Published: August 19, 2008 09:35 am            

TxDOT project to begin on Loop 7, after the rain

Road work is coming to Loop 7. Hopefully, it won’t be too painful.

Texas Department of Transportation crews are in the process of completing a districtwide seal coat operation. A press release from TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz states the effort is a preventive maintenance program which will pass through all eight counties in the Tyler District before the end of August.

The process will consist of two parts: spraying down hot asphalt and then covering it with rock.

“The hot asphalt oil penetrates any cracks or imperfections in the roadway surface to seal water out, and the rock laid down on top of the asphalt provides a roadway surface that gives tires something to bite into in wet weather and in case of an emergency braking maneuver,” Krantz said.

He said crews began working on West Loop 7 between Farm-to-Market 59 and Farm-to-Market 1616 on Saturday. Crews were waiting to see if it would rain and were not working on Monday morning, when a slight scattering of rain fell. Local forecasts predict rain through Thursday.

“They cannot work if it is too wet or too humid,” he said.

Krantz said if the weather cooperates, work in Athens should be completed in two days.

“You have to work in dry weather for that,” Krantz said. “Once the weather breaks, we will be out there doing it.”

He said the work is fast moving and should have little impact on drivers.

“In two-lane areas, traffic will be controlled by pilot vehicles,” Krantz said.

He said a four-lane road will have one lane open to traffic.

Krantz said after work on the loop is completed, the crews will move to State Highway 19 between Farm-to-Market 2709 and the Van Zandt County line and east of Eustace. He said by next week crews could be working at South Highway 198 and South Highway 274 on either side of Cedar Creek Reservoir.

“They may be out on 198 before the next week starts,” Krantz said.

He said drivers should be prepared to reduce speed when work is in progress.

Seven to 10 days after work is completed, Krantz said the roads will be striped.

Construction on the Caney Creek Bridge on State Highway 198 began August 15. The bridge is one of three across Cedar Creek Lake that will be raised and widened with a north- and southbound bridge. He said the Caney Creek Bridge project is scheduled to be completed in late 2010. The Twin Creek Lake Bridge and Clear Creek Lake Bridge projects are not funded, according to Krantz.

        

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