TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District during the Week of December 15, 2014:

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler are continuing pavement repairs on Loop 323 between the loop extension and Commerce Street. Expect lane closures in this work zone. Use caution when traveling through the following construction projects in Smith County:
State Highway 31East Widening Project
*Limits: From FM 757 to FM 1639
*Contractor: Reynolds & Kay, LTD
*Cost: $7.8 million
Approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in August, this project consists of widening SH 31 to add passing lanes for multiple sections of roadway in both the eastbound and westbound directions. Once the widening is complete, a seal coat and final surface will be applied. Motorists should expect delays as wells as a daily construction speed limit of 60 mph when work is being performed on this job which is expected to about 18 months to complete.

State Highway 31East Widening Project
*Limits: From FM 850 to FM 757
*Contractor: East Texas Bridge, Inc.
*Cost: $3.4 million
This widening project runs from Farm Road 850, east of Tyler, to Farm Road 757. It is scheduled for completion next spring.

Off-System Bridge Replacement Projects
*Locations:
*County Road (CR) 448
*County Road (CR) 46
*Contractor: $490,000
Barricades are set for the County Road 448 project which carries traffic to the popular Sky Ranch. Motorists should look for message boards put in place with closure and detour information. The work is expected to take a couple of months to complete. County Road 46 will then be shut down for its bridge replacement, which is also expected to take about two months to complete.

Loop 323
*Limits: Tyler’s West Loop and SH 31
*Contractor: Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.
This widening and railroad bridge replacement project continues with the contractor constructing the shoofly bridge. Motorists should expect intermittent delays during this work. Look for new speed limit signs in this area as it has been reduced to 45 mph from SH 64 to Shaw Street on Loop 323.

State Highway 64
*Limits: from Chapel Hill to Arp
*Contractor: Drewery Construction
*Cost: $3.9 million
TxDOT is asking motorists to use extra caution and watch for flaggers providing traffic control when traveling through this work zone. This Super 2 widening project continues and consists of clearing and grading. The dirt work is currently being performed from County Road 299 to just west of Arp where the work zone speed limit is set at 60 mph. This is a daily speed zone reduction and will only be posted when workers are present. Expect lane closures.

GREGG COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Longview are scheduled to do patching repairs in the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 259 next week. This will be done through alternating lane closures from the Upshur County Line south to the Henderson County Line, and could take about two weeks to complete. Elsewhere, a second crew will be conducting ditch work along Farm Road 2906. Slow down and pay attention when driving through this route as flaggers will be providing traffic control.

Work continues on the following construction projects in Gregg County:
Farm Road 2275 George Richey Extension (Segments II & III)
*Limits: McCann Road to U.S. 259
*Contractor: East Texas Bridge, Inc.
The clearing between Judson Road and Airline Road continues. Excavation, embankment, bridge construction, storm drain and other work are ongoing between McCann Road and Judson Road. This is new location construction work and is not expected to impact traffic.

Farm Road 2208 (Alpine Road) at Smelley Road
*Limits: From North Loop 281 to FM 2879
*Contractor: Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.
Intersection improvements that started in September are nearing completion with new striping being applied on the turn lanes this week. This will impact traffic so expect delays and when possible use alternate routes.

Loop 281 at Farm Road 2087 Overpass
*Limits: SH 31 to approximately one mile south of SH 31
*Contractor: Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.
This project is in Phase III of construction with traffic moved off the existing Loop onto the detours. The contractor is placing drill shafts for the bridge, constructing a temporary retaining wall, the bridge headers and storm drain. Traffic can expect some delays during the peak evening hours. Caution advised during travel through this work zone.

State Highway 42
*Limits: From SH 31 north to I-20
*Contractor: Reynolds & Kay, Ltd.
Construction has been postponed as the contractor works on plans to build a turn lane at Hillcrest Road. The contractor will be conducting curb and gutter and guardrail work but construction is expected to slow down during the winter months. Drivers can expect minimal impacts at this time. Motorists can expect to see nighttime operations being implemented at some point after work resumes.

