HOUSTON, TX — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), joined by state and local officials, community leaders, and members of the Milby High School community, broke ground on the Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge in the East End of Houston, Texas.
The ceremony brought together Texas Transportation Commissioner Steve Alvis, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, state Senator Carol Alvarado, TxDOT Houston District Engineer Glenn Allbritton, Rodriguez's parents, and more than 100 elected officials, community stakeholders, and Milby students near the high school campus.
The bridge honors 15-year-old Milby High School student Sergio Ivan Rodriguez, who was struck and killed by a train on December 9, 2024, while walking to school. His death renewed the community’s call for a safer pedestrian route across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Broadway Street and Galveston Road. The bridge honors Rodriguez's memory by delivering a safer connection for students, families, and residents in the East End.
“Sergio’s death brought urgent attention to the need for a safer way to cross these tracks,” Alvis said. “Safety is not an abstract goal. It is a promise we owe to every Texas family.”
Following Rodriguez's death, Alvarado, a Milby High School graduate, made construction of the bridge a legislative priority. She carried the effort in the Texas Senate and worked with state and local partners to secure the funding needed to move the project forward. In the Texas House, she received support from state Representative Mary Ann Perez, Vice Chair of the House Committee on Transportation, and state Representative Christina Morales, a committee member.
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“Sergio’s death was preventable. It resulted from the kind of neglect and indifference that Houston’s East End has known for far too long. ... I am proud to see a measure of justice for Sergio’s family, the Milby High School community, and the entire East End,” Alvarado said.
The groundbreaking marked an important step for a project advanced through close coordination among TxDOT, the City of Houston, Union Pacific Railroad, Houston Independent School District, state lawmakers, local leaders, and community partners.
“A project of this scope would typically take several years to move from concept to construction, but this team accomplished it in less than two years,” Allbritton said. “TxDOT, the city of Houston, Union Pacific Railroad, HISD, our design team, and our construction contractor worked together to address property, environmental, design, and railroad coordination requirements. That collaboration allowed us to move with urgency while maintaining the safety and engineering standards this community deserves.”
Because the project is located off the state highway system, TxDOT partnered with the City of Houston to design and construct the bridge. Upon completion, the city will own and maintain the bridge and associated property.
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The Texas Legislature earmarked $10 million for the Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge. The funding supports land acquisition, design services, construction of the bridge, and related pedestrian safety improvements.
Alvarado advanced the appropriation, with support from Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Perez, Morales, and other members of the Texas Legislature. Their collective efforts provided the resources needed to move the bridge from concept to construction on an accelerated schedule. The project includes a covered, skywalk-style pedestrian bridge spanning the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Switchback ramps will provide weather protection, lighting, and ADA-compliant pathways. New sidewalks and protective fencing will also help guide pedestrians away from the railroad tracks and provide a safer, more convenient route to the Milby High School campus.
Houston-based Pape-Dawson Engineers provided engineering and design services, and JFO Services LLC serves as the construction contractor. To accelerate delivery, schematic design, environmental documentation, and plans, specifications and estimates advanced concurrently through close coordination among TxDOT, the City of Houston, Union Pacific Railroad, HISD, and the project team.
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The Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge was funded through a separate legislative earmark, not through the grant program established by Senate Bill 1555.
The safety concerns highlighted by Rodriguez's death also contributed to statewide support for Senate Bill 1555, authored by Alvarado and state Senator Robert Nichols and passed by the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025. The bill established a TxDOT-administered grant program for railroad grade-separation projects outside the state highway system, including roadway and pedestrian railroad crossings.
Construction is underway, and the bridge is expected to open in January 2027.
