This closure will last a maximum of two weeks, though the folks at Texas Sterling Construction are optimisitic they'll have Fredericksburg Road back open a lot sooner than that.
While Fredericksburg Road is closed, crews will tear out the roadway and replace it with a bridge deck, carrying Fred Road traffic over the future through lanes of Medical Drive. Texas Sterling Construction has proposed - and have been approved - to use a new-to-Texas technique called "slide-in-place" bridge placement, where the bridge deck is built adjacent to its final resting place and then pushed into place. This reduces dramatically the time needed for a lane closure, eliminating typical waiting time while concrete cures or beams are set.
Bridge crews set those bridge support beams nearly two weeks ago, being able to do so during the daytime without using major lane closures. Last night concrete was poured to form the bridge deck surface, and crews will spend the next two weeks dressing up the bridge deck and preparing for the slide.
Project managers say crews will need two full days to dig out the intersection to make way for the new bridge, and the new bridge can be slid into place in as little as a single day. After time allotted to dress up the area and prepare again for traffic, the whole closure could be finished in as little as a week.
Remember the closure date is still tentative, yet firm; a few engineering items need to be addressed between now and then, and there's always the chance off inclement weather moving the dates a bit.
When the closure is in effect, southbound traffic will use Medical Drive and Ewing Halsell to reach its destination. Northbound traffic will use Medical Drive, I-10 and Huebner Road to reach its destination. Traffic on Medical Drive will still be able to go through Fredericksburg Road as normal, but will not be able to turn left.