The city of Denison is going to get a new $8.4 million U.S. Highway 69 Railroad Overpass Bridge - the fancy name for the viaduct that Denisonians have known for the past 125 years.

The Paris District of Texas Department of Transportation held an informal public meeting last week to discuss plans for the railroad overpass bridge from Munson Street to Crawford Street. Very few people gathered in the commons area at Denison High School, where the meeting was held. TxDOT and Texas Historical Commission representatives outnumbered Denisonians three to one. Nonetheless those who attended were told what to look forward to in the next few years.

Most of those locals attending were people who will be directly affected by the estimated 18 months of actual construction. David Howerton, city engineer, and Scott Smathers from Denison Development Association, also were on hand.

Monte Rater, P.E., design engineer, explained, step by step, what will take place after construction contracts are let in August 2010 and work begins about three months after.

The viaduct, that actually is two separate bridges, will be torn down one side at a time and replaced the same way. The east side of the viaduct (northbound) will be the first to go. Barriers will be placed on the east side of the southbound span and traffic will be one lane each way during the construction period.

Eddie Brown, who has a transmission shop on West Day Street almost under the south end of the viaduct, was concerned about the debris falling on autos at his shop and on the route to his shop being closed at various times. Paris District Engineer Bobby Littlefield told Brown that the construction company will be bonded and responsible for any damage caused to his business. Steps will be taken, he said, to see that the demolition is handled in a safe manner.

Rater said that Day Street and the access road on east side of the viaduct on the south end will be closed from time to time, but they will be closed alternately so that vehicles still can get through the area. Littlefield told Brown signs would be erected directing customers to his business.

Littlefield said that the viaduct has been on the replacement project list since 1993 and had been monitored during the years since then. He said there is no structural problem at this time but while it is structurally sound, there are some issues that call for it to be replaced.

With a slide presentation, Rater pointed out poct marks on the surface of the deck concrete spallings, no opening at expansion points, concrete spalling on the concrete columns underneath the bridge and concrete falling off the columns, reinforcement steel beginning to rust and steel girders corroded and rusting.

He said that TxDOT had determined that the best solution to handle the issues is to replace the structure.

At this point he made a comparison of the present bridge and the proposed structure that will be eight feet wider. The length of the bridge will remain at 1,612.5 feet. The Day Street vertical clearance will be 14.5 feet compared to 12.75 feet on the present one. Sidewalks will be a foot wider than they are now and a raised concrete median will separate the two bridges very much like the present structure.

The biggest difference in the two spans will be a third turn lane that will run the entire length of the viaduct. While the left turn lane on the south end will be average length, the remainder of the lane will be for the left turn on Crawford Street, allowing for times when activities are taking place such as a fire works show, football game, parade etc., when the viaduct presently is extremely congested with vehicles trying to turn left onto Crawford Street.

TxDOT still is working with the city on illumination with several possibilities being explored. The service roads on the east side of the bridge now are 21 feet wide and will be narrowed to become 14 feet wide due to the bridge width being increased.

Another addition to the bridge will be a fence to protect railroad workers below. Rater said that there will be "crash walls" nearest the two existing railroad lines which is mandated if a bridge crosses the railroad right of way. The fence will be ornamental, Rater said.

Rater asked for input on bridge rail styles and had large drawings of the three styles being considered. One design is the concrete design used on the bridge over Red River on U.S. Highway 69-75.

Denison will not be losing its flag holders. TxDOT will permanently install holders spaced 45 to 50 feet over the bridge. In fact, all photos and drawings of bridge design featured the alternating U.S. and Texas flags that presently fly over the viaduct on special occasions.

When the present viaduct was built in 1954 it was also built as two separate bridges joined together in the center.

Written comments will be received by TxDOT until Dec. 4 if anyone has concerns or comments they would like to have answered.

DONNA HUNT is a former editor of The Denison Herald. She lives in Denison and can be contacted at d.hunt_903@yahoo.com.