RICHMOND, Va. -- Future plans for the Texas Beach Pedestrian Bridge remain uncertain, months after Richmond city officials announced its immediate closure. In September, the bridge was found to be "structurally unsafe for public use" and at risk of collapsing.
The bridge, which was constructed in 1972, served as the city's only public access point to Texas Beach, a beloved spot for visitors and city residents who seek to enjoy the James River.
“Texas Beach is really nice. The river’s very beautiful," said Chris Cosans, a resident of the nearby Maymont neighborhood who said he crossed the bridge up to three times daily. "You can go swimming in it and go snorkeling. The bridge was very heavily used."
Another Maymont neighbor, Derek Groom, said he used the bridge monthly, sometimes weekly, and that Texas Beach is one of his favorite spots in the city.
“Oh, the nature. We’re here in the city, and then here we are at the river right here in the city, so it’s one of the only places you can get that," Groom said.
Both said they were disappointed when the bridge was closed.
"It was a huge bummer," Groom said. "I know a lot of families and kids use it as well, so I know a lot of people are pretty bummed about that."
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, CBS 6 obtained the structure inspection report that was done by the Timmons Group in September 2022. The report came back from Richmond Parks and Rec. with heavy redactions, citing exemptions that allow critical infrastructure information to be withheld.
But the parts of the report that were not redacted provided some insight as to what's wrong with the structure:
- Damages to the bottom of the bridge's deck included water staining, heavy soot staining, and cracking.
- The chain link fencing on the sides of the pathway was torn in several areas.
- Timber handrails suffered minor deterioration.
- Top chords of the trusses exhibited minor deformations.
- The bottom chord was not visible due to debris accumulation and moss growth.
BONUS: Read the 2022 bridge inspection report
“It looked pretty bad to me, and I wish they had tried to repair it sooner," Cosans said. “There's some beams and you just feel them, it's like just massive rust.”
A previous inspection of the bridge from 2018 showed that at the time, the bridge was in overall "fair" condition, but the fence, railing, stairs, columns, expansion joints, landings, and walls were marked "poor."
The 2018 inspection recommended that the city perform an in-depth evaluation of the structure, power wash the debris away, and consider replacing the concrete decking with steel grid decking. Many other recommendations listed in the 2018 report were redacted.
However, the 2022 inspection noted there's been no known structural analysis of the bridge and no known previous repairs.
The Timmons Group recommended that the city either rehabilitate the bridge or replace it. The report also recommended a critical immediate priority, but it is redacted.
A spokesperson for Richmond Parks and Rec. said no decision has been made on whether to repair the bridge or replace it. The city has also not yet created a timeline for improvements and does not have a cost estimate. Previously, Parks and Rec. said it requested federal funding to help address the issues.
Meanwhile, some Richmonders said they're hoping the bridge will reopen sooner rather than later.
“It’d be nice to expedite this whole thing," Groom said. "We need to keep nature as close as we can as many people enjoy it. We should keep it that way."
“To have easy public access just seems to be something -- that’s one of the best things the city has, is the river," Cosans said. "It's clearly something that should be done."
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