EAST TEXAS — Here's a quick look at events and work planned in the Tyler District:


VAN ZANDT COUNTY:

TxDOT plans work on IH 20; Seal Coat work set to begin

Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin several days of pavement repairs throughout the county including various locations in Interstate 20, followed upon completion by the same work on SH 19 south of Canton and on US 80 between FM 859 in Edgewood and SH 19.

Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

Also this week, work associated with TxDOT's annual preventative maintenance program known as District Wide Seal Coat, is scheduled to begin in Van Zandt County as early as Saturday, July 21 (tomorrow), weather permitting. Crews are scheduled to seal the following roadways:

● SH 64 between IH 20 west of Canton and SH 19 in Canton
● FM 859 between US 80 in Edgewood and IH 20 north of Canton
● FM 1395 between FM 47 and FM 859 north of Edgewood
● FM 47 between the Rains County Line and FM 2475

Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

The District-Wide Seal Coat program, which will seal approximately 300 miles of roads as it passes through all eight counties in the Tyler District before the end of August, uses a two-step process of spraying down hot asphalt and covering it with rock to add years of life to existing pavement.
"Just because a highway has a smooth ride now doesn't mean it will for long," said TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz. "Once a hot mix surface gets to be 2-to-3 years old, it's time to start thinking about seal coating. Once cracks start appearing in the surface, it's only a matter of time before you start seeing bigger problems like base failures. Base failures mean lane closures, and lane closures mean inconvenience."

The hot asphalt oil penetrates any cracks or imperfections in the roadway surface to seal water out.

"Just that little bit of preventative maintenance can sometimes add up to seven years of nearly maintenance-free life to a roadway," Krantz said.
In a district that has nearly 3,600 centerline miles of highways throughout eight counties, any road that doesn't need constant attention saves taxpayers money.

Resurfacing a mile of a two-lane Farm-To-Market road with the standard two inches of hot mix costs around $131,000 in material alone. Seal-coating that same roadway, which will likely help the roadway last longer than the more expensive overlay, costs roughly $21,000.

"Highway maintenance is all about getting the biggest return for the tax dollar," Krantz said. "As with many things, prevention is much cheaper than the cure in the long run. Seal coat is our best and most cost-effective method of prevention."

The sprayed asphaltic oil also provides an adhesive layer for the rock spread on top to stick, providing a new driving surface.

"We can't just spray down that much asphaltic oil and drive off. It would be too slippery," Krantz said. "By adding that rock on top, we're giving motorists a roadway that gives their tires something to bite into in wet weather and in case of an emergency braking maneuver."

Maintenance sections plan years in advance to determine which roads will get a seal coat and when.

"The idea is to get roads in a given section into a seven-year rotation for seal coat," Krantz said. "Our maintenance sections work hard to get their 'seal coat roads' ready each year. Most of them began preparing their roads for seal coat last summer, and they're all planning their 2013 and 2014 seal coat roads now.

In fact, a majority of work performed by maintenance sections is in preparation for District-Wide Seal Coat, from repairing potholes to repairing edge damage to drainage work. Crews try to work ahead to make repairs of and get the roadway as smooth as possible so the seal coat can cover it all and help those repairs last.

"It's all part of a bigger picture," Krantz said. "It's all part of getting ready for seal coat."

GREGG COUNTY:

Night work continues in Longview

Construction crews this week are scheduled to resume nighttime resurfacing work on South Loop 281 in Longview between FM 2205 (Jaycee Drive) and Estes Parkway. The work is being conducted Sunday-Thursday between 7 p.m.-6 a.m., weather permitting.

Once the work on Loop 281 is complete, crews are scheduled to move to perform the same work on Spur 63 between US 80 (Marshall Ave.) and North Loop 281.

Overnight lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to use caution and be on the lookout for workers and heavy equipment in and around the work zone.

RUSK COUNTY:

TxDOT continues work on US 79 east of Henderson

Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement repairs on US 79 east of Henderson between the city limits and the Panola County Line.

Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

Also affecting motorists in Rusk County, TxDOT maintenance forces from Nacogdoches County are scheduled on Monday to close FM 225 between US 84 in Rusk County and Cushing to replace a culvert. The roadway is scheduled to re-open on Thursday, July 26th. Local traffic will be allowed access to driveways, but thru traffic must seek an alternate route.

SMITH COUNTY:

Night work continues in Tyler's WSW Loop 323

Construction crews are scheduled to continue several weeks of nighttime work on Tyler's WSW Loop 323 between SH 155 (Frankston Highway) and Bellwood Drive, which is just south of the railroad overpass near West Front Street.

Crews are scheduled to work from 7 p.m.-5 a.m., Sunday-Thursday repairing and then resurfacing the roadway. Temporary lane-closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

CHEROKEE COUNTY:

TxDOT continues work on FM 855

TxDOT maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue edge work on FM 855 between US 69 in Mount Selman and FM 2137. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

ANDERSON COUNTY:

TxDOT continues work on FM 2022

Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations in various locations on FM 2022 between SH 294 in Slocum and the Houston County Line.

WOOD COUNTY:

Seal Coat work set to begin in Wood County

Work associated with TxDOT's annual preventative maintenance program known as District Wide Seal Coat, is scheduled to begin in Wood County as early as Wednesday, July 25th, weather permitting. Crews are scheduled to seal the following roadways:

● FM 17 between US 69 in Alba and FM 515
● FM 2088 between SH 37 in Quitman and the Upshur County Line
● FM 2869 between FM 852 south of Winnsboro and FM 14 north of Hawkins

Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

The District-Wide Seal Coat program, which will seal approximately 300 miles of roads as it passes through all eight counties in the Tyler District before the end of August, uses a two-step process of spraying down hot asphalt and covering it with rock to add years of life to existing pavement.

"Just because a highway has a smooth ride now doesn't mean it will for long," said TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz. "Once a hot mix surface gets to be 2-to-3 years old, it's time to start thinking about seal coating. Once cracks start appearing in the surface, it's only a matter of time before you start seeing bigger problems like base failures. Base failures mean lane closures, and lane closures mean inconvenience."

The hot asphalt oil penetrates any cracks or imperfections in the roadway surface to seal water out.

"Just that little bit of preventative maintenance can sometimes add up to seven years of nearly maintenance-free life to a roadway," Krantz said.
In a district that has nearly 3,600 centerline miles of highways throughout eight counties, any road that doesn't need constant attention saves taxpayers money.

Resurfacing a mile of a two-lane Farm-To-Market road with the standard two inches of hot mix costs around $131,000 in material alone. Seal-coating that same roadway, which will likely help the roadway last longer than the more expensive overlay, costs roughly $21,000.

"Highway maintenance is all about getting the biggest return for the tax dollar," Krantz said. "As with many things, prevention is much cheaper than the cure in the long run. Seal coat is our best and most cost-effective method of prevention."

The sprayed asphaltic oil also provides an adhesive layer for the rock spread on top to stick, providing a new driving surface.

"We can't just spray down that much asphaltic oil and drive off. It would be too slippery," Krantz said. "By adding that rock on top, we're giving motorists a roadway that gives their tires something to bite into in wet weather and in case of an emergency braking maneuver."

Maintenance sections plan years in advance to determine which roads will get a seal coat and when.

"The idea is to get roads in a given section into a seven-year rotation for seal coat," Krantz said. "Our maintenance sections work hard to get their 'seal coat roads' ready each year. Most of them began preparing their roads for seal coat last summer, and they're all planning their 2013 and 2014 seal coat roads now.

In fact, a majority of work performed by maintenance sections is in preparation for District-Wide Seal Coat, from repairing potholes to repairing edge damage to drainage work. Crews try to work ahead to make repairs of and get the roadway as smooth as possible so the seal coat can cover it all and help those repairs last.

"It's all part of a bigger picture," Krantz said. "It's all part of getting ready for seal coat."