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Be careful out there …
Press release issued today by the Texas Department of Transportation:
As families begin to travel to their July Fourth holiday destinations both near and far, TxDOT is urging motorists to be cautious and patient when traveling through construction work zones. Even though work may be halted on the US 59 project on Lufkin’s south side during the long weekend, motorists should keep safety in mind and be mindful of the varying detours and traffic control devices for this and all projects. According to TxDOT, the traveling public can expect short delays as traffic volume increases particularly in the northbound lanes of US 59 in the construction area. Some congestion can also be expected for those exiting US 59 going eastbound on Loop 287 with the reduction of that frontage road to one lane. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid the construction area whenever possible. TxDOT reminds motorists to remember the following tips to help keep Texas highways safe. • Buckle up. • Obey speed limits. • Don’t drink and drive. • Designate a driver. • Call a cab. • Spend the night where you are, if possible. Remember, traffic fines double when workers are present. For more information, call Kathi White, public information officer, at (936) 633-4395. Information about TxDOT is also available through the department’s Web site at www.txdot.gov.
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One-lane frontage road
The frontage road from U.S. 59 at the Loop has been reduced to one lane all the way past Tulane Drive, according to TxDOT. Work continues on the southbound and northbound frontage roads, as well as the widening of the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Drive underpass, according to TxDOT. TxDOT urges motorists to allow extra time to reach their destinations and to take alternate routes when possible.
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Road Closure
Anyone traveling northbound at the intersection of South First Street and Raguet near Wright Motor Company will need to take an alternate route starting Monday. An overlay project from South First Street to Loop 287 which includes concrete joint repair and replacing broken concrete slabs will require road closures. The closure should last until July 8. Following this, overlay work will then begin on the northbound and southbound lanes of South First Street to Loop 287. The project should take six weeks to complete and will be done at night.
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One Lane Roads
The eastbound lanes on Loop 287 from U.S. Highway 59 South at the Loop to just past Tulane Drive were reduced to only one lane Wednesday as Zachry Construction began work on the eastbound frontage road. Barriers were set up Thursday.
Work on the southbound and northbound frontage roads continues as well as work on widening the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Drive underpass.
Another project has a lane closed from South First Street to Loop 287. A contractor is doing concrete joint repair and replacing broken concrete slabs. After this, the contractor will begin an overlay of that part of the road. Work during the overlay will only be done at night and is expected to take six weeks to complete.
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Bridge Project Back On
The bridge project at the Angelina and Neches River Railroad bridge (Kelty’s railroad overpass) is back on for Friday, June 27. Beginning Friday at 6 p.m. Lufkin Police officers will be on hand to redirect traffic. All traffic will be detoured from the northbound lanes of North Loop 287/SH 103 and moved to the southbound lanes.
Anyone driving at this area from Friday evening through Saturday morning should expect delays. TxDOT is asking motorists to try to take other routes.
The project, being done by Ajax Construction, involves raising and painting the bridge along with replacing a damaged beam on the northside of the bridge.Ajax Construction expects it to take about two months.
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Wide load gets through town
Brittony Lund/The Lufkin Daily News
A truck carrying large equipment kept southbound traffic backed up for about three hours on Loop 287 on June 16.
The truck entered Loop 287 from Hwy. 103 West around 7 a.m., blocking both lanes of traffic as it moved south to Houston from Tyler, according to TxDOT spokeswoman Kathi White.
White said the company transporting the load got a special permit to bypass the construction on U.S. 59.
Lufkin Police Department assisted with the transportation on the loop.
Andy Adams/The Lufkin Daily News
A crane works on the U.S. 59 South bridge of Loop 287 during lunch hour in Lufkin on June 16.
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No Night Work
Night work on the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall underpass has been cancelled and will not occur this week.
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Road Closure Cancelled
The northbound lane of Loop 287 at the Kelty’s Railraod Bridge will remain open until further notice. This lane was scheduled to be closed from 6 p.m. tonight until tomorrow morning. Work was to be done on a damaged beam, but the northbound lane will remain open until proper tet reports on the steel used for the beam replacement come in.
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Daniel McCall reopens
The entrance from the southbound exit ramp at Daniel McCall to Wal-Mart opened at noon yesterday. Drivers now have three points of access to the Wal-Mart shopping center: the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Bridge, the entrance in front of Sam’s and Tractor Supply and the entrance off of 819 coming in from behind UFO Pizza.
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Loop 287 Re-route
The northbound lanes of Loop 287 at the Angelina and Neches River Railroad bridge will be closed Friday evening starting at 6 p.m. Ajax Construction will need this time to replace a damaged beat on that side of the bridge. Lufkin police officers will reroute traffic Friday night to the southbound lanes. Work should be complete and the lane reopened Saturday morning.
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Closing US 59 main lanes
US 59 main lanes and the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall bridge will close at 8 p.m. tonight and reopoen at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. In order to prepare to widen the bridge Zachry Construction Corporation has decided to close the bridge during these times each night starting tonight and going through Thursday night. Tuesday through Thursday night June 17-19 the US 59 main lanes will be closed again for nighttime work from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m..
TxDOT encourages motorists to take alternate routes during these times. All traffic will be diverted to the northbound and southbound ramps.
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Friday morning update …
Information from TxDOT: Due to the rain (Thursday) and unexpected contractor delays the opening of the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall underpass has been moved to Monday, June 9. The Texas Department of Transportation and its contractor, Zachry Construction Corporation of San Antonio, are working diligently on preparations to re-open the facility to the traveling public as soon as feasible. Once it opens, preparations will continue for widening and adding separate U-turn bridges north and south of the bridge.
