Marble Falls to blow up old bridge Sunday

MARBLE FALLS,Texas (KXAN) - The clock is ticking down as the city of Marble Falls prepares to take down the remaining section of an 80-year-old bridge, to make way for a new two-lane bridge, ushering a new era in this lakeside city.

For some folks, like Keith Crabb, who was out fishing with his daughter Julie, there's a little sadness. He's been fishing under the bridge for more than 14 years.

"I fished here with my dad, and I brought my oldest boy, and he's 18, and we fished tournaments here and we fished under that bridge and caught many a fish," Crabb said. "It's going to be weird seeing it gone, that's for sure".

Crabb, like others in this community, have grown fond of this bridge, but time and more traffic has gotten the better of this old bridge.

On Friday, TxDot and demolition crews made final preparations for Sunday morning's explosion, including cleaning off the deck and placing explosives on throughout the steel structure.

Traffic along U.S. 281 will be stopped for around 30 minutes Sunday morning for the explosion.

"They're making plans now as to what would be the best time to stop it," city manager Ralph Hendricks said. "They'll have to inspect the new bridge afterwards to make sure there's no damage."

Hendricks also said there's a plan in place, including help from nearby Horseshoe Bay, in case the bridge should remain closed longer than expected.

"We'll have units on both sides of the bridge," Hendricks said. "So, if there's an emergency on the other side and we can't get the emergency units that are stationed here across, then they'll be able to provide answers to those calls."
 
That's a small inconvenience for Charlie Cummins who's been waiting for a new bridge since he moved here in 1995.

"It will be so much safer," said Charlie Cummins, who has a view of the bridge from his back yard. "You won't be fighting the traffic on the other side, there's going to be sidewalks...there will also be bicycle friendly sidewalks, which are really really wonderful."