Interstate 35 traffic now using the northbound bridge over the Brazos will shift to the new southbound bridge soon, making way for work on the northbound side.
A photo from June shows work underway on the southbound I-35 bridge over the Brazos that is set to start carrying traffic soon.
An August file photo shows supports being installed in the Brazos for the new southbound I-35 bridge set to open to traffic soon.
A barge is assembled in December 2019 at Brazos East Park, in preparation for work just downstream on the Interstate 35 bridges over the Brazos River. The new southbound bridge is set to open to traffic soon.
Supports in the Brazos River, seen here under construction in August, are now part of a southbound I-35 bridge ready to open.
Interstate 35 traffic now using the northbound bridge over the Brazos will shift to the new southbound bridge soon, making way for work on the northbound side.
Interstate 35 traffic through Waco soon will be rolling on brand new pavement and crossing the Brazos River on a brand new bridge, though last week’s winter weather may push the change into next month.
Webber Construction is on the verge of completing the new southbound main lanes south of Business 77, meaning it is effectively halfway through the $341 million project it started in April 2019. Traffic will gradually be shifted to the new section, complete with two new exit ramps in their permanent form, while work gets underway on the new northbound lanes. The overall project involves widening the highway to four lanes in each direction between North Loop 340 and South 12th Street, improving frontage roads and ramps, and rebuilding bridges.
Despite obstacles that include the outbreak of COVID-19, Webber crews are setting a brisk pace. As of last month, Webber had completed work valued at $224 million, or 61% of the Texas Department of Transportation contract’s total, in 42% of TxDOT’s timetable, TxDOT spokesperson Jake Smith said.
Still, the highway department is sticking with projections the work will conclude in 2023.
“Crews are making great progress, but the scheduled completion date remains the same,” Smith said.
He deflected suggestions a ribbon-cutting ceremony could possibly materialize sooner.
The ice storm that transformed I-35 to a skating rink did Webber crews no favors, but inclement weather was included in scheduling, Smith said. Webber’s contract is loaded with monetary incentives to finish on or ahead of schedule, and with penalties should the work bog down.
TxDOT first hoped to start shifting traffic, two lanes in each direction, to newly completed southbound lanes by the end of this week. The ice storm may cause a slight delay, Smith said.
Part of the shift means traffic will be crossing a new Brazos River bridge, ready barley a year after work started to take the old one down. To prepare for demolition, workers started assembling barges upstream in December 2019 to float to the work site, where demolition started in earnest in January of last year and wrapped up by March.
Using the new lanes will mean “a smoother ride as you travel along I-35,” according to a press release announcing the progress.
Once traffic is rerouted, crews will reconstruct northbound lanes, a task that means removing overpasses at the Union Pacific railroad, the Brazos River, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, University Parks Drive and Fourth and Fifth streets. The northbound work also may require the temporary closure of the northbound exit to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Exit 335C, for up to a year, though the closure will not be permanent.
Photo gallery
Interstate 35 widening project through Waco: 2019-2020
Interstate 35: August 2020
Work proceeds on the Brazos River bridge. The overall Interstate 35 project is on track for completion in 2023.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Working on barges in a river creates a whole host of construction challenges, according to TxDOT public information officer Jake Smith.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Beams and columns already placed in the river will support a new bridge. The northbound bridge is next.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Cranes and barges aid in the demolition of old I-35 bridges and the construction of new, replacement ones.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Piers are being installed in the Brazos River for the southbound lane of Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: August 2020
All main-lane traffic has been shifted to the northbound roadbed as work proceeds on the southbound lanes at the Brazos River bridge.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Work continues on the Interstate 35 expansion, including a new southbound bridge that will span the Brazos River near McLane Stadium.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Decking work continues on the bridge over University Parks Drive.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Cranes and barges aid in the demolition of old I-35 bridges and the construction of new, replacement ones.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Beams and columns already placed in the river will support a new bridge. The northbound bridge is next.
Interstate 35: August 2020
The original southbound bridge was demolished in March 2020.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Work continues on the Interstate 35 bridge over Fourth and Fifth streets.
Interstate 35: August 2020
Decking work has begun on the bridge over University Parks Drive.
