Weekend work designed to prepare bridge for reconstruction

Highway workers are gearing up to make improvements that will keep traffic moving on one of Southeast Texas’ most important bridges.  The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says the project will help prepare the Neches River Bridge (Purple Heart Memorial Bridge) to handle traffic during the upcoming reconstruction project scheduled later this year.

 The project involves repairing sections of the westbound lanes of the bridge that are prone to developing potholes. Repairing those areas is vital because the westbound section of the bridge will handle both east and westbound lanes during the complete reconstruction of the bridge.

Beginning Friday night at 9 p.m. (June 22) Williams Brothers, the project contractor, will close the westbound middle and left lanes of the bridge. Work will continue throughout the weekend ending  a.m. Monday. Workers will remove and replace pothole-prone sections of pavement. TxDOT says reinforcing those areas means less likelihood of having a lane closure due to a pothole during the reconstruction phase. TxDOT is warning motorists to drive safely through the work zone and to watch for workers and stopped vehicles.

     The weekend work is a prelude to the much larger project to replace the bridge. The project is scheduled to begin later next month. The first five months of the project will involve installing high-mast lighting.  Later this fall, worker will switch traffic on the bridge to begin the reconstruction phase.  

Marc S.

Project to improve safety along section of FM 1960

State Representative John Otto (Left) TxDOT District Engineer Tucker Ferguson announce the upcoming FM 1960 project.

One of Liberty County’s most important highways will soon undergo major improvements.

State Representative John Otto and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced a safety project to improve approximately eight miles of FM 1960 between SH 321 and the new Union Pacific RR overpass.

"I want to thank Tucker Ferguson, District Engineer of TxDOT Beaumont District and Phil Wilson, Executive Director of TxDOT for responding in such a timely fashion to my request for a review of the safety issues on FM 1960”, said Otto. “They sent a team in to evaluate the traffic and safety on FM 1960 following a meeting I had with them in Beaumont and today we are learning that safety improvements will begin early next year."

“Safety is our top priority,” said Tucker Ferguson, Beaumont District Engineer. “These improvements are important to the safety and economic development of Liberty County.”

The project includes adding “Super-Twos” along certain sections of FM 1960. “Super-Twos” are passing lanes on alternating sections of the east and westbound lanes. Also included in the project are left-turn lanes along specific portions the highway. Left-turn lanes help reduce the number of rear-end collisions due to motorists making left turns.

 FM 1960 serves as an important highway between Dayton, Kingwood and the George Bush International Airport. Approximately 10,000 vehicles travel the highway, and, state transportation officials expect traffic to increase over the next several years.

The project still must be approved by the Texas Transportation Commission. Once approved, the $3 million project would go to construction in early 2013.

Marc S.