'We want to create that more livable city': Turner celebrates completion of Southmore Bridge project

The Southmore Bridge reconstruction project was recently completed and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said it's a big step for the city. 

"People are not just in their cars or trucks any longer. We want to create that more livable city so people can ride their bikes or walk, run or jog," Turner said in a Twitter post. 

The original Southmore Bridge was demolished almost half a decade ago, a KHOU article said. 

Southmore Boulevard, which carries the bridge, serves both vehicular and pedestrian traffic headed east and west, according to a KHOU article. 

The bridge connects the neighborhoods of Third Ward and the Museum District, a KHOU article said. 

The reconstruction project included improvements on a 10.3-mile stretch from US 59 to the Harris County line at Clear Creek and involves the expansion of three major interchanges, according to Stiver Engineering. 

While the bridge was under construction, there were detour routes established in the area including one so that eastbound traffic can take the SH 288 Southbound Frontage Road to Calumet Street and another where drivers can take a U-turn onto the Northbound Frontage Road, a Houston South East blog said.

Originally, the bridge project was set to only take 12 to 18 months, but it ran into several delays along the way, the KHOU article said. 

The pedestrian bridge is now open and tolling on the bridge for drivers also started recently as well, the KHOU article said.