TxDOT says the work is part of repairs to bridge joints that have expanded beyond their original design, and that the repairs are not due to safety issues.
AUSTIN, Texas — Nightly closures of the U.S. 290 flyovers that connect the highway to Interstate 35 are set to begin on Sunday, as crews with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are set to make repairs to bridge joints.
The first flyover crews will work on carries traffic from U.S. 290 westbound onto Interstate 35 southbound. Once work on that flyover is complete, crews will then shift to the other side to work on the flyover that connects northbound I-35 to eastbound U.S. 290.
TxDOT says the work is part of repairs to bridge joints that have expanded beyond their original design, and that the repairs are not due to safety issues but rather to keep the bridges in good shape.
Last month, photos went viral on social media showing a supposed “crack” in the flyover connecting U.S. 290 and Interstate 35 in North Austin. A TxDOT spokesperson told KVUE at the time that there are no structural concerns with the bridge, and that these types of flyovers and bridges are designed to expand and contract based on the weather, which can sometimes cause gaps to form.
The repairs will cause traffic on the flyovers to be shut down between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Work on the flyovers is expected to continue through mid-March.