Staff report

Those who travel on Highway 365 between Fannett and Port Arthur might want to ponder another route.

The Hillebrandt Bayou Bridge, which was reduced to one lane on April 1, will remain that way for another 15 months, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The project to replace the bridge and bring it up to current code will take 21/2 years to complete.

A traffic light that remains green for 30 seconds and red for two minutes both ways allows cars on both sides of the bridge to take turns using the normally two-way, two-lane bridge.

The spokesperson for TXDOT said traffic can get backed up depending on the time of day.

The new bridge will have two 12-foot travel lanes (one in each direction) and 10-foot outside shoulders.

TXDOT requests people to be patient and not run the red light as oncoming traffic is likely coming on the one-lane bridge.