TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of February 16, 2015. Wintry weather conditions could cause changes to these work schedules. Special Crews began pretreating Interstate Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 259 on Saturday in preparation of conditions for the area.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Tyler maintenance crews are conducting pavement repairs on Farm Road 1253 between Farm Road 16 and Farm Road 857 this week. Expect this roadway to be down to one lane with flaggers providing traffic control. Motorists should use caution when traveling through these work zones.

Elsewhere, a milling crew will be working on State Highway 155 North between Interstate Highway 20 and Farm Road 3311. Expect lane closures conducted by flaggers and be safe in this work zone.

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 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alternate routes to reach their destinations as both of these roads are now closed to traffic for the replacement of outdated bridges.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 have a variety of work planned around the county. Crack seal operations continue on State Highway 31 and Farm Road 2205 from Spur 63 south of Longview. Crack seal activities could take up to two weeks to complete.

The Special Crews is in the county fog sealing Loop 281 from the Harrison County line to Tryon Road, and Farm Road 349 from State Highway 149 to State Highway 322. 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. Remain alert and expect lane closures with flaggers directing traffic through the work zones.

Also, expect delays Tuesday on U.S. Highway 80 at Spur 502 as the city of Longview conducts utility work at the intersection. The right, westbound lane on U.S. 80/Marshall Avenue will be closed as will the right, southbound lane on Spur 502/North High Street. This work is scheduled to occur from 7:00am to 5:00pm.

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 now complete and the Spinks-Chapman County Road – southwest of the I-20/SH 31 interchange near Kilgore – is open to traffic. However, there is some striping work scheduled to be conducted this month.

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 up the project soon.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Palestine plan to continue edge of road repairs on Farm Road 1137 this week, and then move to Farm Road 837 near Frankston to perform base repair work. Pay attention when driving in these areas and expect daytime lane closures.

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 directing you through the work zones.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens this week are doing edge of road repairs on Farm Road 607 from Loop 60 to Farm Road 317. A second crew is addressing maintenance issues at various locations throughout the county. Flaggers will provide traffic control in these work zones.

Elsewhere, Big Creek Construction, the contractor for the FM 317 widening project, is dressing slopes and seeding on this job. The project runs from FM 314 to FM 607. Expect lane closures.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Henderson, along with the Special Crews, are back on Farm Road 225 with some heavy equipment doing mill and inlay base repairs between Farm Road 1798 and U.S. Highway 84. 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:
SH 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 impact to traffic is minimal on this $2.1 million construction project on SH 64 in Henderson. The contractor 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.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Canton expect to complete edge of road repairs on State Highway 110 this week before moving to Farm Road 16 to conduct edge and base repairs. A second crew will be performing maintenance on Farm Road 2475. Expect daytime lane closures.

Construction projects in Van Zandt County are progressing as follows:
*The County Road 2702 at Lacy Fork Tributary remains closed with the contractor, Longview Bridge and Road, planning to lay hot mix on the bridge replacement project this week.
*CR 2129 is also closed. The contractor, Longview Bridge and Road, will be placing hot mix and pouring bridge rail this week.
*Big Creek Construction, the contractor for the SH 198 project, is conducting culvert work. The project runs from SH 243 southwest to 0.4 miles northeast of FM 316 near Phalba. Expect lane closures.
*Contractor, A.L. Helmcamp, continues to perform culvert work and clear right of way on the FM 314 project between Edom and SH 64. The project limits are from I-20 to the Van Zandt/Henderson County line. Use caution and expect lane closures.