Infrastructure Recovery Underway After Devastating Northwestern Travis County Floods
Three weeks after catastrophic flooding swept through northwestern Travis County on July 4th weekend, infrastructure repairs are progressing with mixed timelines as communities work to restore critical connections severed by the disaster.
Sandy Creek Bridge: Temporary Relief Achieved
The Sandy Creek Bridge situation has seen significant progress in recent days. Working with local landowners, Travis County installed a temporary low-water crossing alongside the damaged structure. The crossing now allows two-way traffic through the area. This development marks a crucial milestone for the Sandy Creek Ranches neighborhood near Leander, which had been accessible only by foot traffic since the flooding.
An eight-year-old bridge — now closed to all but foot traffic — is the only way in and out of the area. The temporary crossing has enabled debris removal operations to accelerate, with larger vehicles now able to access the community.
Travis County is planning a phased approach for permanent repairs. The county has outlined Phase 2 of their recovery plan, which involves temporary bridge repairs to damaged abutments that will eventually allow light traffic under 5,000 pounds to cross once completed.
Temperatures have started to spike, complicating volunteer efforts in the area.
Meanwhile, leadership for recovery efforts in Sandy Creek have shifted from volunteer and community groups to Travis County officials, and that has some concerned. (CBS Austin)
A candle-lit vigil organized by Liberty Hill resident Skyland English, who lost three family members in the flooding, brought the community together with a pastor leading prayer and residents sharing personal stories.
Leander Mayor Christine DeLisle faces online criticism for flood response.
Cow Creek Bridge: Complete Reconstruction Fast-Tracked
The situation at Cow Creek Bridge presents a more complex challenge. “The bridge at RR 1431 and Cow Creek was completely wiped out by floodwaters,” according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The 1960-era bridge that connected Lago Vista and Marble Falls was entirely destroyed, requiring a complete rebuild rather than repairs.
TxDOT has responded with unprecedented speed. The agency on Friday held a press conference and announced it was awarded an emergency contract to rebuild the RM 1431 bridge. The emergency contract was awarded on July 18 following a fast-tracked two-day bidding process.
Construction timelines are ambitious, with a new Cow Creek bridge by Sept. 19, or even sooner, according to the TxDOT. Contractors have already begun debris removal to prepare the site for construction.
Ongoing Challenges and Community Impact
The infrastructure damage has created significant disruptions for residents and commuters in the region. FM 1431 westbound toward Marble Falls remains completely closed, forcing lengthy detours for those traveling between communities. The closure affects daily commutes, emergency services access, and local business operations.
Recovery efforts continue across northwestern Travis County as officials work to balance speed with safety in rebuilding critical infrastructure. Both bridges represent vital lifelines for their respective communities, with repairs progressing on different timelines based on the extent of damage and jurisdictional responsibilities.
The flooding claimed ten lives countywide and highlighted the vulnerability of aging infrastructure to extreme weather events, prompting discussions about long-term resilience planning for the region’s transportation network.
The Austin Fire Department responded to a water rescue near the 360 Bridge on Saturday.
Overnight on I-35 in Georgetown…
Interstate 35 in Round Rock was briefly shut down for hours in both directions on Saturday morning.
Authorities in Bell County are investigating an early Saturday morning shooting incident.
A suspect is dead after New Braunfels officers say he lunged at them with a sharp weapon on Saturday.
Suspect Deceased Following Officer Involved Shooting
On today’s date (07-26-25), at approximately 4:15pm, officers with the New Braunfels Police Department were called to the Sage Apartments in the 2500 block of West San Antonio Street for a report of a disturbance in progress between a male suspect and a female victim.
Two New Braunfels Police Officers arrived and made contact with both the male and the female. During those interactions the male suspect brandished a sharp weapon and began lunging in the officers’ direction, prompting them to fire their department issued service weapons, striking the suspect. Additional responding officers attempted life saving measures on the suspect and paramedics from the New Braunfels Fire Department took over those efforts, but the suspect succumbed to his injuries, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. He has since been identified as a 33-year old male from Spring, Texas. Identification of the suspect is pending notification of next of kin. There were no injuries to police officers or other civilians reported.
