New I-35 Construction Project Begins in Lorena/McLennan County
My Interstate 35 News (Texas Department of Transportation)
March 2, 2012
As construction winds down on the expansion of I-35 from S. Loop 340 in Waco/Robinson to FM 2063/Sun Valley Blvd. in Hewitt, work is already scheduled to begin on the next section of highway to the south.
The Lane Construction Corporation won the contract for the new construction, and will begin clearing the new right-of-way area, relocating utilities, installing new drainage structures and setting up traffic barriers from FM 2063/Sun Valley to the south on Monday, March 5, 2012.
Almost 10 miles long, the project will cost $212 million, and runs from FM 2063 through Lorena to approximately 1 mile south of Woodlawn Rd. (exit #319). In addition to expanding the lanes to three in each direction, plans include constructing a new flyover connecting FM 2113/Spring Valley Rd. in Hewitt to northbound I-35, incorporating ramps built as part of the previous project to the north. A new crossing will be added at Callan Ranch Road (previously called Telephone Road) between Lorena and Bruceville-Eddy.
Several new, upgraded on- and off-ramps will be added, along with new turnaround lanes at the existing crossing locations. Access roads will be rebuilt and converted to one-way, with electronic signs added above the main lanes.
An additional section of the project will involve constructing new extradosed (a type of cable-stayed construction) access road bridges across the Brazos River in Waco. Situated several miles to the north, this part of the project is expected to begin construction in late summer of 2012.
Completion of both parts of the project is anticipated by the end of 2015.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the southern part of the project is scheduled for March 14, 2012 at 10 AM at the McLennan County Precinct 1 Storage Yard, on southbound I-35 just south of the Hewitt Drive/Moonlight Drive crossing. A separate groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the Brazos River bridges this summer.
Please observe all warning signs, traffic control devices, and police officers in the project area. As a reminder: traffic fines double in construction areas when workers are present, whether or not they are visible.
This project is part of TxDOT’s commitment to widen I-35 to a minimum of three lanes in each direction, with uninterrupted access roads, from San Antonio to the I-35 split north of Hillsboro. Completion of the project is expected by the end of the year 2015.
Efforts to improve the I-35 corridor throughout the state would not be possible without the support of local governments, the Texas Legislature and the U.S. Congress. In addition to the ongoing $1.9 billion dollar expansion of I-35 through TxDOT’s Waco District, a number of critical projects are underway in the Dallas/Fort Worth region to improve I-35 connections to I-820 and I-635 thanks to a partnership with the private sector. Meanwhile, TxDOT continues to plan for the long-term future of the I-35 corridor through the MY 35 citizen-driven planning process. For more information about I-35 expansion projects or the MY 35 planning effort, visit www.my35.org.