Breckenridge Texan

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Management are implementing plans in response to the temporary closure of the Hubbard Creek Lake Bridge on U.S. Highway 180 by the Texas Department of Transportation next week.

According to a news release from TxDOT last week, the bridge, known locally as the “Mile-Long Bridge,” will be closed to through traffic from Monday, April 27, through about Friday, May 1, for maintenance.

A crew is installing 77 signs around the area, showing the detour that drivers need to take next week when the bridge on U.S. Highway 180 over Hubbard Creek Reservoir is closed by the Texas Department of Transportation for maintenance. They expect to have the signs installed within a couple of days. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Stephens County is coordinating with the City of Breckenridge, Breckenridge police and fire departments, Breckenridge Independent School District, Hubbard Creek  Volunteer Fire Department, Sacred Cross EMS, Texas Department of Public Safety and Shackelford County to ensure public safety and minimize disruptions during the  closure.

TxDOT is in the process of installing warning signs and marking designated detour routes.

To maintain emergency response coverage, fire and law enforcement personnel will be staged on the west side of the bridge, according to a news release from David Leonard, the emergency management coordinator for Stephens County.

Shackelford County EMS will provide medical response on the west side of the bridge, and individuals requiring transport will be taken to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene.

A reminder message will be sent via HyperReach Notification Program on Sunday, April 26, to those who are signed up to receive messages from the county. Residents who are not currently subscribed to HyperReach can sign up by on the Stephens County website (click here).

The bridge is expected to reopen on Saturday, May 2, Leonard said. Any changes to that schedule will be communicated through the county’s Facebook page and the HyperReach Notification Program.

Detour maps are available below and on the Stephens County website and will be shared on the county’s official Facebook page prior to the closure.

TxDOT advises the following detours:

• Heavy truck traffic to detour through Shackelford and Throckmorton counties on Highways 183 and 283.
• Passenger vehicles and light trucks may use CR 294 to CR 576.

Signs on highways leading into Breckenridge, including State Highway 67, warn drivers of the upcoming bridge closure and detour. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Stephens County Office of Emergency Management has posted this map showing a detour from CR 294 to CR 576 that passenger vehicles and light trucks may use during the temporary bridge closure. See the TxDOT route for heavy trucks and wide loads below. (Courtesy of Stephens County)

U.S. Highway 180 Truck Route Detour at Hubbard Creek Reservoir in Stephens County

Cutline, top photo: The bridge on U.S. Highway 180 over Hubbard Creek Reservoir, west of Breckenridge, will be temporarily closed to all traffic for about a week beginning Monday, April 27, for maintenance on the bridge by the Texas Department of Transportation. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)