TxDOT to repair “cracks” at busy interchange

Good news about those cracks at the I-10 and Eastex Freeway interchange.
The Beaumont District will soon oversee a project to repair the pavement at what is one of the busiest interchanges in Jefferson County. Workers will begin a three month project to repair highway cracks on January 2nd.

The project involves reinforcing the retaining walls and then lifting and stabilizing the pavement on the main lanes of the highway. While not part of the pavement, retaining walls help keep in place the dirt embankment on the approach to an overpass. Workers will first install piling to help support the retaining wall. Afterwards, crews with Uretek will inject a special polymer material under the pavement. The material expands and lifts the pavement back into its original position. TxDOT used the same process several years ago on the approaches to the Hollywood and College Street overpasses.

Most work will take place at the retaining wall long the north and southbound frontage roads between Gladys and Harrison. Crews will then work on the north and southbound lanes of US 69 for several nights to lift the pavement. Work on the main lanes will take place at night from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. to keep from interfering with rush hour traffic.

More than 90,000 vehicles travel the interchange each day. Gibson and Associates is the contractor for the $790,000 project. Gibson expects the project to be completed by March 2012.

Marc S.