The new U.S. 281 Bridge over the Colorado River replaces a functionally obsolete steel truss bridge with a 958’ long segmental bridge. The bridge design by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) along with design innovations from the Contractor-Engineer team created a highly aesthetic bridge with a minimal footprint in the water. The bridge was completed on October 9, 2014.

U.S. 281 is a major north-south highway from Wichita Falls to San Antonio and serves as an important evacuation route and emergency services access for the area. Factors leading to selecting a cast-in-place segmental design include:

• The nearest river crossing detour is located 30 miles north.
• Limited site access and right-of-way due to adjacent businesses and utilities restricting an alignment change.
• Active recreational lake traffic in the area that is reliant on tourists.
• High local regard for the look of the old truss bridge.

There are 24 concrete segments per cantilever, with 48 segments total per bridge. Each segment measures 14’ to 16’ long and 47’ wide. The variable segments sport a unique tapered boat hull design in the bottom slab, an aesthetic treatment that matches the community’s focus on recreational boat racing. The segments have a box depth that ranges from 23’ at the interior piers to 9’5” at the end spans, with a variable superelevation up to 5.5%. Each segment weighs a maximum of 150 tons.