Concerns proposed projects for Adam’s Bayou Bridge may not be right choice for Orange
Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 9, 2019
Alternate 2: TxDOT offered two proposed plans for the area concerning Adam’s Bayou bridges, an area known to flood in Orange. Alternate 2 plan shows the removal of the feeder roads altogether from 27th Street to Woodlark in Orange.
Interstate 10 bridge at Adam's Bayou, which will not be rebuilt, only widened according to TxDOT proposed plans. All support columns see will remain in the waterway plus additional support pilings adding to the obstruction of the bayou and creating obstacles to catch snags during heavy rains.
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Photo courtesy of Brad Childs Cow Bayou
Photo courtesy of Brad Childs Adam's Bayou
Photo courtesy of Brad Childs Adam's Bayou
By Dawn Burleigh
The Orange Leader
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Beaumont District is proposing the widening of I-10 from East of 3247 to the Sabine River Bridge in Orange County, Texas.
The Proposed Benefits of the project is anticipated to improve mobility and enhance safety.
The 4.3-mile project includes:
- Widening Interstate 10 from four to six 12-foot wide travel lanes with 10-foot wide inside shoulders and 10-foot wide outside shoulders. A concrete median barrier would remain.
- Widening the existing Interstate 10 Adam’s Bayou bridge to provide additional travel lanes and auxiliary lanes between the entrance/exit ramps to improve merge movements.
- Replacing the existing bridge at Sabine River Relief with a modern structure meeting current design standards.
All work is proposed to occur within the existing right of way; therefore, no displacements or relocations of residences and businesses would occur, according to TxDOT.
While residents have spoken out about their concerns for the Adam’s Bayou frontage road bridges and the obstruction the pilings holding up the structure are in need of being removed, TxDOT representative Sarah Dupre said a hydraulic analysis was conducted showing otherwise.
“A hydraulic analysis says it does not cause flooding upstream,” Dupre said during a public meeting on Thursday.
Dupre encouraged residents to send in feedback on the proposed plans TxDOT presented.
“We want people to know what we are doing and we take the comments serious,” Dupre said.
One proposed plan would leave the frontage road and bridges and add additional pilings.
The second option would eliminate a frontage road from Woodlark to 27th Street. One would have to enter Interstate 10 and travel over the waterway with the highway traffic before exiting.
“As I understand it, this leaves all the structural pilings in the water and adds additional structural pilings while adding an elevated feeder road/bridge using additional structural pilings,” Orange Councilmember Brad Childs said. “This option does not solve pilings in the waterway.”
Childs offered a third option which would replace all Interstate 10 bridges at Adam’s Bayou using a similar elevated design as the Cow Bayou bridges which would include removing all pilings from the waterway and elevating the turnarounds.
“We want to keep easy access to our newly improved I-10 corridor for commerce,” Childs added.
Orange Councilmember Terrie Salter added she was concerned about eliminating the frontage road as well.
“We need to keep it open, because there are accidents and evacuations,” Salter said. “Safety is really important and emergency vehicles need to be able to navigate through there quickly.”
Salter added she was excited about the number of people who turned out.
“It says a lot for Orange,” Salter said. People are interested in the changes in the community.”
While she does not want to see the frontage road closed, Salter said she saw the benefits of widening the interstate.
“There are so many benefits for growth and development,” Salter said. “We are trying to grow and people won’t see a distinction of a small city and ask what do we have here.”
For general questions or concerns regarding the proposed project, contact Larry Sheppard, PE, TxDOT Project manager at 409-892-7311 or at larry.sheppard@txdot.gov
To provide your comments on the proposed projects by mail to:
TxDOT Beaumont District
8350 Eastex Freeway
Beaumont, TX 77708
Must be postmarked by February 22, 2019
Or email larry.sheppard@txdot.gov on or before February 22, 2019.