Interstate 35: June 2020
The downtown segment of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project through Waco is beginning to take shape. Crews finished installing beams (above) in mid-June on the 11th-12th Street overpass and will follow suit with the Fourth-Fifth Street bridge next week. As of June 10, $150 million had been spent on the $341 million project, state officials said.
Interstate 35: June 2020
The downtown segment of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project through Waco is beginning to take shape. Crews finished installing beams in mid-June on the 11th-12th Street overpass and will follow suit with the Fourth-Fifth Street bridge next week. As of June 10, $150 million had been spent on the $341 million project, state officials said.
Interstate 35: June 2020
Piers are in place for the new Interstate 35 bridge at Fourth-Fifth streets in mid-June 2020.
Interstate 35: June 2020
The downtown segment of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project through Waco is beginning to take shape. Crews finished installing beams in mid-June on the 11th-12th Street overpass and will follow suit with the Fourth-Fifth Street bridge next week. As of June 10, $150 million had been spent on the $341 million project, state officials said.
Interstate 35: June 2020
The downtown segment of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project through Waco is beginning to take shape. Crews finished installing beams in mid-June on the 11th-12th Street overpass and will follow suit with the Fourth-Fifth Street bridge next week. As of June 10, $150 million had been spent on the $341 million project, state officials said.
Interstate 35: June 2020
Crews install supports for the new 11th-12th Street bridge and remove old supports between there and Fourth-Fifth streets.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of Interstate 35 construction, looking south from the Forrest Street bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of Interstate 35 construction looking south from the Forrest Street bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of construction on Interstate 35, looking north from the Forrest Street bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of Interstate 35 construction looking south from the Forrest Street bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of Interstate 35 construction looking south from Forrest Street.
Interstate 35: June 2020
Construction progresses on Interstate 35, seen here looking south from the Forrest Street Bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A view of I-35 construction looking north from the Forrest Street bridge.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A woman walks on Dutton Avenue near Baylor University where a sidewalk message from TxDOT warns pedestrians and cyclists about construction.
Interstate 35: June 2020
A message for pedestrians and cyclists from TxDOT on a sidewalk on Dutton Avenue near Baylor University directs them to alternative routes during I-35 construction.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Interstate construction, seen looking north from near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is forging ahead as an essential service during the city's shelter-in-place order.
Interstate 35: March 2020
The southbound lane of Interstate 35 near Bellmead in late March 2020.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Interstate construction, seen looking south from near Forrest Street, is forging ahead as an essential service during the city’s shelter-in-place order.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Work continues on the expansion of Interstate 35 despite the coronavirus pandemic. Workers are dismantling I-35 overpass bridge at Business 77.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Work continues on the expansion of Interstate 35 despite the coronavirus pandemic. Workers are dismantling I-35 overpass bridge at Business 77.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Work continues on the expansion of Interstate 35 despite the coronavirus pandemic. Workers are dismantling I-35 overpass bridge at Business 77.
Interstate 35: March 2020
A TxDOT message board regarding the coronavirus outbreak informs drivers along Interstate-35.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Workers prepare new bridge supports at Fifth Street and Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Pillars are going up as construction continue at Fifth Street and Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Pillars are going up as construction continue at Fifth Street and Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: March 2020
TxDOT initially altered the design the the highway, raising the main lanes by several feet, to avoid floodwaters during a 50-year flood event.
Interstate 35: March 2020
Work continues on the expansion of Interstate 35 near Fifth Street.
Interstate 35: January 2020
The southbound Interstate 35 bridge at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was removed in early January.
Interstate 35: January 2020
The southbound Interstate 35 overpass at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was removed in early January.
Interstate 35: January 2020
The southbound Interstate 35 bridge at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was removed in early January.
Interstate 35: Barges
A barge is loaded with equipment and materials at Brazos East Park in preparation for work on the Interstate 35 bridges crossing the Brazos River. The main-lane bridges will be removed and replaced with wider and higher bridges that will give I-35 travelers a view of the river through Waco.
Interstate 35: Barges
A barge is loaded with equipment and materials at Brazos East Park in preparation for work on the Interstate 35 bridge over the Brazos River. Crews will start next week by removing lead paint from the bridge railings, then start early next year on demolition of the southbound bridge.
