Bastrop, Tx–At a meeting Dec. 8 the city council agreed to share 50 percent of the cost of replacing a low water crossing on Riverwood Drive at Piney Creek. The waterway forms part of Bastrop’s northern and western city boundary.
City Manager Mike Talbot estimated the total replacement cost at some $50,000, a number which elated some council members. “I’d jump on that in a heartbeat,” said Council Member Joe Beal. Some earlier estimates were much higher, starting at roughly $200,000.
The city council authorized Talbot to spend up to $35,000 in contributed services to cover half the cost of replacing the bridge. Bastrop County will design the replacement, supervise the work and cover the remaining expense, said Talbot.
The present structure, closed for safety reasons since just before Thanksgiving, was constructed some 20 years ago under a similar cost sharing arrangement between the city and the county’s Pct. 1, according to former officials.
Talbot did not suggest how long a replacement bridge will take to design and construct.