Feds chip in $393 for $2 million project to replace Walker County bridge

Stubblefield Bridge crosses the northern portion of Lake Conroe, within the Sam Houston National Forest. Stubblefield Bridge crosses the northern portion of Lake Conroe, within the Sam Houston National Forest. Photo: U.S. Forest Service Photo: U.S. Forest Service Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Feds chip in $393 for $2 million project to replace Walker County bridge 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

They say every little bit helps, but does it?

Federal officials announced Tuesday that Texas would receive $25 million in emergency relief funds, part of $705.7 million doled out for repairs to storm-damaged roads and bridges in 34 states.

“The Department is pleased to reimburse states and territories that have made critical repairs to their transportation infrastructure following natural disasters such as wildfires, storms, and floods,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

About $153 million will go toward needed repairs caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma. Another $12.5 million will be used to repair roads and bridges burnt out by the 2018 California wildfires. U.S. 550 in Colorado will see $1.2 million worth of work to repair damage from a rock slide.

The Stubblefield Road bridge in the Sam Houston National Forest received $393. No, that’s not a typo.

“That won’t even buy a dump truck load of rock,” said Walker County Commissioner Jimmy Henry, who oversees county roads in eastern and southern parts of the county.

The bridge is owned and part of the federal land that makes up the forest, but is maintained by the county. It’s a little more than a mile north of FM 1375, at the top of Lake Conroe.

The award of the money is more a quirk than anything, as the National Park Service prepares to replace the bridge, damaged during heavy rains following Hurricane Harvey. It’s been closed since, with federal and local officials waffling between repairing the bridge and completely rebuilding it. Initially, it was set for repairs that would have had it open last month, but last August the forest service opted to rebuild it so the span could be lengthened to put more of the bridge out of the floodway.

“Replacing the bridge will obviously take longer than making a repair, but in the end, Stubblefield Bridge will be safer and more substantial than the old bridge," said Eddie Taylor, supervisor of national forests and grasslands in Texas.

The cost of replacing and extending the bridge was estimated at around $2 million. Forest service officials did not return requests for comment on Wednesday morning about the status of starting work, or an updated estimate of the costs and funding sources.

Henry said officials are hopeful work can begin soon, but that all of the construction is being managed by the forest service. Local officials and residents, he said, just want the road reopened.

“There are two subdivisions back there and a lot of those people use the cut through,” Henry said.

Without the bridge, accessing the nearby campsites popular with hikers and fishermen means a circuitous trip down to FM 1375 and back to Interstate 45, Henry said. What worries him, he added, is a medical emergency at the campsite.

“Time is of the essence, and we would have to go around,” he said.