Interstate 35: Barges
A barge is assembled and loaded Thursday at Brazos East Park in preparation for work on the Interstate 35 bridges over the Brazos River. Crews will start next week by removing lead paint from the bridge railings, then start early next year on demolition of the southbound bridge.
Interstate 35: Barges
An aerial view looking north up Interstate 35 shows the crossing at the Brazos River. The middle main lanes will be removed and replaced with bridges carrying a total of eight lanes.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Webber LLC crews have been building new southbound frontage roads between University Parks Drive and Fourth Street in downtown Waco, resulting in long lines along the existing frontage roads.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Northbound I-35 near Loop 340 in Bellmead remains one of the most congested areas in the 6-mile local construction zone.
Interstate 35: November 2019
A number of exits and on-ramps along Interstate 35, including this one in Bellmead, are closed, leaving local drivers scrambling to gain access to the roadway.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Traffic flows in the southbound lane of Interstate 35 south of Bellmead.
Interstate 35: November 2019
A bike rider pedals his way down the access road next to the northbound lane of Interstate 35 in Bellmead.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Traffic slows at the Loop 340 exit ramp on southbound Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: November 2019
A piece of a box culvert is transported on a flatbed trailer past Fourth Street on the southbound Interstate 35 frontage road. The blocks will form drainage tunnels near 11th Street that will allow Waco Creek to pass under the interstate.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Access road along southbound lane of Interstate 35 backed up in-between University Parks drive and Fourth Street.
Interstate 35: November 2019
Temporary Interstate 35 lanes sit ready for southbound traffic to be shifted to the northbound side of the old median. A $341 million project to overhaul a 6.7-mile stretch of the highway through Waco started in April and is scheduled to last at least until late 2022.
Interstate 35: Baylor homecoming parade
The Baylor Golden Wave Band crosses Fourth Street at Interstate 35 in the middle of the construction zone on Oct. 12, 2019.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Crews were expected to close the southbound frontage road between Ninth and 12th street during the first week of October 2019.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Several businesses near Interstate 35 have reported a drop in customers since construction started.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Traffic backs up along southbound Interstate 35 Fourth-Fifth streets as construction continues.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Several businesses near Interstate 35 have reported a drop in customers since construction started.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Several businesses near Interstate 35 have reported a drop in customers since construction started.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Several businesses near Interstate 35 have reported a drop in customers since construction started.
Interstate 35: Businesses
A motorist pulls into a temporary McDonald's entrance from the Interstate access road near downtown.
Interstate 35: Businesses
Sascee’s co-owner John Neal said business has dropped off noticeably since the nearby 11th Street bridge over I-35 closed, especially among the “Baylor crowd.”
Interstate 35: September 2019
A man navigates crossing the southbound Interstate 35 frontage road, which is under construction at Fifth Street in September 2019.
Interstate 35: September 2019
A man makes his way across the Interstate 35 frontage road in the construction zone at Fifth Street.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Traffic goes around a stuck 18-wheeler that got jammed on a tight turn on the southbound Interstate frontage road at Fifth street, which backed up traffic for 20 minutes. The truck finally managed to back its way out of the turn and traffic returned to normal.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Traffic along southbound frontage road of Interstate 35 backs up at Fourth-Fifth streets after the southbound main lane bridge was demolished.
Interstate 35: Southbound bridge demolished
After the bridge that formerly carried the main lanes of southbound Interstate 35 over Fourth-Fifth streets was demolished, construction machinery works at the site in September 2019.
Interstate 35: Southbound bridge demolished
After the bridge that formerly carried the main lanes of southbound Interstate 35 over Fourth-Fifth streets was demolished, construction machinery works at the site in September 2019.
Interstate 35: Southbound bridge demolished
Traffic is seen in September 2019 along Fifth Street after the southbound main-lane bridge was demolished that formerly carried traffic over Fourth-Fifth streets.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Interstate 35 will see southbound lanes shift Saturday night, Sept. 7, to share the roadbed with the northbound lanes south of the Brazos River.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Interstate 35 will see southbound lanes shift Saturday night, Sept. 7, to share the roadbed with the northbound lanes.
