Hurricane Ike's surge carried two huge barges inland and brought them to rest at the foot of the Taylor Bayou bridge, blocking portions of Texas 73 for more than a week. The barges had been moved from Sabine Pass to Taylor Bayou for safety before the storm. Guiseppe Barranco

Jefferson County got the green light to replace the Taylor Bayou bridge as part of a widening project after a Texas-based construction company received nearly $6.3 million to get the job done.

The Texas Transportation Commission earlier this month awarded Texas Materials Group, Inc. the $6.3 million in funding to go toward the project. The plan calls for Drainage District 6 to widen Taylor Bayou at Texas 124, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Beaumont District.

The Enterprise reported last year that officials preferred to close the original bridge during construction because it would’ve taken longer to finish had it still been open to one lane of traffic.

For now, two lanes of traffic are being maintained via a temporary bridge, which The Enterprise reported cost more than $140,000 extra to the project’s total expense.

Most of the project’s cost is being covered by a grant from the Texas General Land Office. The county and Drainage District 6 split the cost of the temporary bridge.

Construction is expected to get underway in late spring and take about two years to complete, per the release.

Matt.Hollinshead@beaumontenterprise.com

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