Wurzbach Parkway closing set for bridge work

As work nears completion on the one-of-its-kind Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge and officials plan a public opening in early December, the construction at Phil Hardberger Park still is causing occasional road closures.

This weekend, Wurzbach Parkway will be closed to all traffic from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday between Northwest Military Highway and Blanco Road, so crews can continue building the bridge’s infrastructure. Motorists should follow the customary detour signs.

The last steel girder of the 150foot-wide bridge went into place in May, but crews still had to install wood decking, pour concrete, wait 30 days for it to cure and waterproof it, among many other tasks, said the park conservancy’s executive director, Denise Gross.

Coming soon will be an array of plants, from agarita and prickly pear cactus to mountain laurel, persimmon and little bluestem grass that designers hope, when in place, will make the bridge look like a natural raised pathway with all the South Texas vegetation that’s native to the park.

When completed, the land bridge will provide a safe way for people and animals to cross between currently divided sections of Phil Hardberger Park. Its designers say there is no structure quite like it in the world.

Construction began in fall 2018. The project includes $13 million in funding from the 2017 city bond program and $10 million in donations from the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy.

William Luther / Staff photographer Construction continues on the Hardberger Park land bridge over Wurzbach Parkway. When completed, the bridge will connect the east and west halves of the park and allow people and animals to pass over the road.