TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of March 2. These work schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions or equipment related issues.

Note: Generally, crews will spend much of the week doing routine maintenance necessitated by last week’s ice and snow storms. This includes such tasks as patching potholes, making edge and base repairs, and inspecting and repairing vehicles and other equipment. This work will require moving operations so remain alert during your daytime travels.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler will be working around the county to repair potholes and other roadway issues created by last week’s ice and snow storms. Crews will also be cleaning up the ice rock material used to treat roadways. Expect lane closures and moving operations with traffic directed by flaggers.

Here’s a look at some of the construction projects underway in Smith County:
State Highway 31East 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 31East 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 Project
*Limits: County Road (CR) 46 at Prairie Creek Tributary
*Contractor: East Texas Bridge, Inc.
*Cost: $490,000
County Road 46 remains closed while the outdated bridge is replaced. Motorists must take alternate routes to reach their destinations. The work is expected to be completed in about three months. The new bridge at Village Creek on County Road 448 opened to traffic in February.

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 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 plan to patch potholes and work on equipment used during the storms. Expect lane closures with flaggers conducting traffic control.

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 is 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.

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 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 toward Brushy Creek to perform base repair work. Pay attention when driving in these areas and expect daytime lane closures with flaggers directing you through the work zones.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Jacksonville and Rusk will be cleaning up after the storms – fixing potholes and doing other routine repairs. Some of the work will require road closures so watch for flaggers directing you through the work zones.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens this week are making edge repairs on Farm Road 607 from Loop 60 to Farm Road 317, and addressing drainage 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 conduct seeding on this job which stretches from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607. No work is planned this week.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Henderson will be doing pothole and edge repairs around the county. General clean up and maintenance is also scheduled.

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 (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 are fixing potholes across the county following last week’s ice and snow storms. Expect to see daytime lane closures and flaggers directing traffic.

Construction projects in Van Zandt County are progressing as follows:
Off-System Bridge Replacement Projects
Locations:
*County Road (CR) 2702 at Lacy Fork Tributary
*County Road (CR) 2129 at Flat Creek
Contractor: Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.
Cost: $1.02 million
Both of these roads remain closed at the bridges with clean up underway and should open in the spring.

State Highway 198 Widening Project
*Limits: from SH 243 in Canton southwest to 0.4 miles northeast of FM 316 near Phalba
*Contractor: Big Creek Construction, Ltd.
*Cost: $5 million
Wet weather means no work this week on this job to widen SH 198.

Farm Road 314 Widening Project
*Limits: from I-20 to the Van Zandt/Henderson County line
*Contractor: A.L. Helmcamp, Inc.
*Cost: $11.9 million
Culvert work is being conducted on this project between SH 64 and I-20. No work is planned this week.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation crews in Mineola plan to spend the week making pothole repairs in addition to removing a beaver dam on U.S. Highway 69 about a half mile north of State Highway 37/Spring Lake. This work will take a couple of days to conduct. Expect lane closures.

The U.S. 69 widening project in Mineola continues from Loop 564 in Mineola to Farm Road 779 in Golden. No work is planned for this week.

Elsewhere, preparations are underway for the start of a new construction project on State Highway 37 from Farm Road 2088 in Quitman to 0.4 miles south of Farm Road 515 in Winnsboro. More details to come on this project.