the bridge is back

Controversial downtown bridge reopens to drivers after major repairs

The crucial downtown link is back.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

A critical link for downtown Houston commuters has reopened after closing in 2019 due to dangerous decay. In good news for daily drivers, the Brazos Bridge is back in action, the city announced.

The bridge was shut down in July 2019, as parts were crumbling and in severe disrepair — so dire that the structure saw falling debris. Connecting major Midtown streets to Interstate 69, the bridge is considered a crucial connector by those in the neighborhood.

Significant improvements include a thicker concrete deck and a steel metal deck that the city promises will last some 50 years.

Importantly for locals, the project improves Smith, Bagby, and Holman streets, as they were previously named among the 12 most dangerous intersections for bicyclists and pedestrians. Contractors removed a southbound lane on Smith to create a wider median for cyclists and pedestrians and to shorten the distance to the crosswalk on Smith, according to the city.

Additionally, crews added a wider curb ramp and a concrete walking trail in effort to slow traffic turns from Holman onto Smith.

As the Houston Chronicle notes, city officials debated as to whether to rebuild the bridge, and instead, transform the property into a bikeway. Officials noted that traffic seemed unaffected by Spur 527 losing Brazos Street access, as exits at Travis and Louisiana streets remained.

However, Midtown business leaders and locals pressured the city to rebuild the bridge, the Chron notes.

traffic transportation

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”