HOUSTON – Officials are repairing a segment of the Katy Freeway westbound connector ramp to Interstate 45 North, one of the oldest bridge structures in the Houston area, to correct a shifting of the roadway.
TxDOT engineers and contractors developed a unique plan to repair the connector - which has moved slightly out of place - to prevent it from becoming a problem for the public.
As a part of the plant, specialized crews will lift a portion of the connector with cranes and rotate it back into place. Once the span is back in place, additional repairs will be made to strengthen the structure.
“Over the 40 years of the life of this bridge we’ve experienced numerous contraction and expansion cycles due to the heat of the summer and (the cold) of the winter,” said Quincy Allen, TxDOT Houston district director of maintenance. “The expansion and contraction have allowed, over time, the span of the bridge to rotate. The rotation wasn’t as pronounced at first but now it’s getting to the point where we need to make repairs.”
The ramp will be closed about 10 days while the repairs are made. The Katy Freeway westbound connector ramp to the North Freeway will be shutdown starting Friday, February 10 at 9 p.m. until Monday, February 20 at 5 a.m. The Travis Street connector ramp to the North Freeway will also be closed during the same timeframe.
