ROANOKE — Residents living in Roanoke’s Briarwyck subdivision celebrated the completion of a long-awaited access point to their community with the opening of the Marshall Creek Road Bridge.
Community members joined HOA representatives and city officials March 1 for the opening, which included a celebration and ribbon cutting."Those people have been waiting for that bridge for a couple of years now," Community Manager Deborah Macziewski said.The biggest inconvenience occurs during races at Texas Motor Speedway, Macziewski said."They have basically been blocked in during races," she said. "This gives them the freedom to get in and out of their neighborhood easily when there are races."Macziewski said many of the residents went to great lengths during race week to avoid the area."It’s been so hard on them," she said. "Some people make arrangements to go stay with family or go on a mini vacation.”Macziewski said the subdivision currently has 370 finished homes with residents; build out will be about 600.In January 2012, the Roanoke City Council approved a contract with Sinacola to construct the bridge from U.S. 377 to Blythe Bridge Drive.Primary funding for the bridge was from Public Improvement District assessments and a contribution from Meritage Home Corp. Construction began in February 2012.Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch said completion was originally set for April so he is thrilled that the project finished a couple of months ahead of schedule.Gierisch said when council began looking at the subdivision in 2006, a determination was made that the community would need an alternate route."It took a number of years of working with the railroad and the city to get this where it is today," Gierisch said. "We couldn’t be more excited."Gierisch said the new roadway will not only be more convenient but give an access point for emergencies."It will also help with accessibility to Roanoke Elementary and with accessibility to those who live on the eastern side of the subdivision," he said.Gierisch said, "It’s just been inconvenient getting in and out of there ... this will give them the ability to have easy access in and out of their neighborhood."Susan McFarland, 817-390-7547 Twitter: @susanmcfarland1
