BASTROP, Texas — If you've ever driven to Bastrop, just before you reach the historic downtown you'll be welcomed by the sight of the iconic Old Iron Bridge neighboring the main bridge for vehicular traffic.
Unfortunately, the historic pedestrian bridge has been closed since November of 2018 and the cost to repair it is going to be a lot more than first thought.
An engineering firm was examining the bridge last fall when it found key components of the bridge had deteriorated significantly.
One of the main issues is corrosion found in the gusset plates. That's what connects the beams to columns.
Kimley-Horn, the engineering firm on the job presented a few options for the city. There are four main options:
1. Restore the bridge to its normal capacity for pedestrian use (it hasn't been open to vehicular traffic in many, many years). That could cost up to $10.5 million and take up to 18 months to complete.
2. Restore it and turn the bridge into a sort of "deck park" with amenities like benches and shading. This could cost up to $11 million and take about 22 months to complete.
3. Demolish the bridge altogether. That could cost up to $4.75 million and take about eight months to complete.
4.Demolition of the Truss Spans only. That could cost up to $4 million and take about 10 months to complete.
As of right now there's no word yet on what or when the city will decide what to do, or how it would be funded exactly.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated.