AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- City of Austin transportation officials say they'll need roughly $84 million over the next five years to help keep the city's bridges in satisfactory condition.
According to a memo sent to City Council members earlier this week, Austin Transportation Director Richard Mendoza says the city's overall bridge infrastructure is currently in satisfactory or better condition - but several bridges are approaching the end of their service life and will require replacement, rehabilitation, or repairs over the next five years.
Those major bridges include two along Redbud Trail over the Colorado River, the Barton Springs Road bridge over Barton Creek, and the railroad overpasses along William Cannon and Slaughter Lane east of Menchaca Road, among others.
The transportation department currently receives about $1.8 million in the city budget for routine maintenance across the city's bridge infrastructure - usually enough to cover minor concrete repairs and other routine maintenance.
Beyond the five-year plan, the department estimates its capital needs will grow to $30 million a year after the five year plan, beginning in fiscal year 2032.
Without the funds to repair and rehabilitate the aging bridge infrastructure, the city may be forced to implement limits on the weight of vehicles allowed on certain crossings, or shutter aging bridges entirely to ensure public safety.
The city has 466 major bridges with a span of greater than 20 feet; those bridges have an average age of 45 years. Of those, 164 are past their anticipated design life of 50 years. The city also maintains approximately 810 locations where water crosses the right-of-way, usually a smaller bridge or drainage culvert.
