TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the Tyler District during the Week of January 12, 2015.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler will start the week with a crew repairing base failures on Ranch Road 2767 between Farm Road 850 and Farm Road 2908. Work will then move to State Highway 110 North between Interstate Highway 20 and the Wood County line to perform the same tasks. The roadways will be reduced to one lane with flaggers providing traffic control. Another crew will be patching low volume roads around the county. Traffic control will be in place but no lane closures are expected.

Caution is advised when traveling through these construction zones in Smith County:
State Highway 31 East 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 State Highway 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 FM 850, east of Tyler, to FM 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 State Highway 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 taking care of potholes and other routine maintenance issues on roads throughout the county this week. Motorists should look for signage and flaggers and be prepared to slow down and/or move over if necessary for safe travels through the work zones.

Construction projects in Gregg County include:
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 I-20 and SH 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.

I-20 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 patching potholes and edges around the county on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday they are scheduled to finish up fog seal work on U.S. Highway 79 between Palestine and Jacksonville. Expect daytime lane closures with a pilot car taking traffic through this work zone. On Friday, crews plan to conduct base repairs on Farm Road 837.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Jacksonville and Rusk are performing base repairs on various roadways around the county at the start of the week before moving to conduct pothole and edge repairs later. These activities will continue weekly. Watch for flaggers and signs to help navigate through the work zones.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens are conducting edge repair work at various locations throughout the county. Motorists are advised to remain alert as these will be moving operations. Elsewhere, the Farm Road 317 widening project from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607 is delayed due to weather. The contractor will finish laying hot mix and conducting ditch work when weather permits.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Henderson, along with the Special Crews, plan to conduct mill and inlay base repairs on Farm Road 225 from Farm Road 1798 to U.S. Highway 84 this week. Expect lane closures. Traffic control will be handled with a pilot car. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through this work zone.

Meanwhile, work on the State Highway 64 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 Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to overlay State Highway 198 and conduct base repair work on State Highway 64 in Canton this week. They will be patching potholes around the county. Motorists are reminded to use caution in work zones.

Here’s a look at construction projects in Van Zandt County:
*The hot mix application on the County Road 2702 Bridge Replacement Project is being hampered by winter weather. The roadway is closed to traffic at Lacy Fork Tributary.
*The contractor is still doing culvert work at weather permits on the State Highway 198 project from State Highway 243 southwest to 0.4 miles northeast of Farm Road 316 near Phalba.
*Culvert work continues between Edom and SH 64 on the FM 314 from I-20 to the Van Zandt/Henderson County Line. Use caution and expect lane closures.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation crews in Mineola will be conducting routine maintenance on various roadways throughout the county this week. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

Elsewhere, cleanup continues 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.