The latest on the White Oak Bayou pedestrian bridge repairs
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Damage to the White Oak Bayou pedestrian bridge near Hogan Street in February 2025. Photo: Courtesy of City of Houston
Work is underway repairing a pedestrian bridge over White Oak Bayou near downtown Houston that's been closed for months.
Why it matters: Repairs to another damaged bridge on the same trail appear to be facing snags.
Catch up quick: Two bridges carrying foot and bike traffic over White Oak Bayou — one near Studemont Street and another 1.5 miles downstream near Hogan Street — were damaged in January by highway construction equipment that was swept away by floodwater.
- The loose equipment, operated by Texas Department of Transportation contractor Webber LLC, damaged both bridges' support structures, leading to their closure.
- The equipment was being used for TxDOT's nearby $350 million Interstate 10 widening project.
Driving the news: Houston Public Works closed a portion of the White Oak Bayou Greenway north of downtown Monday to make way for repairs to the bridge near Hogan Street.
- Construction could take up to three months before the portions of the trail near Hogan Street, including the new bridge, are reopened.
Meanwhile, crews have yet to start repairs on the other damaged bridge upstream near Studemont Street.
- Webber LLC, the company hired for the highway expansion, was supposed to start work on repairs in August.
Yes, but: After submitting their designs to the Harris County Flood Control District for a construction permit, district officials asked Webber LLC to make changes, according to an email from TxDOT to Houston City Council members on Sept. 16 obtained by Axios.
- "Once the updates are complete, Webber will resubmit the revised drawings ... with an estimated re-submittal date by the end of the month," TxDOT spokesperson Kris Hadley wrote in the email.
In a statement to Axios on Tuesday, Hadley said there won't be a timeline for construction until the permits are approved.
Between the lines: Webber LLC is funding the repairs to the bridge near Studemont Street out of its own pocket, Hadley told Axios. TxDOT did not have an estimated cost for those repairs.
- However, the City of Houston is paying for work on the bridge near Hogan Street. City Council in July approved using $1.1 million in funds from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to pay for the repairs.
The other side: Webber LLC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
City Councilmember Abbie Kamin, whose district covers the Studemont Street bridge, tells Axios the sooner the repairs start, the better.
- She says residents cite public safety, connectivity and homelessness as top concerns along the closed portions of the trail.
What they're saying: "We continue to have concerns about progress and safety," Kamin tells Axios. "Many of these challenges can be resolved by progress on the bridges."