Motorists on State Highway 87 in Orange County have found the drive rough at both the north and south ends of the county. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has started construction projects at both the north end of the highway from Interstate 10 to the Newton County line and at the south end in Bridge City.
County Commissioners and County Road and Bridge Engineer Clark Slacum have been getting numerous telephone calls about when will the road be fixed. Commissioner Johnny Trahan whose Precinct 1 includes north Highway 87 has been in contact with TxDOT.
The highway department originally said the construction would be completed by the first week of October. Now TxDOT has informed the commissioner that crews will resume work on Highway 87 the last week of October into November. Trahan hopes, “It’s a path to a better road.”
Work on Texas Avenue in Bridge City which is the southern end of Texas Highway 87 in the county has been going on even longer. Bridge City is in Commissioner John Gothia’s precinct, and he has been told weather has been the problem in completing the road construction. The same contractor is doing the work for TxDOT at both ends of the highway.
Rain and cold weather have postponed work crews continuing with repaving the roadway. The weather is supposed to be improving during the next week so maybe there will be some progress made. “They’re almost to the point that once it really gets cold they’ll have to stop all work at that point, and they won’t be able to complete any of it until the spring when it starts warming up again,” Gothia warned.
TxDOT will be holding a comment meeting on their Interstate 10 expansion project for citizens to share their thoughts later in Orange County. The latest plans for improving the interstate in the county will be discussed. Trahan said that no date has been established for that public meeting. He added that TxDOT will open the meeting to citizens in order to receive input concerning Interstate 10 improvements and construction.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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