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Project Schedule
Next week Whitehouse Drive-Daniel McCall Drive bridge expected to reopen, weather permitting.
June 6 Zachry Construction Corporation expects to finish raising the Whitehouse Drive-Daniel McCall bridge.
July Work on widening the Whitehouse Drive-Daniel McCall bridge is expected to be completed along with the addition of separate U-turn bridges north and south of the bridge.
Early August The second phase of the project begins. The Tulane Drive underpass will be removed and replaced with a wider bridge. U-turn bridges east and west of Tulane will be added. The Tulane Drive/Loop 287 intersection will be closed for 15 to 18 months.
Workers continue to work on the southbound frontage road from Loop 287 to Whitehouse/Daniel McCall underpass. Preparations are also being made for building the northbound frontage road.
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Bridge Raising
Construction workers will begin raising the Whitehouse Drive/Daniel McCall Drive bridge tomorrow. The left lanes of both northbound and southbound U.S. 59 will remain closed until the bridge is completed. TxDOT expects the bridge to be completed in two weeks or more.
TxDOT hopes to avoid damage from high loads of traffic by raising the bridge using hydraulic jacks.
Congestion from many people making U-turns at the lane in front of UPS is the only problem TxDOT has had so far with the closings.
“We advise them to use the signaled intersection at FM 819 to safely change direction,” said TxDOT spokesperson Kathi White in a press release.
Drivers can take either FM 819 or FM 58 to get around faster and easier. Expect delays and congestion during morning and evening commute times as people travel to and from work or school and also during the lunch hour.
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Whitehouse Bridge closed
The Whitehouse bridge closed today. TxDOT and city officials say it will be closed for the next 3-4 weeks. In the meantime there are now only two entrances and exits into and out of the Wal-Mart shopping center. The first one is off of U.S. Highway 59 South by Sam’s Club and Tractor Supply. The second entrance/exit is to come in from 819/College Drive by Angelina College. Follow the signs to come in from behind UFO Pizza and the Wal-Mart Garden Center.
Keith Wright, assistant city manager, says the city has not received any complaints or concerns as of yet about the construction.
Police officers have been stationed to help direct traffic near the area. Cars are piling up a little at the first U-Turn after the construction area, but so far traffic seems pretty good and getting through all the orange cones is going smoothly.
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Monday’s the day
The Whitehouse overpass on U.S. 59 will be closed for two weeks beginning Monday morning (May 19). The ramps on either side of the bridge should be open throughout that time except for two to four hours Monday morning, as contractors close off the inside lanes of those ramps to give themselves room to work. That bridge will be almost twice as wide as it is now when construction is complete, David Collmorgen, area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, said in a media briefing Friday. The new version of the bridge will be 14 inches higher and have U-turns “that trucks can make,” he said. People who are trying to get to Wal-Mart Supercenter, Sam’s or any of the shops and restaurants on that side of 59 will have two options while the bridge is closed down: They can either enter from the 59 frontage road (coming from Loop 287) or take College Drive (FM 819) to Daniel McCall and go through the Angelina College campus (slowly, please). Even after the bridge is complete, the city of Lufkin will be finishing off a short piece of Whitehouse Drive from 59 to Daniel McCall. “Hopefully, I’m guessing, in the three to four weeks (from now) everything will be finished,” Collmorgen said. Kevin Buranakitipinyo, transportation engineer for TxDOT’s Lufkin district and the man in charge of the project, said there will be times when 59 traffic will have to be stopped, temporarily, as the contractors work on the Whitehouse bridge expansion.
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U.S. 59 and Whitehouse Construction
Staff reporters Brittony Lund and Ashley Cook film the first stages of contruction at U.S. 59 and Whitehouse. Different parts of the intersection will be closed through May as work crews add to the bridge and raise it several inches. Check back for updates as the work continues…
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Construction Begins
Construction on 59 began officially Monday with the closing of Brentwood Crossing by the Wal-Mart shopping center. Over the course of the next three years (or at least we’re hoping it doesn’t take longer than that) this blog will chronicle all the changes and hassles that go along with such a massive undertaking by TxDOT.
The map above shows the part of 59 currently being worked on. Brentwood Crossing, marked in pink, closed Monday leaving only two points of access to the shopping center. Marked in green is the Whitehouse bridge, which will close Monday, May 19 for three to four weeks. The first point of access is off 59 by Tractory Supply and Sam’s. The second point is past Brentwood Crossing by Burger King. Motorists can drive straight through to FM 819/College Drive. Turn right and signs will point the way into the shopping center.
Latest comments
The second phase is supposed to begin in early August if all goes as planned. I’m not sure if you’ll be alerted personally or not. The Tulane Drive/Loop 287 intersection will be closed for 15 to 18 months while they work on replacing the Tulane
... read the full comment by Brittony Lund | Comment on Closing US 59 main lanes Read Closing US 59 main lanes
i live on 59 sth and my home is to be included on phase II, i haven’t heard anything else about the progress. my home is by Angelina College. would like to know what progress they are making (if any) and how soon will the land owners involved be
... read the full comment by theresa alexander | Comment on Closing US 59 main lanes Read Closing US 59 main lanes
Wal-Mart was considerably easier to shop Monday evening. I went at about 7:30 p.m. at the prime, post-work shopping hour and the parking lot probably had half the cars it usually does. Check out was a different story. I guess the store is cutting back on
... read the full comment by Jessica Savage | Comment on Construction Begins Read Construction Begins