By DAVID LOPEZ
Special to the NEWS
Complaints about congestion on the bustling Business 77 have run rampant, as construction in the area forces one-lane roads with traffic stretching for blocks.
The construction began in late February and is intended as a preventive maintenance paving project, which involves milling, overlay, and new pavement markings, according to Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Public Information Officer Ray Pedraza.
“This project will take six months to complete,” said Pedraza. “Work started in the latter part of February of this year and completion is expected by August 2023.”
The project’s total cost is an estimated $6,349,769.90, he said.
Pedraza advised residents concerned with long traffic lines to search for alternate routes.
“IH69 E (US 77), which runs parallel, is an option,” he stated.
Estella Escamilla is one of the many commuters who’s endured the traffic along the road. While frustrated, she understands that it’s for the betterment of the community and infrastructure, but wishes the work could be done differently to alleviate the congestion. “I think the city (or TxDOT) should have done a better job letting the community know. I also wish the work could be done at night so there wouldn’t have to be so much traffic,” she said.
In the past, TxDOT has said that night work isn’t an option for certain projects due to the fact that more light was needed than artificial light can provide.
During his 2023 State of the State of Feb. 16, Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned the state’s intention to place a portion of the state’s historic and record-breaking $32.7 billion budget surplus of its projected $165.9 billion in new revenue from the $188.2 billion available in general revenue for funding state business over the 2024-25 biennium, to go towards the state’s infrastructure.
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