TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of February 2. Weather conditions forecast for the area could cause changes to this week’s work schedules.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Tyler maintenance crews will be performing pavement repairs on State Highway 110 North just south of Interstate Highway 20. The job will be conducted with traffic reduced to one lane and controlled by flaggers.

Also, expect the eastbound off-ramp at State Highway 64 and State Highway 135 in Arp to be closed while a milling crew utilizes heavy equipment to make pavement repairs. Here’s a look at some of the construction projects underway 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 Farm Road 850, east of Tyler to Farm Road 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alternate routes to reach their destinations as both of these roads are now closed to traffic for the replacement of outdated bridges.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 plan to return to U.S. Highway 259 north doing some patching using heavy equipment from Farm Road 1844 to the county line. Work is being conducted in the north- and south-bound lanes so expect lane closures in work zones stretching about two miles as this work continues for the next few weeks. Elsewhere, expect to see another crew conducting base repairs and cleaning ditches on roadways throughout the county. Remain alert as the work will require reducing some roadways to one lane with flaggers directing traffic 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.

Loop 281 at Farm Road 2087 Overpass
*Limits: State Highway 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 now complete and the Spinks-Chapman County Road – southwest of the I-20/SH 31 interchange near Kilgore – is open to traffic.

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

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Palestine are placing a fog seal on U.S. Highway 79 on Monday. Fog sealing is spraying a very light application of a diluted emulsion of asphalt onto a road to seal existing asphalt surfaces to reduce raveling and to enrich dry and weathered surfaces. Crews will also be conducting base repairs on Farm Road 837 and U.S. Highway 175 in Frankston throughout the week.

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 this week plan to conduct routine maintenance, such as edge of road and drainage repairs on roadways throughout the county. Flaggers will be in place to help you navigate safely through the work zones.

Elsewhere, Big Creek Construction, the contractor for the Farm Road 317 widening project, is finishing up ditch work and preparing to lay hot mix this week. The project runs from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Henderson, along with the Special Crews, will be back on Farm Road 225 with some heavy equipment doing mill and inlay base repairs between Farm Road 1798 and U.S. 84. Highway Expect lane closures with traffic control handled with a pilot car. Put your cell phones down and give driving your full attention when traveling through this work zone.

Work on the State Highway 64 construction project continues in Rusk County.
*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 retaining 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 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. Day time lane closures can be expected so use caution in the work zone.

Also in Canton, motorists are reminded to use caution at the Interstate Highway 20/State Highway 19 intersection where new flashing yellow arrow left-turn signals have been implemented to improve safety at the intersection. The contractor, Texas Traffic Control Systems, Inc., installed the new additions last week replacing the traditional circular green lights used to let drivers know that they must yield on green to turn left.

The change allows vehicles wishing to make a left turn to do so when a flashing yellow arrow is displayed and gaps in oncoming traffic are adequate to make the maneuver safely. Research has shown that this new signal is safer, more efficient and a more consistent approach for left-turn lanes. They have also been shown to keep motorists safer during heavy traffic, and reduce delays when traffic is light.

Motorists are urged to obey all traffic laws and to use caution as drivers get acclimated to the changes at the intersection.

Construction projects in Van Zandt County are progressing as follows:
*The County Road 2702 bridge replacement project at Lacy Fork Tributary is still in a holding pattern as the contractor, Longview Bridge and Road prepare to lay hot mix
*County Road 2129 is also closed. The contractor, Longview Bridge and Road, has poured the new bridge deck.
*Big Creek Construction, the contractor for the State Highway 198 project, continues to conduct culvert work as weather permits. The project runs from State Highway 243 southwest to 0.4 miles northeast of Farm Road 316 near Phalba.
*Contractor, A.L. Helmcamp, continues to perform culvert work and is clearing right of way 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 are back on Farm Road 288 between State Highway 182 and State Highway 154 making repairs to the edges of the roadway. Expect daytime lane closures during this work. Traffic control is provided by flaggers.

Meanwhile, the contractor is performing work in the ditches 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.