Spinks-Chapman County Road
*Limits: At the Rabbit Creek Bridge just east of Meadows Lane
*Contractor: Massana Construction, Inc.
Construction of the bridge continues on Spinks Chapman Road southwest of the Interstate Highway 20 and State Highway 31 interchange near Kilgore. Spinks-Chapman Road is closed to through traffic between Meadows Lane and Norris Road during construction. This project is in the final stage with completion expected soon. Motorists must use alternative routes to reach their destinations.

Interstate Highway20 Dynamic Message Signs (DMS)
*Location
*East of FM 1255 westbound – Van Zandt County
*West of FM 849 eastbound – Smith County
*Derrick Park westbound – Smith County
*Contractor: Highway Intelligent Traffic Solutions Corp.
The contractor is installing these DMS’s at the aforementioned locations. This work will have minimal impact on the traveling public.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Palestine are winding down the fog seal operation on State Highway 155 between Farm Road 2267 and U.S. Highway 175 this week. Northbound traffic is being shifted onto one lane. This work is expected to take about two days to complete, weather permitting. The job will then move to U.S. Highway 79 around Wednesday for shoulder work. There will be daytime lane closures so remember to slow down and be safe when traveling through these work zones.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Jacksonville and Rusk are doing base and edge repairs at various locations around the county. Crews are also profiling on U.S. Highway 79West from the west end of the curb and gutter to two miles west. Profiling is a preventive maintenance technique that helps improve traction. The operation will also be conducted on Farm Roam 747South from U.S. 79 to 1.5 miles south. Special Jobs will then join a crew in Rusk to conduct the same work on U.S. Highway 84 at the intersection of Farm Road 343 on the west side of Rusk. Look for additional signage to be in place, and flaggers providing traffic control.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens this week are performing embankment work on TxDOT right of way along the intersection of U.S. Highway 175 and State Highway 334. A second crew will be working on bridge ends on Farm Road 315 south of Chandler. Look for flaggers providing traffic control on this job. Slow down and use caution in this and all work zones. Elsewhere, the Farm Road 317 widening project continues from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607 with the contractor currently installing environmental controls.

RUSK COUNTY – TxDOT construction project continues in Rusk County:
State Highway 64
*Limits: 0.173 miles west of BU 64E (N. Marshall St.) east to 0.2 miles west of
U.S. 79 (The Traffic Star)
*Contractor: Lonestar Equipment Company, Inc.
The $2.1 million construction project on SH 64 in Henderson got under way in August 2013 and continues to experience some delays due to utility adjustments and other unforeseen issues, but is expected to be completed in summer 2015. The project consists of widening the existing two-lane roadway and constructing a four-lane facility along with a continuous Left Turn Lane. The contractor, L.S. Equipment Co. of Henderson, will perform the majority of the work outside the existing travel lanes, thereby lessening the impact on traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Canton continue work on State Highway 64 at the intersection of Farm Road 314 with a mill and inlay operation (grinding up the existing surface and replacing it with a new hot mix surface.) Motorists can expect lane closures and delays, which can be avoided by using alternate routes.

Here are updates for construction projects in Van Zandt County:
*The contractor is applying hot mix and installing guardrail on the County Road 2702 Bridge Replacement Project at Lacy Fork Tributary next week. The roadway is closed to traffic.
*More culvert work underway on the State Highway 198 project from State Highway 243 southwest to 0.4 miles northeast of FM 316 near Phalba.
*On Farm Road 314 from Interstate Highway20 to the Van Zandt/Henderson County Line, the contractor is conducting culvert work from Edom to the Henderson County Line. Use caution and expect lane closures.

WOOD COUNTY, Texas – Texas Department of Transportation crews in Mineola are performing edge repairs on Farm Road 2869 from State Highway 154 north to Farm Road 2088. Crews will also be doing base repairs on Farm Road 14 north to Farm Road 2088. Expect lane closures at both locations. Meanwhile, the contractor continues with final cleanup on the U.S. Highway 69 widening project in Mineola. The roadway is being widened from Loop 564 in Mineola to Farm Road 779 in Golden. Expect lane closures.