Roadwork Slows Down Returning Travelers
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Roadwork Slows Down Returning Travelers Save Email Print
Posted: 10:41 PM Dec 1, 2008
 Last Updated: 8:43 AM Dec 2, 2008
 Reporter: Joe Brown
Email Address: brown@kbtx.com
14 comments
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It was slow going for holiday travelers returning to the Twin Cities Sunday night.

Lane closures had traffic at a crawl at parts of Interstates 45 and 35. And it wasn't much better on Highway 6 between Navasota and College Station where there were several accidents.

The Texas Department of Transportation says it usually doesn't allow lane closures during the holidays when more motorists are out and about. But it didn't have a choice if it wanted to stay on schedule with the Highway 6 widening project.

"The contractor needs to progress with the project and they have milestones that they have to meet," said TxDOT Spokesperson Bob Colwell. "So therefore we allowed them to go ahead and have the lane closure."

The $100 million project is expected to be completed in 2011.
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Posted by: All the time Location: Grimes County on Dec 3, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Dear " I Don't think so", you are right on. TxDOT needs to step up and inform the public of their proposed activities. Nothing is EVER provided to the local papers of their road work plans. Go figure,They would close a ramp and lane during the busiest travel time of the year!
Posted by: I don't think so Location: no way on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:55 PM
An unbelievable side note to this situation is the fact that nobody at the Bryan TxDot office told anybody at the Navasota TxDot office that they were going to close a lane on a major State Highway in their County, (They also closed North bound Bussiness 6 ramp to SH 6). To put it in the highly over used phrases that the Bryan District TxDot engineer, Mr.Bryan Wood always says, "This is unacceptable" and "Disiplinary action should be taken". How could it be that the Grimes County TxDot Maintenance Supervisor did not know anything about a major ramp closing 1/4 of a mile from his own office and a lane closure on his bussiest roadway until it was already in place ? Maybe Bryan Wood and Bob Colwell didn't think the Grimes County Supervisor needed to know. Maybe they themselves didn't know about the closing until it happened ? Looks like TxDot should work on their comunication skills, again.
Posted by: Loving Wife Location: Leon County on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Gas tax pays for the state supported highways and roadways. And it is NOT a right, it is still a privelege to own a vehicle and drive it on public roads. It is not stated in ANYWHERE that it is a right,if that was the case EVERY tax payer would have a car along with thier RIGHT to freedom, vote and to bear arms. And yes people DO stop on a regular basis to tell my husband how he is inconviencing them and he is a piece of you know what,and they DO speed up with out concern. Too many people in thier self contained little metal bullets are in a hurry. If you dont believe it, work on a road crew for a week and THEN come back and see what you have too say. And yes he CHOOSE the job, it is a good job to support his family. I am not blaming anyone for my worries, just stating what is happening on the road ways and how the public needs to take RESPONSIBILITY and quit crying about how things make thier life so difficult. Leave earlier,plan for delays,it is a holiday weekend afterall.
Posted by: greg Location: navasota on Dec 2, 2008 at 08:35 AM
I saw a Railroad truck this morning make a turn into the CLOSED crossover just north of the bridge. He avoided the barricades so he wouldn't have to drive further north before turning around. It was a very risky move in my opinion since it forced all the drivers behind him on the bridge where it is only 1 lane to come to a stop. Idiots like this guy don't help.
Posted by: TO LOVING WIFE Location: B/CS on Dec 2, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Actually, as a taxpayer it IS A RIGHT to use the roadways. If you take out the taxes that go to the upkeep of these roads then it's not a right it's a privy because you aren't paying for these roads to be built and maintained. The part about your husband getting home safe, I hope that he does because no person should ever get a call saying that your husband/wife has been killed while working. You also need to remember that he chose his job and no one made him take it. My husband has a dangerous job also and is well aware of the risks and so am I. You can hope for the best but don't set there and say that "the public is rude" because that is just stupid. I'm sure that people don't stop their cars just to yell at your husband and others all day long and that NO ONE EVER slows down for them. If you're afraid for your husband's safety, have him get another job, don't come on here and pretty much blame everyone in the U.S. for your worries.
Posted by: To Wife on Dec 2, 2008 at 08:09 AM
The workers aren't the ones I'm mad at; It's the incompetents calling themselves engineers who couldn't recognize that delaying a project for 48 hours while sending out folks like your husband to put up detour signage and waiting for the holiday peaks to dissapate is a whole lot more cost effective in terms of the folks who the road is being built to handle than suddenly slamming the door on thousands of Ags trying to get back to class after visiting family in Houston. But somehow the wasted gas and time by the folks who have PAID for the privilege at the rate of $0.47 cents per gallon on top of all the bond issues we have been asked to sign over never seems to figure in their balance sheets...
Posted by: LW Location: Bryan on Dec 2, 2008 at 07:39 AM
W e l l, I wonder if the scheduled milestones are required or IF incentive BONUS is involved. Since TXDOT has included the early finish bonus to the contracts, more projects are finished ahead of schedule, normally a good thing. However if the lane closures cause accidents, is it a good thing....?
Posted by: Loving wife Location: Leon County on Dec 2, 2008 at 07:07 AM
It is a privilege to drive. It is a privilege to own a car to drive. It is a privilege to use public roadways to drive that car. IT IS NOT AN AMERICAN RIGHT! I am a proud wife of a TxDot employee. My dear husband goes to work everyday and I pray for his safe return. All the stories he and his fellow employees tell to me about the way the driving public acts on a day to day basis when they are out there REPAIRING the roads and making them SAFER for the same public, makes me thankful that he returns home safe and alive everyday. The public is very rude to them as well. The workers on the roadways are just that, workers. They are not the decision makers.Please make sure my husband make it home everynight. And show them some repect, they are simply doing thier job, they are not trying to inconvience you! You as the driving public have legal AND a moral responsibility to drive safe and courteously.
Posted by: Terry Location: College Station on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:15 AM
Why don't the contractors work at night like they do in Houston to get the job finished sooner. I travel this road everyday and there has been alot of days with good weather that you see no one working.
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:14 AM
{"The contractor needs to progress with the project and they have milestones that they have to meet," said TxDOT Spokesperson Bob Colwell.} As I said in an earlier blog; 100,000 taxpayers vs 1 contractor: Contractor wins EVERY TIME. Tell your congressman that these guys need to be reminded exactly who's taxes are paying their salaries with a round of pink slips. Then maybe they'll see how many under the table kickbacks they get when they're in the unemployment line...
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