Motorists can expect a northbound shoulder closure to begin Monday, July 20, on US 59 as part of the Diboll Relief Route construction project.
The closure is needed to safely remove trees from the project site adjacent to the roadway. The northbound shoulder closure will be located near the DPS weigh station south of Diboll. Signage and traffic control will be in place to alert northbound motorists. Motorists should stay alert for moving equipment, trucks and workers near the lanes of traffic and obey all traffic control in place.
“This is the first work we have seen adjacent to US 59 since beginning the Diboll Relief Route project,” said Rhonda Oaks, Lufkin District public information officer. “Motorists should be prepared for possible delays during this time. It is very important to stay alert through this heavily traveled area.”
Crews have worked for several weeks to clear wooded areas along the path of the relief route, remove stumps and perform dirt work on both the south and north ends of the project. Other work has included preparing topsoil for salvaging, logging operations and surveying and layout of the new highway’s right of way. Perimeter fencing is being set near Lumberjack Drive and in coming days crews will begin setting temporary crossings. Crews continue to construct header banks and are scheduled to begin drill shafts near Mockingbird Lane.
Work began in April on the $140.1 million construction project that will include grading, structures, concrete pavement and freeway signage. The 8-mile project is set for completion in five years. Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructures, a global company headquartered in Spain, is serving as contractor for the project that is located from FM 2108 to 1.1 mile south of White Oak Creek. The Relief Route is designed and will be constructed to meet interstate standards for possible designation as I 69.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 633-4395.
