TxDOT details new completion dates for ongoing projects

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  • Vehicles navigate through detours along the feeder road near Washington Boulevard.
    Vehicles navigate through detours along the feeder road near Washington Boulevard.
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Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Beaumont Area Engineer Dave Collins, who manages the highways in Jefferson, Hardin and Tyler counties, offered updates on the active and future projects planned for the area at the Beaumont City Council meeting on April 16, which included a heavy emphasis on answering questions of drainage affecting neighborhood flooding.

“That feeder road floods every time it rains,” Councilmember Randy Feldschau balked of the U.S. 69 westside feeder road between Lucas and Delaware Avenue. “That’s a common issue and are there plans to elevate it?”

Collins indicated no plans to elevate the feeder road.

“Some of those inlets looked like they’ve dropped because it’s an old system with some cast iron,” he said. “I might look and see if we can get some funding to get those inlets raised up.”

Currently, various issues have arisen to extend the anticipated completion dates of projects currently in the works, including the massive undertaking at Washington Blvd. City Manager Kenneth Williams asked TxDOT to speak at the July 30 council meeting to again update the community on transportation projects.

TxDOT reported the status of the following projects as:

• Widening of U.S. 69 from the Lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA) to Interstate 10 – Subcontractors are placing concrete for embankment riprap at Delaware Street and installing metal beam guard fence and concrete mow strips at various locations. Future construction includes removal of temporary concrete barrier and asphalt paving set to begin in May, as well as final striping. The project is estimated to be complete this summer.

• U.S. 69 Cardinal Drive Interchange – Current construction includes placing bent foundations and driving pile for Interstate 10 westbound to the U.S. 69 southbound bridge, placing abutment shafts for I-10 westbound over Washington Boulevard. and bridge work at Washington Boulevard. Future construction is improvement to the State Highway (SH) 124 frontage road bridge and in the center of I-10 between Walden and Washington. In the future, construction includes improvements to SH 124 frontage road bridges and in the center of I-10 between Walden Road and Washington Avenue. Completion is planned for fall 2029.

• U.S. 69 frontage restoration from Spur 93 to Spur 380 – Currently, crews are setting forms between Jimmy Simmons and Rolfe Christopher, tying steel, installing curb inlets and reinforced concrete pipes. In the future, crews will install drainage and gutter on the southbound lanes, along with additional work on the northbound ramps. Also, crews will demolish existing concrete, and apply grading and subgrade treatments. The project is set for completion in January 2025.

• Interstate 10 widening from FM 365 to Walden Road – Currently, crews are removing cast-in-place box culverts at Kidd Gully and placing 13-inch Class P concrete on westbound lanes near the gully. Also, they are installing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) ground boxes near Walden Road and milling and removing detour asphalt. Upcoming activities include installing precast box culverts at Kidd Gully, pouring concrete for the main lanes and demolishing Kidd Gully bridge for fall 2024. The project is set for completion in fall 2025.

• Interstate 10 widening from Hampshire Road to FM 365 – Currently, crews are pouring footers to Hampshire overpass bents, placing lime for main lanes west of FM 365 and placing embankment for Hampshire bridge header banks. Future construction includes preparing to move westbound traffic to the main lanes west of FM 365, a concrete median barrier between Hampshire and FM 365, and the FM 365 overpass is set for demolition in fall 2024 and will be down for a year. Completion is planned for summer 2026, and the project is managed by the Liberty area office.

• U.S. 69 restoration from the Lumberton Y to Tram Road and LNVA Canal to Delaware Street (frontage road from canal to Delaware) — Currently, wedge milling gutter lines and curb repairs, and dowel bar retrofitting are underway. Upcoming activities include adding seal coat and asphalt overlay. Project completion is scheduled for late summer/early fall 2024.

• U.S. 69 restoration from the Lumberton “Y” to Tram Road and LNVA Canal to Delaware Street (U.S. 69 main lanes from Lumberton Y to Tram Road) — Upcoming construction includes multi-layer polymer overlay overpasses and bridges in project limits, as well as ride quality improvements to bridge transitions. The project is set for completion in summer 2024. • Spur 380 restoration from Jim Gilligan Way to 500 feet south of Sulphur Plant Road – The project, completed in April, consisted of milling off existing real coat and asphalt surface course, full depth concrete repair and spall repairs to concrete sublayer, concrete joint cleaning and sealing, new seal coat and upgrades to existing guard fence. To check the status of specific projects, visits www.txdot.gov/about/districts/beaumont-district.html.