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Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Opens To Traffic

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opens to relieve traffic on the Mixmaster.
mhhbridgecelebration.com
The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opens to relieve traffic on the Mixmaster.

Dallas’ signature Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opens to traffic today, nearly a month after a weekend of opening parties. KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports lane barricades may be lifted this afternoon.

The Calatrava Bridge’s Construction Engineer, Duane Milligan, says lanes will open in a staggered fashion following the morning rush hour. He says that’s always the way Texas Department of Transportation bridges open up.

Mulligan: The first direction that’ll be opening will be the eastbound from Singleton and Beckley across Woodall Rogers. Not really a definite time on that. And so different directions will have access at different times throughout the day, until we have everything completely open. It’s not just a certain time, flip a light switch and everything is open. It’s a process.

Mulligan says it’s as simple as removing standing barriers, then redirecting vehicles from the current detour route and on to the bridge. He says you’ll be able to go East and West and to I-35 northbound and onto Woodall Rogers. But, says Mulligan, some exits will still be closed for a few more weeks.

Mulligan: Only thing not opening at this time are exit ramps East and West to Riverfront Boulevard.

Mulligan says those will open once intersection work is finished. The construction engineer expects increased traffic today, because he says more vehicles always accompany first time road projects. He says TXDOT has hired extra police to handle traffic, and he’s looking forward to his project performing well on its first “real” day on the job.

Mulligan: Its been a really interesting project to work something I’ll probably never get a chance to work on again so it is a big day for me.

Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues.