TxDOT Updates Projects, Promotes Work Zone Awareness Week

TYLER – As TxDOT rolls out another week’s worth of area highway construction updates, the department is also promoting Work Zone Awareness Week. With 146 people killed in Texas work zone crashes last year – an increase of more than 20 percent from 2013 – the Texas Department of Transportation urges drivers to slow down, pay attention, and be extra cautious when driving through work zones and construction areas. TxDOT’s call-to-action, “Drive Safe in Work Zones So We All Get Home,” coincides with National Work Zone Awareness Week, March 23-27. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov for more information.

Here’s a look at work planned in the Tyler District during the Week of March 23.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler are performing pavement repairs on State Highway 135 between Troup and Arp with the roadway reduced to one travel lane and flaggers conducting traffic. The same work is being conducted on Farm Road 2015 from Farm Road 16 to Farm Road 14 Expect lane closures.

Smith County construction projects include the following:
State Highway 31Easr 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
CR 46 remains closed while the outdated bridge is replaced.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 CR 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 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 and the Special Crews plan to fog seal Farm Road 349 from State Highway 149 to State Highway 322, and Loop 281 from Tryon Road to the Harrison County line. The operation continues to be hampered by weather conditions. Crews are also sweeping bridges and overpasses to remove residual material from winter operations.

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.

Construction projects in Gregg County include:
State Highway 31 Landscape Project
*Limits: 0.3 miles north of FM 2205 (Grace Creek) to 0.2 miles south of U.S. 80 (Cotton) in Longview
*Contractor: South Texas Illuminations, LLC
*Cost: $281,249.70
The contractor has set the barricades and ready to start work but is not expected to impact traffic. The project comes as a result of the city winning one of 10 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards presented by Keep Texas Beautiful through its partnership with TxDOT, which allocates $2,000,000 a year as landscape incentives to competing communities based on population. Landscape incentives are given for outstanding work in areas of litter prevention and cleanup, public awareness, beautification and property improvement, solid waste management, illegal dumping and enforcement and education.

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.

I-20 Dynamic Message Signs (DMS)
Locations
*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.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews are performing base repair work on Farm Road 13 in Jacksonville between Troup and Price. The Rusk crew will continue to address edge repairs at locations around the county. Be safe and expect lane closures.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Athens continue to address drainage issues around the county. They are also repairing edges from Malakoff toward Payne Springs.

Big Creek Construction continues slope work and seeding on the Farm Road 317 widening project from Farm Road 314 to Farm Road 607. Expect lane closures.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews in Henderson are conducting base repairs on Farm Road 3135 between U.S. Highway 79 and Farm Road 1251. Work is also being done on Farm Road 918 between U.S. Highway 259 and State Highway 42. Use caution and expect lane closures.

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 (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 will continue work on Farm Road 16 and Farm Road 2475, weather permitting. Expect daytime lane closures with possible delays.
Here is a look at construction projects in Van Zandt County:
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 the contractor waiting to lay hot mix. Spring openings are anticipated.

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
This is a widening project with the contractor currently conducting culvert work. Expect lane closures.

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 from FM 279 to north of SH 64. Expect lane closures.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation crews in Mineola are patching potholes and conducting necessary maintenance on roadways throughout the county. Expect lane closures.

There is no work currently being conducted on the U.S. Highway 69 widening project in Mineola from Loop 564 in Mineola to Farm Road 779 in Golden. However, 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.