A pair of construction projects on East Loop 250 are on schedule for timely completion, according to Texas Department of Transportation Odessa District Public Information Officer Gene Powell.
“We have two separate projects going on East Loop 250,” Powell told the Midland Times. “Both are overpass projects. Both are on schedule.”
Two more projects are planned in the next few years. The Midland Development Corporation (MDC) dedicated $9 million in 2017 that helped provide $96 million more in state and federal funding for all four projects.
MOTRAN President James Beauchamp
| Contributed photo
The first was an overpass on Loop 250 spanning both County Road 1150 and County Road 60. It started in June 2019 and is scheduled for completion in late 2021. The project will also extend the main lanes of Loop 250 for approximately one mile in the area.
The MDC dedicated $2 million to this project, which will be combined with approximately $11 million from TxDOT, and $15 million in federal funding.
The second project – building an overpass on Loop 250 spanning County Road 1140 – started in May, with a projected completion date of summer 2022. The project will also extend the main lanes of Loop 250 from County Road 1150 to Business Interstate 20.
For this project, the MDC provided $3 million, leveraging $16 million from TxDOT.
Delays have been routine as construction continues, according to the DOT. In addition to the overpasses, frontage roads and the main lanes are being rebuilt as well.
In some areas, speeds have been reduced to 45 or 50 mph. Motorists are advised to consider alternate routes and are reminded that state law requires them to obey any flaggers or warning signs encountered in the work zone.
For more information, contact Gene Powell at gene.powell@txdot.gov or 432-498-4746.
In both cases, the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization identified a need for the overpasses. Jones Brothers Dirt & Paving of Odessa submitted low bids for both projects, with a $24,267,703.39 bid for the overpass spanning both County Road 1150 and County Road 60, and just over $22.5 million for the overpass spanning County Road 1140.
The third project will provide main lanes and interchanges to increase both safety and capacity at the intersection of Loop 250 and State Highway 191. Midland is experiencing explosive commercial growth in that area, according to the MDC, which provided $2 million in funding, while TxDOT contributed $33 million.
The fourth and final collaboration between the MDC and TxDOT is the improvement of the intersection of South Midkiff Road and Interstate 20 to reduce traffic congestion. It is slated to begin in 2021. MDC kicked in $2 million while TxDOT covered the remaining $20 million.
MDC also committed $1.7 million to improvements to the intersection of Carver Street and Scharbauer Drive, a hazardous low-water crossing long in need of renovation.
“When completed, the intersection will be a safe transit area for motorists and pedestrians alike,” MDC states on its website.
Turning lanes, medians and curbs will be added to state Highway 349, the main corridor that connects Midland to Lubbock and Amarillo and leads to many of Midland’s newest housing developments north of the city. The highway is heavily used by semi-trailer trucks and commuters. MDC committed $1.35 million, the city of Midland contributed $1.2 million and $9.3 million came from TxDOT.
Working through COVID-19
The projects are on schedule despite the pandemic that has impacted so many parts of American life.
“We continue to take safety precautions to combat the spread of COVID-19, and our employees have been and continue to wear face coverings whenever social distancing is not possible, in accordance with safety protocols TxDOT developed in the spring,” Texas DOT spokesman Adam Hammons told Midland Times. “In addition to wearing face coverings, TxDOT employees undergo temperature checks upon arrival to work, and those in the field ride in separate vehicles whenever feasible when travel is required. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and are constantly monitoring guidance published by state health and emergency management officials.”
James Beauchamp, president of the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance (MOTRAN) said that adding overpasses is “pretty much standard” but is especially important in an area such as Midland-Odessa, where a large amount of freight is moved.
“It’s needed to be fully functional,” Beauchamp told Midland Times. “It’s basic highway engineering to get from one side of town to the other, especially with such a large volume of freight.”
He said it’s been desired for more than a decade but recently became a serious possibility.
“It’s something that has had a pretty big push the last three to four years,” Beauchamp said. “This one was long overdue and it provides a lot of mobility.”
Another factor is area population growth.
“That would be putting it gently,” Beauchamp said.
He said Midland and Odessa currently have a combined population of around 350,000. Demographic estimates indicate an increase to 750,000 people by the year 2050, he said.
Some estimates say even more people will arrive. One thing is certain: These highway improvements certainly won’t be the last in the area, Beauchamp said.