FANNIN COUNTY, Texas (KTEN) -- The FM 897 bridge opened in Fannin County Tuesday morning, the first major development finished in the $1.6 billion Bois d'Arc Lake project.
Construction on the 1.3 mile span began in 2018. It will be the primary North-South access route across the new reservoir.
North Texas Municipal Water District spokesperson Jeff McKito said this is just one piece of the costly roadwork going into the project.
"FM 897 is part of $50 million worth of road projects that NTMWD has done in Fannin County," he said. "These include county roads, improving bridges over the creek for areas where water will now come and the bridges weren't high enough previously for people to drive across."
The bridge extends about a mile over the lake but with FM 897 up and running, another roadway has to fall.
"The reason TxDOT will close FM 1396 is because it crosses Bois D'Arc Creek, so it'll be partially underwater in the future," McKito said.
With the new bridge now open, workers can focus on the next step in the process: Filling the reservoir with water.
"This is an exciting time for us because after two years of work you're seeing things come together," McKito said. "It's becoming real, and this is a really big thing for us."
The reservoir is scheduled to begin providing water in 2022.
