Willis Bridge Update




PSA: Willis Bridge Update

Feb. 9, 2023

The new Willis Bridge opened up with one lane northbound, and southbound traffic was routed onto the old bridge. Soon after, both lanes opened up on the new bridge.

Feb. 16, 2023

From the Tulsa, Oklahoma, office of Jensen Construction Company:

The contract to build the new bridge was awarded to Jensen in 2018. Initial work began in 2018, but it was quite some time before Texomans saw the construction crews arrive. The supervisor at Jensen and I could not remember what year their field office was installed. He thought it was 2019, and I thought it was 2020. 

We are approximately six months away from the end of construction. Jensen will dismantle the old bridge with hard labor, cranes, and pneumatic breakers, not with explosives to implode the bridge. Parts, not all, of the old bridge will be left to settle on the lake bed for fish cover and habitat. 

There are no guard rails on the east side of the northbound entrance and exit for a couple of hundred yards each. The drop-offs are steep in those sections and invisible at night. Those sections are up to ODOT code standards. 

Please Adhere to the 45 MPH Speed Limit Through the Willis Bridge Construction Zone




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Lake Texoma Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Texoma Weather Forecast

Tuesday

Increasing Clouds

Hi: 74

Tuesday Night

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 64

Wednesday

Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 74

Wednesday Night

Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 68

Thursday

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 77

Thursday Night

Rain Showers

Lo: 69

Friday

Rain Showers Likely

Hi: 77

Friday Night

Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 70


Lake Texoma Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 4/22: 615.69 (-1.31)



Lake Texoma

Fishing Report from TPWD (Apr. 17)

GOOD. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 1.53 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is great drifting live shad around the islands or past the bridges near the rivers. Rain should finish off the spawn and look for bait on the banks with feeding fish near them. Top waters are working on sandy flats in 2-8 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are good on live shad along the bluffs on the banks in 2-4 feet of water. Also fair on spooks early and look for largemouth off the banks in 6-12 feet of water on main lake points near rocks. Catfish are fair on cut shad along the rocks in 30-45 feet of water. Drifting cut rough fish or gizzard shad in 5-10 feet of water near the river could produce a big fish after a rain with an inflow of dirty water. Crappie are good on brush piles in 12-18 feet of water on jigs using electronics to locate active fish working in and out of the brush. Look for spawners shallow with warmer temperatures in the forecast. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Threadfin shad are spawning along the banks. Hybrid stripers are good on topwaters in the morning along rocky banks. Some days the egrets are working leading the way to fish. Some schooling activity under gulls. After the morning bite ends switch to swimbaits and Alabama rigs in 10-25 feet of water on the edges and dropoffs. This pattern should hold for the next 4-6 weeks while shad spawn near docks and banks. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

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