Ferry Drive project to begin

The long-awaited reconstruction of Ferry Drive is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. June 30.

The project is estimated at 18 months to completion. Ferry Drive will remain closed to all traffic and North John will remain closed to through traffic for the entire period.

Simco Construction will place permanent barricades across Ferry near the corner of Texas Avenue and Roundbunch Road.

Businesses near the intersection will still be accessible by patrons, city officials said. On the south end of Ferry, a barricade will stand between Inwood Street and Crescent Street. On the north end, a barricade will be placed near Morris Street.

Residents living in the Bridgeview and Hunter’s Ridge subdivisions can access their homes by crossing Ferry at any of the four streets that cross Ferry Drive, then using North John Street to enter either Texas Avenue or Roundbunch.

North John will be closed to through traffic, officials emphasized. “North John is too narrow for the traffic flow and is not surfaced to allow the heavy traffic that will be detouring with Ferry Drive closed,” said City Manager Jerry Jones.

Traffic that normally uses Ferry will be detoured via the intersection at Roundbunch and Texas.

Barricades will also be placed on the turn lane coming into the city from the Texas 87 South direction. Detour signs will mark the routes of the detour from both Texas and Roundbunch.

The Ferry Drive project is partially funded through a grant from the Office of Rural Community Affairs. The cost will be $2,274,039 with $2,089,228 coming from the grant. The cost to the city will be $184,811.

The project is a partnership with the city of Bridge City and the state Department of Transportation; with the city responsible for the relocation of the water, sewer and drainage portions.

The department will construct the curb and gutter portions and surface the road with built-up asphalt. The asphalt surface will be similar to that used on Texas Avenue.