BROWNWOOD – Travelers between Early and Zephyr can expect delays resulting from brief highway closures in late April and early May as crews continue construction of a new railroad bridge at the Fort Worth & Western Railroad on US 84/183.

From approximately Monday April 24 through Friday May 5, workers will be placing steel girders for a temporary bridge being constructed to allow for continued railroad operations. During this process, drivers can expect delays as all highway traffic will need to be stopped for brief periods of up to approximately 15 minutes; at other times traffic will be reduced to a single lane with flagging personnel providing traffic control.

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Once the temporary bridge is constructed, demolition of the old railroad bridge will occur, followed by construction of the new replacement bridge.

Drivers are reminded that a construction zone speed limit of 65 mph is in effect in this area, and traffic fines are doubled in work zones when workers are present.

The new bridge will allow US 84/183 to be widened to four 12-foot travel lanes as the highway passes under the railroad. Currently, the highway is a four-lane facility on either side of the existing bridge, but the highway must narrow to only two lanes as it passes under the bridge. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2018.

TxDOT’s Brownwood District includes Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Lampasas, McCulloch, Mills, San Saba and Stephens counties.