Announced to Baylor students via newsflash email in the evening of Sept. 15, the closures begin with a full shutdown of the eastbound 18th Street, which will reopen by 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Following the removal of the 18th Street bridge, the email said that westbound 17th Street will be closed from Sept. 21-24. The highway itself will remain open throughout the removal of the bridges, the email stated.

The “Be Safe. Drive Smart” initiative aims to combat the growing number of pedestrian deaths and injuries on Texas roadways, particularly as National Pedestrian Safety Month approaches.

The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce hosted an economic forum Thursday centered on real estate development and how infrastructural developments along Interstate 35-South, as well as the general performance of the economy, affects jobs and boosts the real estate market.

The Texas Department of Transportation hosted a final public hearing Thursday night on the construction of two new frontage road bridges over the Brazos River, which runs parallel to University Parks Drive in Waco. The bridges will span between University Parks Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard on Interstate Highway 35.