, area engineer for TxDOT in Texarkana. “The current structures are 26 feet wide and the new one will be 44 feet wide with two 12-foot traffic lanes and 10-foot shoulders on each side.”

The new bridges will be constructed to the west of the current highway, so traffic will continue to use the current facilities while the work is being conducted.

Longview Bridge and Road of Longview was awarded the contract for the project with a bid of $37.7 million.

Work on the project should begin in July and take about seven years to complete, Wong said.