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Emergency Contract Implemented to Clear Debris in Van

Posted/updated on: June 8, 2015 at 6:19 pm
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TxDotTYLER — An emergency contract to remove debris from tornado-ravaged Van in Van Zandt County has begun. The contract was awarded to Drewery Construction of Nacogdoches. The process includes five trucks making rounds through the city and surrounding impacted areas to remove the mounds of debris piled along city streets and on state right-of-way. The month-long contract is expected to haul away some 40,000 cubic yards of debris. According to TxDOT, the contract includes the removal of construction and demolition material from impacted properties such as roofing material, boards, concrete and tin, but also trees, tires, appliances, etc.

All debris will be picked up and separated as necessary for disposal at area landfills per environmental guidelines. The work is scheduled to start in three locations: Mule Town, Pecan Street and East Ohio Street. However, that is subject to change. A state monitor along with a TxDOT inspector, is overseeing the execution and day-to-day operation of the contract to ensure that the cleanup process is safely and effectively administered.

“This is a major undertaking so we want to make sure that it is conducted as safely and efficiently as possible for the safety of the community, the volunteers and workers,” said TxDOT Public Information Officer Kathi White. “In addition to our contractor there are a lot of entities, companies and individuals working to clean up and get this community back to some sense of normalcy so it’s important for everybody to be cautious and remain alert.”

As the contractor and others work to clean and restore Van, TxDOT crews are back to their daily routines of inspecting and repairing roadways damaged by the recent storms.

“Crews responded initially to clear the roads of trees and other debris to get them open and traffic moving,” White said. “They then made rounds to clean up the right-of-way before returning dealing with maintenance issues that might have been created such as potholes, drainage, edge damage, the like. They have now returned to their normal maintenance activities.”

An emergency debris removal contract is also being planned for Henderson in Rusk County which was struck by a tornado in late-May. Crews there continue to clear debris from the right-of-way and other areas. The Tyler District has executed numerous emergency road repair contracts necessitated by the stormy weather conditions. Roads are closed in several counties. While it will take two or three weeks to fix some, others will require a few months.

Here’s a list of roads currently closed for repairs.

* FM 315 south of SH 175 in Anderson County: Closing Monday, June 8, for about a
week for culvert replacement.

* FM 768 north of Rusk in Cherokee County: Closed at the bridge and should open
in a few weeks.

* FM 317 washed out about three miles east of SH 31 in Henderson County: Will
remain closed indefinitely as plans for repairs are developed. Traffic is
detoured.

* FM 1616 washed out from Loop 7 to FM 773 near Murchison in Henderson County:
Repairs under way with completion in a few weeks.

* FM 3204 east of SH 31 in Brownsboro in Henderson County: Closed for box
culvert replacement. Expected completion date is late July.

Emergency contracts are in development for these roadways which also sustained damage during recent storms. The roadways are open to traffic and being monitored by TxDOT inspectors.

* Spur 63 at Guthrie Creek on McCann Road in Gregg County: Plans are being made
to repair a damaged culvert.

* SH 19N a mile-and-a half north of Loop 7 at Third Caney Creek in Henderson
County: Work to repair a washout to be conducted by reducing roadway to one lane.
Expect delays when this work starts.

* FM 279 at Edom, and another location three miles east of Edom, in Van Zandt
County: Contract expected to be in place the week of June 8. The work will be
conducted by reducing the roadway to one lane. Expect delays.

* FM 2339 at the Murchison Creek Release just over a mile west of Edom in Van
Zandt County: A wash out necessitates repairs.

Additionally, Mineola Maintenance continues to monitor FM 1804 at the Sabine River in Wood County, closed now for more than a week due to flooding.



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