Crews will begin erecting barricades and construction warning signs along Interstate 30 through Texarkana on Wednesday, Aug. 5, as a major construction project to widen the highway begins. Actual construction and some lane closures will begin later in the month, which is currently expected to begin on Monday, Aug. 17.
“We will be completely reconstructing almost six miles of the highway and widening it from four lanes to six lanes from 0.6 mile west of Farm to Market Road 989 (Kings Highway) in Nash to the Arkansas State Line,” said Paul Wong, area engineer for TxDOT in Texarkana. “This section of I-30 was first constructed about 60 years ago, so instead of just adding new traffic lanes, we felt it would be best to reconstruct the whole highway with all new materials.”
The proposed sections will have six 12-foot traffic lanes with 10-foot paved shoulders on the inside and outside. Concrete barriers will divide the opposing lanes of traffic with safety lighting on the barriers.
Longview Bridge and Road of Longview was awarded the contract for the construction project with a bid of $88.9 million.
Work on the project should take about four years to complete, Wong said.