As part of standard operating procedure, the two officers involved (who have a combined four years with the New Braunfels Police Department) have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of concurrent investigations by the New Braunfels Police Department and the Texas Rangers. All additional information regarding this incident is part of the ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers.
(New Braunfels Police Department)
Travis County Constable George Morales is running for Travis County Commissioner Precinct 4 to replace retiring Margaret Gomez, focusing on healthcare for working families and funding a diversion center for mental health and recovery support.
T he U.S. Department of Education will release $667 million in federal education funds to Texas after withholding the money for nearly a month, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Public school accountability ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years will be available on August 15. School systems will be able to access the A-F ratings on the 13th. They will be publicly available on www.txschools.gov two days later. (Community Impact)
Hutto leaders have given the green light to a new Sprouts location in the fast-growing community in Williamson County. The farmers market-style grocery store is expected to open in 2027. (Austin Business Journal)
Where did people move to Austin from in the first half of 2025? Here’s what U-Haul found. (Austin American-Statesman)
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
TEXAS DROUGHT MONITOR
4K, 60fps Weather & Boat Traffic Timelapse Video taken on Lake Travis near Lakeway. (July 26, 2025)
With roughly a month on the job, a newly sworn San Antonio City Council member Ivalis Meza Gonzalez was booked and charged with DWI Thursday night. (My San Antonio)
Dallas County Democrats organized a “Stop the Steal” rally to protest mid-decade redistricting efforts, claiming it’s a Republican attempt to rig the system and disenfranchise people of color.
Texas House Democrats traveled to Illinois and California to rally national support against redistricting, emphasizing the importance of representation for minority communities.
How redistricting in Texas and California could change the game for House elections. (Los Angeles Times)
Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas have filed 203 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 17 through July 24. Among these cases are several arrests and charges involving Mexican and Honduran nationals for illegal re-entry and other immigration violations. (My Texas Daily)
A full capture of Friday night’s rally at the Delco Center in northeast Austin, hosted by Powered By People, and featuring in order:
01:06 – Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco
04:39 – Austin State Representative Gina Hinojosa
16:06 – Round Rock State Representative James Talarico
29:39 – Austin Congressman Greg Casar
37:10 – Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett
47:30 – San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro
1:02:06 – Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke
The Texas Division of Emergency Management was aware of the need for extra resources in Kerr County during the Fourth of July weekend, but the severity of the storm exceeded expectations.
Mounting evidence shows no US state is safe from the flooding that ravaged Texas’ Kerr County. (Wired)
Mapping destruction: New data shows where people reported deaths after Kerr County floods. (Houston Chronicle via MSN)
The city of Houston is considering a ban on the use of e-scooters.
SPORTS
MLS: Austin FC won 4-2 against D.C. United Saturday night in the nation’s capital, getting goals from Myrto Uzuni, Owen Wolff, Osman Bukari, and Robert Taylor. Uzuni and Wolff have now scored in back-to-back matches. The victory moves Austin up into seventh place in the MLS Western Conference and improves the team’s record to 4-1-1 in its last six league matches. (Austin FC)
ON THE SCHEDULE
MLB: The Rangers are rolling.
Marcus Semien hit an RBI single in the 10th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Saturday night, seven innings after the second baseman took a 94.6 mph fastball to the helmet. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Rangers announced they completed contracts with their 2025 draftees.
While the Rangers are surging, the Houston Astros are skidding.
Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler homered, Nick Kurtz followed his historic four-homer game with two hits and the Athletics won their third straight game, beating the Houston Astros 5-1 on Saturday night.
Houston’s opponents have scored first in a franchise-record 17 straight games. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Astros announced a roster move Saturday.
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels features unique and delicate formations throughout, with rooms that are smaller but still quite immense, expanded in 2023 to include three new rooms: Cathedral Canyon, the Ballroom, and Box Canyon.