Interstate 35: September 2019
Interstate 35 will see southbound lanes shift Saturday night, Sept. 7, to share the roadbed with the northbound lanes.
Interstate 35: Baylor
Drivers head from downtown Waco toward Interstate 35 and Baylor on University Parks Drive. Labor Day weekend and closures on and along I-35 are adding to Baylor’s football game day traffic challenges.
Interstate 35: Baylor move-in day
Traffic along Interstate 35 is slowed near the exit for Baylor University on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. Traffic was slow, but did not directly impact move-in days for students as the university and Texas Department of Transportation devised alternative routes around I-35.
Interstate 35: August 2019
Crews around 10th Street at Interstate 35 work on a project to install large box culverts to convey Waco Creek under the highway.
Interstate 35: August 2019
Crews around 10th Street at Interstate 35 work on a project to install large box culverts to convey Waco Creek under the highway.
Interstate 35: August 2019
Crews near 10th Street at Interstate 35 work on a project to install large box culverts to convey Waco Creek under the highway.
Interstate 35: August 2019
The northbound lane of Interstate 35 is backed up due to a wreck on the bridge before the Waco Drive exit in Bellmead. Friday's late five o'clock didn't help matters as traffic was a standstill in both directions.
Interstate 35: August 2019
A bulldozer makes it way down the median between northbound (right) and southbound lanes of Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Concrete supports stay standing after metal beams have removed from the 11th and 12th street bridge deck along Interstate 35 on Aug. 1, 2019 as demolition of the bridge continues. An underpass will replace the crossing by the time a $340 million I-35 widening project wraps up.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Concrete supports stay standing after metal beams have removed from the 11th and 12th street bridge deck along Interstate 35 on Aug. 1, 2019 as demolition of the bridge continues. An underpass will replace the crossing by the time a $340 million I-35 widening project wraps up.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Metal beams removed from the 11th and 12th street bridge are piled up along Interstate 35 on Aug. 1, 2019 as demolition of the bridge continues. An underpass will replace the crossing by the time a $340 million I-35 widening project wraps up.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Workers prepare to haul away chunks of the 11th and 12th street bridge deck in late July 2019.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Much of the deck has been removed from the 11th and 12th street bridge over Interstate 35, where the now-exposed metal beams are set to be pulled down in late July 2019.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Metal supports are visible on the 11th-12th street bridge Saturday as crews work through the process of demolishing the bridge. An 11th-12th street underpass will replace the bridge by the time the interstate widening is complete.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Metal supports are visible as decking is being removed from the 11th-12th street bridge that is in the process of being demolished.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Southbound traffic on Interstate 35 passes under the 11th-12th street bridge that is in the process of being demolished.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Workers rest inside a section of a box culvert waiting to be installed under Interstate 35 near the 11th Street underpass that is being demolished.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Most of the exit ramp to Fourth-Fifth streets (bottom left) has been removed on the southbound side of Interstate 35 as traffic and construction continue through Waco.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Traffic slows down near Fifth Street as cars move through the construction zone heading northbound.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Northbound traffic slows down near Bellmead on a lane-reduced Interstate 35, which will be a daily occurrence as construction continues.
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
Heavy machinery works on the northbound access road of Interstate 35 near the 11th Street bridge, .
Interstate 35: 11th Street bridge
A man walks over the closed 11th Street bridge, which was slated for demolition Wednesday night.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Construction at 17th Street along the east side of Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Construction at 17th Street along the east side of Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Construction at 17th Street along the east side of Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Interstate 35, looking north, as it heads through Waco.
Interstate 35: July 2019
Traffic flows along Interstate 35 north of the Brazos River through Waco.
Interstate 35: June 2019
Nightly Interstate 35 lane closures are planned.
Interstate 35: June 2019
Northbound traffic slows as it approaches the work zone for the I-35 widening project in June 2019.
Interstate 35: June 2019
Southbound traffic slows in the work zone for the I-35 widening project in June 2019.
