Overview
- Heavy July storms sent the Nueces River over its banks and washed away a large section of the FM 481 bridge approach, forcing long detours and contributing to regional flood deaths.
- TxDOT opened an emergency repair contract on July 28 and mobilized crews to rebuild the bridge approach and nearby infrastructure.
- Crews completed the emergency repairs in 37 days at a cost of more than $3 million, finishing several weeks ahead of the originally projected end-of-September timeline.
- The bridge is scheduled to reopen Sunday, Aug. 23, but TxDOT says minor finishing work will continue and drivers must obey traffic controls and use caution near crews.
- Restoring FM 481 reconnects a 44-mile rural corridor between U.S. 90 in Uvalde and U.S. 57 in Eagle Pass, easing travel for residents, ranchers and commercial traffic and reducing detours that had strained local access.