Plans for $2 million Texas Beach bridge repair being finalized, say city officials

Efforts to repair the Texas Beach pedestrian bridge are moving forward, say Richmond parks and recreation officials, although the city still needs to finalize an engineering agreement with rail company CSX.

“We’re just as excited as the public to get it back open,” said Allen McCown, construction manager for Richmond’s Department of Parks and Recreation. 

The pedestrian bridge, which is sited near the city’s North Bank Trail parking lot off Texas Avenue in the Maymont neighborhood, spans two active CSX lines and is the only way to reach the Texas Beach section of the James River Park System by land.

But in September 2022, city officials closed down the bridge after an inspection found “severe structural damage” — a decision Richardson acknowledged “stirred up a lot of angst in the community.” 

Now, McCown and Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Nissa Richardson say the $2 million project, which is being funded entirely through grants received by the city under the American Rescue Plan Act, is well underway. Plans for repairs to the bridge have been drawn up by design and engineering firm WRA, and the city is finalizing an engineering agreement with CSX that will help govern how the construction can be done in coordination with existing rail traffic. 

The city has also hired the H.G. Reynolds Company as the project’s contractor, and pre-construction work like the fabrication of materials for the repairs have begun. 

Plans include reinforcement of the columns that support the middle span of the bridge and the south tower, replacement of the bridge’s concrete walkway with aluminum decking and the installation of new treads on the south tower stairs. 

The bridge, which was built in 1978, “will look extremely similar” when done, said McCown. “There’s not going to be a huge aesthetic change.”  

While the ARPA funding Richmond is using requires that work be completed by the end of 2026, McCown and Richardson say the repairs should be done well in advance of that date. 

McCown said several factors have complicated the project. While the city holds an easement for the bridge and any maintenance it needs, major construction work has to be coordinated with the railroad. 

Additionally, the steep banks that lead down to the bridge entrance have made planning for the repairs difficult.

“There’s no road to drive down here,” said McCown. “There’s no place to put a crane or scaffolding.” 

To prepare for the work, a segment of the trail from the Texas Avenue parking lot to the bridge has been rerouted, and Parks and Rec has removed several dead trees and invasive plants. 

Once construction starts, the department also intends to temporarily reroute a portion of the North Bank trail to avoid the area immediately under and surrounding the bridge. Richardson said pedestrians and bikers will still be able to access the whole length of the trail and cautioned members of the public to observe any detours in place in order to not slow down the project’s progress.

“If it says closed, it’s closed for safety reasons,” she said.