TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of January 26.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler, along with Special Crews, will also be conducting mill and inlay operations on Farm Road 14 at Interstate Highway 20. Expect the roadway to be reduced to one lane using flaggers to move motorists through the work zone. Expect delays.

There will also be a moving operation working on Toll 49 from State Highway 64 to I-20 so expect traffic flow to be slowed in this area. Look for signage to help guide you through the work zone.

Elsewhere, look out for these construction zones in Smith County:
State Highway 31E Widening Project
*Limits: From FM 757 to FM 1639
*Contractor: Reynolds & Kay, LTD
*Cost: $7.8 million
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 18-month job.

State Highway 31E Widening Project
*Limits: From FM 850 to FM 757
*Contractor: East Texas Bridge, Inc.
*Cost: $3.4 million
This portion of FM 850, east of Tyler to FM 757 is also being widened with a scheduled completion date set for next spring.

Off-System Bridge Replacement Projects
*Locations:
*County Road (CR) 448
*County Road (CR) 46
*Contractor: East Texas Bridge, Inc.
*Cost: $490,000
Motorists must use alternate routes to reach their destinations as both of these roads are now closed to traffic for the replacement of outdated bridges. CR 448, which carries traffic to the popular Sky Ranch, is closed at the Village Creek Bridge. The contractor is laying a hot mix surface this week. Work is expected to be completed this month, weather permitting. The contract also includes replacing the bridge on CR 46 at Prairie Creek Tributary. That work got underway last week and is expected to be completed in about three months. Pay attention to message boards and signage in place to help you get through these work zones.

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. The speed limit 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 CR 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 will continue patching on U.S. Highway 259 north of Farm Road 1844 to the county line. Expect lane closures. Sweeping of roadways also continues around Kilgore, Lakeport and Longview. Use caution.

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.

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. When it resumes, the contractor will be conducting curb and gutter and guardrail work. Drivers can expect minimal impacts at this time. Nighttime operations could be implemented on this job at some point.

Spinks-Chapman County Road
*Limits: At the Rabbit Creek Bridge just east of Meadows Lane
*Contractor: Massana Construction, Inc.
This project is nearing completion and the Spinks-Chapman County Road is expected to open to traffic sometime next week. This bridge project is located southwest of the Interstate Highway 20 and State Highway 31 interchange near Kilgore and has closed to through traffic between Meadows Lane and Norris Road.

Interstate Highway 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 has installed these signs and expects to wrap the project up soon.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Palestine this week continue routine maintenance on roadways around the county. Fog seal work on U.S. Highway 79 between Palestine and Jacksonville continues. Expect daytime lane closures with a pilot car taking traffic through this work zone.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Jacksonville are doing base repairs on Farm Road 13, while the Rusk crew is performing shoulder maintenance and edge repairs on Farm Road 343 between U.S. Highway 69 and Nacogdoches CL, U.S. Highway 84 west of Rusk and on Farm Road 347. This work is expected to take about two weeks to complete. Watch for flaggers and signs to help you through the work zones.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens are planning to conduct edge repair work on Farm Road 773 from State Highway 31 to the Van Zandt County line, and also on Farm Road 1616 from Farm Road 773 to State Highway 31. This is a moving operation and includes the use of a truck mounted attenuator (TMA). Crews will also be doing edge repairs on U.S. 175 from FM 804 (Baxter) to the Anderson County line this week. Flaggers will provide traffic control to help motorists travel safely through the work zone.

A TMA, also called a crash cushion, is a safety mechanism attached to the back of a truck and is designed to reduce damage to people, vehicles and equipment in a work zone should a crash occur.

Elsewhere, the Farm Road 317 widening project from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607 continues to experience a delay due to the weather. The contractor will finish laying hot mix and conducting ditch work as weather permits.

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

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 contractor for this $2.1 million construction project on SH 64 in Henderson is currently building the MSE wall. The project started in August 2013 and has an expected completion date of summer 2015. It 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 in Canton, along with Special Crews, is conducting edge repairs and roadway texturing on Farm Road 314 between State Highway 64 and Interstate Highway 20 this week. Day time lane closures can be expected so use caution in the work zone.

Here’s a look at construction projects in Van Zandt County:
*The hot mix application on County Road 2702 at Lacy Fork Tributary is still hampered by winter weather. County Road 2129 is also closed with the contractor installing beams for the bridge.

*The contractor is still doing culvert work as 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 on the Farm Road 314 project between Edom and State Highway 64. The project limits are from Interstate Highway-20 to the Van Zandt/Henderson County line. Use caution and expect lane closures.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation crews in Mineola this week are scheduled to perform edge repairs on Farm Road 288 from State Highway 182 to State Highway 154. Expect daytime lane closures during this work. Traffic control will be provided by flaggers.

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.