Waterway Avenue Bridge
(Alex Sutton Family Bridge)
NBI Information
Location
State: Texas
County: Montgomery County
Feature Carried: Waterway Avenue
Feature Crossed: Woodlands Waterway
Latitude, Longitude: 30.1600,-95.4600
Toll: On free road
Maintenance Responsibility: County Highway Agency
Structure Open, Posted, or Closed to Traffic: Open, no restriction
History
Year Built: 2004
Historical Significance: Bridge is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Year Reconstructed: None
Picture Date: April 26 and 28, 2025
Geometry
Lanes on Structure: 2
Lanes under Structure: 0
Skew: 0 degrees
Number of Main Spans: 4
Main Structure Type: Arch - Deck
Main Structure Material: Concrete
Number of Approach Spans: 0
Approach Structure Type: None
Approach Structure Material: None
Condition
Inspection Date: October 2023
Deck Condition: Good
Superstructure Condition: Good
Substructure Condition: Good
Channel Condition: Very Good
Culvert: Not Applicable
NBI Year: 2024
Bridge Information
The Woodlands Waterway was originally built in 1972 as a small drainage system. At the time, there was a vision for it to be a pathway, but construction didn’t begin on this project until 1999. The first segment was officially opened in 2002. In 2004, the waterway was extended to the Woodlands Mall, in 2009 it was fully extended to Lake Woodlands, and in 2017 it was extended to Hughes Landing.
This bridge was constructed in 2004 as part of the extension of the Woodlands Waterway Project. The bridge lighting was replaced in 2020, but it soon became outdated. The bridge was upgraded again in early 2025 in order to make the stand out during the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas in April. This project included replacing all LED-colored lighting, updating related controls, and renovating the iconic "Waterway Square" lettering positioned atop the bridge. This was the initial part of a larger project, which includes paining the metal components, repairing the roofing above the stairs and cleaning the masonry.
The Waterway Avenue Bridge was officially renamed and dedicated as the Alex Sutton Family Bridge in 2020.
References
