Austin, TX
Residents living below W. William Cannon bridge frustrated over ongoing stabilization project
Residents living below W. William Cannon bridge frustrated over ongoing stabilization project
Crews are currently working on stabilizing the W. William Cannon Bridge, but direct neighbors are pretty fed up with the cement grout and dust blowing into yards. FOX 7 Austin’s Carissa Lehmkuhl has more in this 7 on Your Side.
AUSTIN, Texas – Residents living below the West William Cannon Bridge in South Austin are voicing frustrations about the recent ongoing stabilization project.
Wiley, a South Austin resident, took FOX 7 on a walking tour of a few backyards sitting in the shadows of the bridge.
“You can see the soil grout all over this yard right here,” he said. “It kills the grass is what it does.”
In August 2022, the City observed cracks and potholes forming in the bridge road due to movement underneath the asphalt.
A temporary fix was made before stabilization work began this year.
Work is occurring between Cannonleague Drive and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Crews will install more than 500 soil nails into the bridge’s retaining walls before adding a new layer of concrete to stabilize the sediment beneath the roadway, according to the City.
However, direct neighbors of the bridge are pretty fed up with the cement grout and dust blowing into yards.
“Living under these conditions is not very comfortable,” said Beatrice, another resident who has lived in her home long enough to watch the bridge first being built.
It’s not just the impact to yards. They are concerned about the toxicity of the cement.
“It’s floated through the neighborhood and if you read up on cement grout it’s pretty toxic,” said Wiley.
“There is an acrid smell of chemicals lingering in the backyard that is irritating to the eyes and nose,” said another resident via email. “My wife is particularly sensitive to this sort of thing and has experienced some irritation inside the house even without going back there.”
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In May, the City began stabilizing the retaining walls using emergency funds from its operation budget.
“Prior to construction, residents near the bridge were notified of upcoming construction by door hangers. The door hanger included an invitation to a virtual meet the contractor meeting on May 4. Presentation materials and meeting recordings were made available online for those who were unable to attend. Residents were given the contact information of the construction inspector and project manager so that they could reach out with individual concerns or questions. The inspector continues to speak with residents one-on-one in person when questions arise or via text,” said a City spokesperson in a statement shared with FOX 7.
“Additionally, a project website was created so residents could learn more about the project and submit questions to the project team. A stakeholder list of nearby residents was created, and they were emailed notifications about upcoming construction and ways to ask questions.”
However, residents said more proactive measures should have been taken.
“They should’ve put a barrier all the way across to protect the neighborhood rather than pollute it with toxic chemicals,” said Wiley.
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According to the City, residents who feel the City has caused damage to their property or person can file a claim by sending a letter within 45 days from the date of the incident with the following information: date, time, location, description of what occurred, type of damage(s) or nature of injury, copies of invoices, receipts, and/or estimates, any additional documents supporting the claim (i.e., photos, diagrams, statements, police reports, etc.) and a full mailing address and daytime telephone number.
The information can be mailed, faxed or emailed to:
City of Austin Law Department
Attn: Claims
P.O. Box 1546
Austin, Texas 78767-1546
Phone: 512-974-2268
Fax: 512-974-1311
lawclaims@austintexas.gov
Filing a claim is something at least some of the residents plan to do. Wiley shared estimates with FOX 7 for his yard and his neighbors’ yards for thousands of dollars’ worth of work including replacing grass and cleaning windows – damage they claim is a direct result of the ongoing bridge work.
“It’s a mess,” he said.
According to the City, the bridge repairs are considered an “urgent safety project.”
“The safety of our community is a top priority for the City of Austin. All City of Austin work is done in compliance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations, and all projects are regulated under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
Before construction begins on any project, the team works to identify all unique site conditions that may require additional safety measures. Once work is underway, our teams will adapt to meet the needs of the project site.
For the West William Cannon Bridge project, our contractor used an industrial work tarp to add another physical barrier between the work and the residential properties. Additionally, once construction is completed a 6-foot privacy fence will be installed to address residents’ concerns.
The project team is working with a focus on minimizing construction impacts to residents and businesses. All project work is being completed within City easements.”
Construction is expected to last through November 2023.
Have a story idea or problem you need help with? Email 7OYS@fox.com.
AUSTIN — Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald made his mark in the Longhorn secondary on Saturday.
McDonald recorded his first career interception, and it was one for the books.
With five minutes left in the first half as Texas led 14-7, Kentucky had possession. The crowd went wild as McDonald dove for the ball to get possession back to the Longhorn offense. Commentators described the play as a “Superman” performance.
WENT FULL SUPERMAN FOR THIS PICK 👀🤯@TexasFootball x 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/ZV5AxOSWo7
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 23, 2024
McDonald’s teammates also had their takes on the play.
“Superman…I mean everybody knows how athletic Jelani is, we’ve been talking about that all season, and even tied back to last season,” Michael Taaffe said. “He’s so athletic. I’m glad he finally got to show that and for you all to see, because we’ve known that forever.”
McDonald has totaled 22 tackles this season, playing in every conference and two non-conference games.
While he’s not a name on everyone’s mouths, like Quinn Ewers, Isaiah Bond, Taaffe or Kelvin Banks Jr., McDonald proved once and for all his impact on the team. McDonald could very much have a breakout season in 2025, and this play, which recorded Texas’ 16th interception of the season taking the national record, opened up the doors for his campaign.
