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Oct 24, 2009 6:17 pm US/Central
Woodall Rodgers Reopens Early, Closing Again Soon
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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An artist's conception of what the Woodall Rodgers Park will look like when it is complete.
Michael McCann/Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation
Despite warnings that the entire Woodall Rodgers Freeway would be closed until Monday at 5 a.m., Texas Department of Transportation workers got done a little early and reopened the road Sunday morning. Take note though, the highway will be closing again soon.
TxDOT workers completely demolished the Harwood bridge overpass this weekend. Workers are permanently removing the bridge to make way a new 5.2 acre park that will span across Woodall Rodgers.
Officials with TxDOT say the construction plans were designed to "minimize construction impacts". The closure this weekend and ones in the future will be limited to nights and weekends. Officials point out that as soon as they are able to, they will reopen the road after each project is completed.
"We did try contractually to limit the full closures of the freeway to minimize the impact of this construction on area travelers, but it is an active freeway so we have to be cognizant of the safety issues," said Cynthia Northrop White with TxDOT.
At times, the inside lane of both the eastbound and westbound frontage roads were also closed, leaving only two frontage road lanes open between St. Paul and Pearl streets, causing a headache for many local and out-of-town drivers who were not aware of the closures.
The next full closure of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway will occur next Friday night following the Dallas Stars game at the American Airlines Center and will continue through 5 a.m. Monday, November 2. That weekend work will be done to demolish and temporarily remove the westbound St. Paul exit ramp.
It will be six months before the St. Paul ramp will be rebuilt and opened to traffic.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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