State Highway 146 northbound express bridge between Kemah and Seabrook to open Tuesday UPDATED: Monday (3/11/2024 7 PM) A communications staffer for the Texas Department of Transportation said the northbound express bridge of state Highway 146 between state Highway 96 in League City and Red Bluff Road in Seabrook is set to open sometime Tuesday (3/12/2024). Bambi Hall of TxDOT confirmed that sometime on Tuesday, the new bridge and lanes are set to open. “Remaining work on the overall project includes frontage roads, signals, railing, sodding, and drainage,” Hall said. “Construction activity should wrap up late 2nd quarter (May or June). Some work will be subject to minor/alternating lane closures.” In addition, TxDOT has agreed to convert Kemah’s 6th Street, 7th Street, Bradford Avenue, and Kipp Avenue into one-way streets. The section of 6th Street between Bradford and Kipp will be closed to vehicle traffic and turned into a pedestrian green space. •••••••••••••••••• After nearly five years of lane closures, limited access, and general traffic headaches, the $214 million widening and express bridge project is almost complete. While there's still work to be done, Texas transportation officials quietly opened up most of the expanded surface lanes and the southbound express lane bridge on Friday. Texas Department of Transportation officials did not say when the project will be considered complete. During a dedication of a new ferry in Galveston on Friday, Houston District Engineer Eliza Paul said the goal was by the end of March. Already, two planned ribbon cuttings in February were postponed. Some of the work left to do includes finishing the intersection at Bel Road, the westbound turn lanes, opening the second turn lane from SH 146 to 6th Street, and surface lanes work. Those traveling southbound from Houston-La Porte will find all lanes open, as well as the express lane bridge that provides a direct route without stops from Red Bluff Road in Seabrook to state Highway 96 in Kemah/League City. Northbound traffic will find all but one lane open on the surface road. The northbound express bridge is still closed. Kemah Mayor Robin Collins responded to work that most lanes were open as “awesomeness.” While not a part of the official expansion project, TxDOT agreed to fund the signage and new striping needed to convert Kemah’s 6th Street as a one-way road into the city and 7th Street as a one-way road out of the town. The city is also looking at making Bradford Street one way from 6th Street to the Kemah Boardwalk and Kipp Avenue one way away from the Boardwalk to 7th Street. Kemah Council Member Isaac Saldana praised TxDOT’s Paul for stepping up recently to aid the city with the 6th Street and 7th Street issues. City officials are closing off the small stretch of 6th Street between Bradford and Kipp to create a pedestrian-only, green-space area in the Lighthouse District. The council at its last meeting approved the new traffic patterns. No announcement as to when the work to make the changes will commence.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2024-03-10 16:03:42 UTC