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
Excavators hammer away the remains of the pedestrian bridge between Baylor and downtown on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
"The Eighth Street pedestrian bridge, an unlovely relic of concrete and chain link that carried generations safely over Interstate 35 to and from Baylor University, passed into transportation history Thursday night. It was 53. Cause of its demise was progress, in the form of the widening of Interstate 35 from six lanes to eight. Crews with Webber LLC worked with almost surgical precision Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights to take the structure down in stages, without ever having to close all the mainlanes of the freeway at once. There are no plans to replace it, given the cost and difficulty of meeting slope requirements for wheelchair-accessible ramps, Texas Department of Transportation officials have said."
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
Heavy equipment demolished the pedestrian bridge at Eighth Street over Interstate 35 on May 30.
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
By Friday morning, May 31, 2019, hardly a trace was left of the Eighth Street pedestrian bridge.
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
Vehicles pass by the I-35 pedestrian bridge, which was being razed in late May 2019.
Interstate 35: Pedestrian bridge
Lauren Ford (left) and Emily Burden (right) cross the Eighth Street pedestrian bridge over Interstate 35 in early May 2019. It will soon be closed and demolished as part of a project to widen the interstate.
Interstate 35: May 2019
Northbound traffic slows on Interstate 35 on May 30, 2019 as it approaches a construction zone expected to remain active into 2024.
Interstate 35: May 2019
A view of the southbound lane of Interstate 35 as construction continues on May 24, 2019.
Interstate 35: May 2019
Weekend traffic moves down the southbound lane of Interstate 35 on May 30, 2019. Construction will pressure feeder roads adjacent to nearby businesses.
Interstate 35: May 2019
Northbound traffic on Interstate 35 is reduced to two lanes as road construction continues on May 30, 2019.
Interstate 35: Business 77 ramp (before)
One of the U.S. Business 77 ramps set to be closed by Monday, May 13 runs underneath Interstate 35. Drivers will need to use ground-level intersections to travel between the highways after the ramps are closed.
Interstate 35: Business 77 ramp (before)
The elevated direct ramps between U.S. Business 77 and Interstate 35 will be closed by Monday, May 13 and later demolished as part of the ongoing interstate expansion project.
Interstate 35: Business 77 ramp (after)
Heavy machinery begins demolition on the elevated ramp connecting Business 77 to Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: Business 77 ramp (after)
Heavy machinery begins demolition on the ramp connecting Business 77 to Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: Business 77 ramp (after)
Crews work to demolish the elevated ramp between Business 77 and Interstate 35.
Interstate 35: 11th-12th street bridge
Vehicles drive under the 11th-12th street bridge as heavy machinery removes dirt near the piers. The bridge remained open Monday, May 13 but is expected to close imminently.
Interstate 35: Fourth-Fifth street exit ramp
Workers demolition the southbound Fourth-Fifth streets exit ramp that passes over University Parks Drive and Interstate 35.
Interstate ramp
The first signs of construction associated with the $341 million rebuild of I-35 arrived in Waco Saturday as the 4th-5th Street off ramp was knocked down.
Interstate 35 frontage road: May 2019
The first orange barrels appear along the I-35 construction zone in downtown Waco. They’ll be around for more than four years as a $341 million rebuild addresses a 6.7-mile stretch from the north end of Loop 340 to 12th Street.
Interstate 35 frontage
A jogger makes his way up the walking bridge that span Interstate 35 near Eighth Street in downtown Waco. Fast-food restaurants in this area are bracing a $341 million reconstruction of the interstate starts this month.
Interstate 35 frontage
Northbound traffic on Interstate 35 where road construction has just started this week.
Interstate 35 frontage
Traffic on the front road along the southbound side of I-35 will be impacted by the first demolition project this week when crews take out the existing 4th-5th Street exit ramp.
Interstate 35 frontage
Weekend traffic moves down the south lanes of Interstate 35 where construction will pressure feeder roads adjacent to nearby businesses.
Interstate 35 frontage
Weekend traffic moves down the South lane of Interstate 35 where recent construction will pressure feeder roads adjacent to nearby business.
Mike Copeland
Mike Copeland is Waco native who attended Baylor University and joined the Tribune-Herald in 1978. He's been covering local business since 1992.
