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$300 million bridge flaw
FOX 26 Business Reporter Tom Zizka has more on what's happening and what's next.
HOUSTON - The Harris County Toll Road Authority now has an expensive plan to fix design flaws in its billion-dollar replacement of the Ship Channel Bridge.
The original structure was finished in 1982. But, with just two lanes in each direction and no shoulder for emergencies, construction on a replacement was started in 2018.
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HCTRA’s Executive Director Roberto Trevino was hired after flaws were discovered in the design, and he says the danger could have been catastrophic.
"It could have collapsed," he says.
Trevino says the county wanted the new bridge to be sleek and iconic, resembling the Fred Hartman Bridge on Highway 146, with massive concrete pylons supporting eight lanes of traffic. The problems start with those partially-built pylons, that were determined unlikely to be able to handle the load.
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Warnings were raised when a pedestrian bridge, near Miami, collapsed and killed six people, in 2018. It was designed by the same firm responsible for the Ship Channel design, FIGG Bridge Engineers, and work was halted two years ago pending an independent review.
"There is no circumstance, no situation where any aspect of safety shouldn’t be considered," says Trevino. "So, whatever the cost it takes, we cannot proceed with anything that compromises safety."
The cost is enormous. County commissioners agreed to spend nearly $300 million to tear down the faulty pylons and rebuild the span with a new design, from a different engineer, after the original company was suspended by the Federal Highway Administration.
Rather than the original sleek concrete design, the bridge will be constructed with steel, like many other bridges. It will also take time to complete. Rather than the original 2024 completion date, work is now expected to last into 2028, before traffic congestion is eased on the busy thoroughfare.
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"The good news is that we have a corrective action, we have a safe path forward and we have a secure path forward," assures Trevino, "We’re back to work."
FIGG was selected on its assumed qualifications, which is a common practice for such projects, rather than a bidding process. Harris County is now examining how it might recoup the design fee paid to FIGG. Meantime, HCTRA says the additional expense, for construction, will be paid with tolls on drivers.