TXDOT to break ground on new Brazos bridges in late summer 2012

Temporary starvation for Baylor-related news has resulted in me considering even things that are relatively minor to be items worthy of note, and if you combine that with my love of all things even tangentially related to Baylor's new football stadium, something as innocuous as the announcement that TXDOT will begin major construction on the IH-35 corridor through Waco this summer becomes a big deal.

That construction project, which TXDOT forecasts to be wholly completed by year-end 2015 at a price tag of $212 million, includes the construction of "new extradosed (a type of cable-stayed construction) access road bridges across the Brazos River in Waco" and "[s]everal new, upgraded on- and off-ramps" along the corridor. One of the primary goals for the project is to provide uninterrupted access roads (also called service roads or "feeders" by some) along the entire stretch of IH-35 from DFW to San Antonio. This is important for Baylor because the access roads in Waco stop at the river's edge, and extending those (via bridge) over the Brazos could be a key step in alleviating traffic at the new stadium and providing a route to it for vehicles from University Parks.

The fact that the entire project is scheduled to begin construction relatively soon-- before the stadium itself, in fact-- means that much of the work could be completed by the rumored opening date for the stadium: August 2014.

UPDATE: Apparently this was news six weeks ago and I am just late to the party. Don't care. It's news to me.