By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-872252.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The Collins Street Bridge over I-30 in Arlington re-opens today just in time for the Thanksgiving Day game at Cowboys Stadium. KERA's BJ Austin says crews reconstructed the bridge in record time.
Doing the bridge replacement a piece at a time, dodging traffic, would have taken at least four more months. But Val Lopez, with the Texas Department of Transportation, says they closed the bridge completely, tore it down, and built a new one in half the time. But he says they still have some work to do.
Lopez: a sidewalk we have to add, aesthetic elements. There are also some turning lanes we're going to install. Ultimately, that's going to have three lanes in each direction, with an extra turning lane.
But for now, the half mile detour to the Center Street Bridge is over. The westbound service road from Ballpark Way to Lamar also opens to traffic today. Construction on the westbound main lanes thru the I-30 entertainment corridor won't be completed until next fall.