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U.S. 59 Project restarts after Hurricane Ike
The Texas Department of Transportation and its contractor, Zachry Construction, are back at work on the U.S. 59 South project following Hurricane Ike’s arrival. Although Ike caused little damage at the project site, the contractor is working with a limited crew because of the impact of the hurricane on employees personally.
Crews are back at work today after spending a couple of days cleaning up around the work site and resetting barricades and barrels knocked around by the hurricane. Today work resumed on building the northbound frontage road. However, night time operations planned for last Thursday to set the deck panels on the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Bridge are being rescheduled.
“Right now we don’t want the project to interfere with the evacuation traffic which continues to travel through the area,” said Kathi White, TxDOT spokesperson. “But the project is up and running again and that’s a positive thing. Our hearts and prayers go out to not only the Zachry employees but to those of all of our contractors, to the TxDOT family of employees in the Beaumont and Houston districts, which include that entire affected area, as well as the citizens impacted by Hurricane Ike.”
Note: Elsewhere, TxDOT is urging motorists to avoid travel along IH 45-Gulf Freeway to Galveston Island. IH 45-Gulf Freeway is closed south of FM 519 where the Texas Department of Public Safety has staged a checkpoint for credential review to continue southbound. A dedicated lane has been established for emergency responders and essential employees; including state and federal resources, utility providers, active contractors and commodity deliveries. The Galveston Island “Look and Leave” program has been suspended indefinitely and residents of the Island will not be allowed through the checkpoint. Fueling options and resources are very minimal due to traffic which is also causing delays in getting the needed resources to the area. Only residents of Bayou Vista and Tiki Island are being permitted through the checkpoint at this time and are reminded that electrical, water and fuel resources are scarce. TxDOT urges the traveling public to be patient, to observe all warning and detour signs and to watch for personnel and equipment in the work area as well as those working clean up and recovery efforts following the hurricane. Remember, traffic fines double when workers are present.
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