The bridge on County Road 44 between Calallen and Robstown has been closed for nearly two years and neighbors want to know why construction is taking so long to begin.

Neighbors in the area tell me they have to take a detour or find other ways to get to their destination.

“This means we either have to take a detour of about eight to nine miles to Robstown or we have to drive toward Calallen, where Hobby Lobby is, and use those roads,” said Robstown resident Heather Emshoff.

The project should start in March and be completed by summer.

Nothing has been done so far.

Third District Commissioner John Marez said the reasons for the delay were due to various factors and a lack of financial funding for the project.

“It’s a drainage bridge owned by the city of Robstown and Nueces County,” Marez said. “It’s not necessarily owned by the county, but we had money for it. I had money in my budget for it, so the county chipped in. So it’s kind of a three-party agreement. So it took a little bit of time to work on it, too. They had the need, we had the funds, so it worked out.”

As for the update, Marez said on September 11 before the Construction Committee Court that they will take action to award a contract for the construction.

Construction is expected to begin at the end of October.

For the latest local news, visit Click hereor download the KRIS 6 News App.