That pick could even be awarded play of the year.
“I’ve been just happy to see him grow and get better as a player,” Anthony Hill Jr., who played with McDonald in the Freshman All-American game, said.
“He was playing corners, so I was like ‘Who’s this guy,’ and then one the game, he’s playing linebackers, and at one game he’s playing safety,” Hill said.
McDonald has one more shot to showcase his talent in the regular season as Texas faces Texas A&M next Saturday. But with two years left of eligibility, the sky is the limit.
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AUSTIN, Tx. (WKYT) – The Kentucky Wildcats (4-7, 1-7 SEC) ended their SEC slate with a 31-14 loss on the road against the No. 3 Texas Longhorns (10-1, 6-1 SEC). For the first time in eight seasons, UK will not be bowl eligible.
Junior quarterback Brock Vandagriff started the game for the Cats, going 3-7 for 51 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The staff opted to once against start true freshman Cutter Boley in the second half. The LCA alum wet 10-18 for 160 yards and an interception in the loss.
The Wildcats went 1-2 in the red zone and just 2-12 on third down conversions.
Senior inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson had a 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown, and also led the defense in tackles with eight.
Texas junior QB Quinn Ewers went 20-31 for 191 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns.
The season concludes next week as Kentucky hosts the Governor’s Cup game against Louisville at Kroger Field. Kick-off is set for noon on the SEC Network.
Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Austin, TX
Texas’ Quinn Ewers competes against Simone Biles, others in DICK’S Sporting Goods competition
Simone Biles, Dak Prescott, Chris Paul and Quinn Ewers are decorating DICK’S store in their hometowns of Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.
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DICK’S Sporting Goods is joining in on the holiday cheer — along with a dose of competition among Texas cities, featuring some of the Lone Star State’s best athletes.
Simone Biles, Dak Prescott, Chris Paul and Quinn Ewers will be competing, just not on any athletic field. They are each responsible for decorating a DICK’S Sporting Goods store in their hometown, competing for the title of DICK’S Holiday Decorating Officer and a trophy.
The athletes have begun decorating at stores in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Videos by DICK’S Sporting Goods offer a sneak peek of each as the athletes add their own flair to spread holiday cheer.
The competition comes as part of DICK’S Sporting Goods and DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation’s program Sports Matter, which funds and maintains youth sports programs across the nation. The four athletes will each get a $100,000 Sports Matter grant, to be awarded to a local youth sports organization(s) of their choosing.
“We’ve had a blast getting ready for the holidays with Texas’ most inspiring and entertaining sports icons,” said Kari DeGori, VP Local Marketing and Marketing Capabilities at DICK’S Sporting Goods. “These in-store displays are interactive, fun, a great place for photos, and each has its own tie of sport into the holiday – whether it’s a gingerbread locker room, a chimney basketball game, or a vintage farm basketball hoop. We hope that these displays add some extra joy for our customers while they shop for everyone on their list. And we’re thrilled to be able to partner with our Foundation’s Sports Matter program to extend the holiday cheer to deserving local sports organizations.”
“I love competing, so taking part in this Texas holiday contest with some of the best athletes across sports was a lot of fun,” said Chris Paul. “We are all trying to win and become DICK’S Holiday Decorating Officer, but no matter what, we all win as we have the opportunity to give back to youth sports. Thank you to DICK’S for awarding a $100,000 Sports Matter grant to the Chris Paul Family Foundation.”
This campaign will run across DICKS.com, YouTube, streaming, and social media, as well as broadcast on local TV, radio, and other audio platforms in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.
Quinn Ewers decorates Austin DICK’S store
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is responsible for decorating the Austin DICK’S store on 183A Toll Road. A promotion video captures Ewers placing a giant cowboy hat on a snowman and standing amid a Longhorn-themed tailgate scene while on a video call with actor Matthew McConaughey.
Chris ‘CP3’ Paul decorates San Antonio DICK’S store
Over in San Antonio, Spurs point guard Chris “CP3” Paul is busy decorating the DICK’S store on Northwest Loop 410. CP3 can be seen carefully placing basketballs into a Christmas tree and building a holiday barn-themed basketball court, casually making backward swishes throughout a promotional video.
Simone Biles decorates Houston DICK’S store
World-famous gymnast and gold Olympic medalist Simone Biles has been tasked with decorating the Houston DICK’S store on the Gulf Freeway. In a promotional video, Biles stands in front of goat decorations wearing Olympic medals and a “GO FOR GOLD” sign display. Other notable decorations include a balance beam decked with stockings, a medal podium, and a photo op featuring “five golden rings.”
Dak Prescott decorates Dallas DICK’S store
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is in charge of decorating the Dallas DICK’S store on University Drive. A promotional video depicts Prescott designing a gingerbread-themed locker room and a tunnel featuring holiday lights, speaking in front of snowmen decked in football gear.
MAP: Where are the DICK’S stores involved in the holiday decoration competition?
Locations of the DICK’S stores being decorated include the following:
- Dallas: 2845 W University Dr., Denton, TX 76201
- Houston: 18650 Gulf Freeway, Friendswood, TX 77546
- San Antonio: 321 Northwest Loop 410, Suite 112, San Antonio, TX 78216
- Austin: 5001 183A Toll Road, Suite N100, Cedar Park, TX 78613
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