Just about a mile as the trash floats along Brays Bayou from that sylvan site in Idylwood where the Houston Parks Board is considering building a parking lot, more work of the flood-mitigating Project Brays is underway. Here, near the intersection of Wheeler and Old Spanish Trail, the Harris County Flood Control District is widening the channel to help the bayou along, an act that will necessitate spending about $4.2 million to build a new 2-lane bridge.
According to the HCFCD, the existing bridge on Wheeler — shown in the photo here — isn’t nearly big enough and will need to be demolished. The new bridge, to be built during the next year or so, will extend Lidstone St. up and over the bayou to O.S.T., connecting the Gulfgate and Fonde Park neighborhoods just southeast of the Orange Show. Once the bridge is complete, more hike and bike trails will be installed.
You can see a project map and more photos after the jump:
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This view looks north toward Fonde Park and U of H:
- Construction Starts on New Lidstone Bridge and Channel Widening at Brays Bayou [Harris County Flood Control District]
- Previously on Swamplot: No Parking: Idylwood Residents Want Parks Board To Move Proposed Hike and Bike Lot Somewhere Else, Brays Bayou Flood Control Landscape: Eldridge Hillside Sheep
Images: Harris County Flood Control District (map); Allyn West (photos)
Maybe the new bridge will have more aesthetic appeal. We can hope, right?
Oh the humanity!!! Oh, the speakable horror!!!
Now, I’ll sit back and wait for the why.
It would be nice if the bridge had an understructure with the bat cavities. We;ve got flood control, recreation and habitat restoration all included in this project, why not add mosquito abatement and tourism too?
I love the Waugh bat colony, but…
go smell it.
I’ve lived in Austin, I just don’t get the obsession with bats, they’re disgusting little creatures that carry Rabies, in addition the Guano (nice way to say batt shit) is revolting and smells with high noon in Kolkota, so please no batts. I don’t live that close this area but it’s certainly an area I might cycle to if it’s cleaned up. This is an example of Houston trying to get better, they’re finding ways to improve flood control while increasing the miles of hike and bike trails. Houston never seems to get any credit for what it does right, I mean look at the awesome transformation of Buffalo Bayou Park! Come on Swamploters give your town some love!
@ WASP
All of your complaints are valid points. However, bats eat mosquitoes. Therefore, bats = good. Shikaka!
Wait wait… Do bats live here? Or are we wanting bats to live here?
I think bats are cool…
Well if can get the bats to sign a waver that they will indeed eat all the mosquitoes and do their best to clean up their guano, then I suppose I can work on my gag reflex when I see their little hideous bat faces. Quid pro Quo
What would happen if it were just demolished and then NOT rebuilt?
WASP, I have to disagree with you. Subjectivity and all being what it is, but I think bats are really cool, and they have cute little faces. Plus, it really is a sight to watch the bats take flight en masse.
The stink from bat guano can be strong but it’s not any worse than the porta-potties hikers and bikers use. Plus there’s a human guano processing plant on Brayswood on the other end of the bayou. Let’s have some balance!