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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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More nighttime closures planned
TxDOT press release
Preparations continue for a nighttime operation on Thursday (Sept. 11) to set the bridge deck panels on the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Drive Bridge. The southbound main lanes of U.S. 59 will be shut down at 8 p.m. and traffic moved to the southbound ramp until the work is completed Saturday morning. Additional night time work to set the deck panels is planned for the area on Wednesday, September 17.
Tulane Drive Bridge:
Demolition scheduled for early October
Bridge removal work conducted at night
Some lanes closures required
Time frame - closed 18 to 24 months as new facility built
Frontage Roads:
Pavement poured on northbound and southbound outside lanes
Work continues on northbound and southbound inside lanes
- Expected completion date - late December
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Night Work Begins
The Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Bridge and the U.S. Highway 59 South main lanes under the bridge will close from 8 p.m. Friday until Saturday morning while crews begin night work on hanging the beams on the bridge. Next week crews will set the bridge deck panels causing the U.S 59 northbound lanes to close Wednesday night and the southbound lanes to close Thursday night. The Tulane Drive Bridge demolition has been moved to October due to bad weather conditions. This will also be done at night and require some road closures. Once closed the bridge will not re-open for 18 to 24 months while crews construct the new bridge.
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South First Street work
Construction crews begin work on South First Street Friday. The temporary lane closure had traffic backed up a little ways Friday morning.
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First Street almost Complete
There will be some delays for those traveling South First Street to Loop 287 beginning Wednesday while Highway Technology of Houston begins adding the finishing touches to the newly resurfaced highway, according to a TxDOT report. As long as the sun remains shining TxDOT expects the process to take a little over a week to complete. During this time there will be temporary lane closures. The first thing Highway Technology will do will be to lay out the stop bars at the intersections of U.S. Highway 59 South and Loop 287; South First Street and Lufkin Mall; South First Street and Jane-Way; and Timberland/South First Street and Loop 266. They will also layout the crosswalk at South First Street that runs from the mall to the Angelina Shopping Center. After this is complete, Highway Technology will strip the roadway from the South First Street intersection at Timberland and Loop 266 to Loop 287.
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Back to Work
Construction workers pour concrete Monday afternoon. The sunshine has crews back out working again after a slight delay last week due to rain.
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Sun shine puts crews back to work
Photo by Jeff Awtrey
Recent weather halted construction on U.S. Highway 59 South on Lufkin’s south side, according to a TxDOT press release. Work should have started back up again today with much of it happening at night over the next several weeks.
Zachry Construction Corporation of San Antonio will continue pouring the concrete pavement for the frontage roads this week as long as the sun continues shining.
Crews will work nights beginning Friday, September 5 to hang beams on the Whitehouse/Daniel McCall Bridge. During this time the bridge will be closed as well as the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 59 South.
The next week night time work will begin on setting the bridge deck panels and the bridge and main lanes will be closed. The U.S. Highway 59 South northbound lanes will be closed Wednesday night, September 10 and the southbound lanes will be closed Thursday night, September 11.
Tentative plans for the demolition of the Tulane Drive Bridge are set for mid-September. Removal of the bridge will happen at night and will require the bridge be closed for 18 to 24 months while the new bridge is being constructed.
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More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September
September construction on the Daniel McCall Bridge will have it and one side of U.S. 59 closed at night, according to a TxDOT press release.
Zachry Construction will hang beams on the bridge. After that, the deck panels will be set, which will require the closure, the press release said.
Demolition of the Tulane Bridge will begin in mid-September, the press release said. The demolition will be conducted at night and require some closures.
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Night work to begin on South First Street project
Night work is scheduled to begin on the South First Street project Thursday, according to a TxDOT press release.
An overlay will be placed on the entire roadway. The work will be done from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to the press release, and is expected to be finished by the end of next week.
TxDOT says motorists should use alternate routes to avoid delays.
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South First Street project in final phase
The South First Street/Business 59 project moves into the final phase this week, according to a TxDOT press release.
Crews are now working on the inside lanes, according to the press release.
The project is expected to be finished within a couple of weeks, according to the press release. Motorists can expect delays and should use alternate routes when possible, the press release said.
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Crown Colony overlay project
City workers have been doing some routine maintenance on Champions Drive near the entrance to Crown Colony, according to Assistant City Manager Keith Wright. The process of milling up the pavement has the entrance to Crown Colony blocked off temporarily, but Wright said drivers can still get through if they need to. Workers will mill up the pavement next to the gutter in order to put down another layer of asphalt. The work is the beginning of an overlay program city workers will be working on in the subdivision.
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Tulane Drive bridge construction delayed
A TxDOT press release says the construction to widen the Tulane Drive bridge has been pushed back to at least August. It will include adding U-turn bridges and will close the bridge for 18 to 24 months.
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TxDOT to close westbound lanes on loop
TxDOT will close the westbound lanes on Loop 287 near Tulane drive Wednesday night, according to a press release.
The lanes will close at 8 p.m. and reopen at 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the press release.
The traffic will be diverted onto the westbound frontage at the Tulane exit ramp and can be accessed by taking the Chestnut Street/FM 58 exit.
The traffic is being closed so crews can remove an overhead sign, according to the press release.
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TxDOT: Avoid intersection of Timberland Drive, First Street this week
Lufkin drivers can expect more delays and detours beginning Monday as contractors repair concrete pavement and joints on Business U.S. 59. The Texas Department of Transportation encourages motorists to avoid the South First Street and Timberland Drive intersection (near Kiwanis Park on Timberland Drive) this week because of the repairs. Also, construction will force closing Loop 266/Old North First Street, a roadway running behind the Timberland Drive businesses. In addition, the crossover at South First Street and Raguet will be closed during the street repairs. Work is expected to be finished in several days, “weather permitting,” TxDOT stated in a press release. After repairs are completed, an overlay will be laid on the northbound and southbound lanes of South First Street to Loop 287. Contractors will work at night to reduce interference with traffic. The overlay is slated to be completed within the next few weeks. TxDOT urges motorists to use alternative routes when possible, to slow down in the construction zone and to obey all traffic devices. — Amanda Casanova
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Railroad overpass being raised
A damaged beam on a train overpass on North John Redditt Drive is the reason that one lane of traffic is closed, according to David Collmorgen at TxDOT. Collmorgen said the beam was damaged and they have had to replace it. He said the crew will raise the bridge 14 to 15 inches and they should be finished with the project in three to four weeks.
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South First Street repairs 50 percent finished
Latest comments
According to a sign placed on the southbound side of 59 today, the highway will be closed the night of September 5th.
... read the full comment by jeff | Comment on More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September Read More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September
Fred, Its taking forever to get that road open because its being done by the city not TxDOT.
... read the full comment by jd | Comment on More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September Read More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September
Why is it taking so long to open the road from Daniel McCall to 819. should have been completed before all the other construction started.
Fred Preston fpreston@lufkinrealestate.com
... read the full comment by Fred Preston | Comment on More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September Read More construction will close Daniel McCall Bridge in September
wow gold wow gold
... read the full comment by wow gold | Comment on Closing US 59 main lanes Read Closing US 59 main lanes