TEXAS STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
®
May 1 2016 Vol. I • No. 9
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Texas Connection • Dale Agnew, Carrollton, TX • 1-877-877-4997
Phase 1 of $200M SH 365 Reconstruction Project Begins
Led by the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, the first phase of the project has kicked off with a project to improve a 1.15-mi. (1.8 km) segment of U.S. 281 (Military Highway) and build a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of U.S. 281 and future SH 365.
By Chuck Harvey CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work has begun on the $200 million Texas state Highway 365 reconstruction project near Pharr, Texas, in the far southern part of the state. The new highway is expected to improve traffic flow in the area and
encourage greater international trade shipments coming across the nearby border with Mexico. Led by the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, the first phase of the project has kicked off with a project to improve a 1.15-mi. (1.8 km) segment of U.S.
The purpose of Phase 1 work is to enhance safety by separating overweight truck traffic from passenger-only vehicles.
281 (Military Highway) and build a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of U.S. 281 and future SH 365. An overpass will be constructed at the site. Phase 1, also labeled “segment 3” on project maps, includes a connector to a proposed border safety inspection facility. The U.S. 281 segment will be
widened from two to four lanes. That part of the project began in February. Phase 2 is the SH 365 portion of the project and includes segments 1 and 2. It stretches 16.53 mi. (26.6 km) from U.S. 281 near Spur 600 west to FM 1016 (Conway Avenue). It is a new toll highway and will initially be developed as a
four-lane divided controlled access toll road divided by a grassy median with rights of way reserved for future widening to six lanes. Construction start for segments 1 and 2 is set for October of this year. The SH 365 reconstruction project is expected to be completed in June 2019. see HIGHWAY page 20
TxDOT Warns Drivers to Pay Attention in Work Zones Two seconds. That’s how long Rodney Matthews, former construction inspector for the Texas Department of Transportation, had to react after he heard a crash and a driver drove through his work zone. Matthews was thrown 30 ft. (9 m) in the air and sustained a concussion and severe injuries, but was lucky to survive. Not everyone gets that second chance.
“Whether it was pure adrenaline or by the grace of God, I survived,” said Matthews, who now works as a TxDOT project manager. “I was lucky. I’m here today sharing my story to remind everyone to pay extra attention when driving through work zones, because the consequences of not doing so can be deadly.” While these types of close calls are
becoming too familiar to TxDOT workers, statistics show more motorists die in work zones than workers. Work zone crashes increased by 13 percent in Texas last year and killed 138 people. As part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, TxDOT urged drivers to slow down, pay attention and be extra cautious to save not only the lives of work zone workers, but their own
lives as well. “People often think work zone crashes result in the deaths of roadside workers, but last year, 81 percent of these fatalities were motorists,” said James Bass, TxDOT executive director. “Work zones require complete attention and strict adherence to posted traffic signs. For the sake of everysee TXDOT page 18