Kingsland Flooding One Year Later: Back to business
KINGSLAND, Texas (KXAN) — One year ago Wednesday, Llano River floodwaters washed away the Kingsland RM 2900 Bridge that connected communities and businesses. It was a crushing moment for thousands of people who depend on the bridge.
“When the bridge was out it was just a pain in the butt,” Mark D’Asto the owner of LBJ Gardens said. “It was just really a hassle to have to go the long way around.”
It took TxDOT crews seven months to finish rebuilding a new stronger, higher bridge, but with the new RM 2900 Bridge what had become a 40-minute drive to some customers for D’Asto was back to normal at just three minutes.
“It’s just been so much easier to get to the people,” he said and added that because of this his business is growing. “It cut down my drive time which allowed me to get more business in a day so it’s improved.”
Both the bridge’s absence and its revival has had a profound impact on Kingsland businesses.
“Business here has definitely picked up, business everywhere has picked up,” Victoria Wilson, an employee at Buddies said.
Wilson helps run Buddies, a popular gas station in Kingsland, and said since the new bridge opened up in May business is back up 15 to 20 percent, and profits aren’t the only thing rising.
“It’s definitely lifted everybody spirits for sure,” she said.
D’Asto agreed, “It’s great. I love the new bridge.”
November marks six months since TxDOT crews completed the new RM 2900 Bridge.