Fred Hartman Bridge

Project Details

The Fred Hartman Bridge spans the Houston Ship Channel connecting the cities of Baytown and LaPorte along SH 146. WB was the Prime Contractor to the Texas Department of Transportation for this $91.25M bridge that is the longest cable stayed bridge in Texas.

WB constructed the 8-lane suspension bridge which included four lanes with full shoulders in each direction. The bridge replaced the Baytown Tunnel which was removed to accomodate larger ships through the Houston Ship Channel. The towers were protected against ship collision by locating one of them on shore and the other in shallow water and surrounding it with an artificial island.

At 436 feet high, the bridge features a fan arranged cable stay arrangement and provides a vertical clearance of 262 feet. The two signature diamond shaped towers provide a distinctive gateway to ships entering the Houston Ship Channel from the Gulf of Mexico.