TxDOT Says Shutdowns Are Speeding Up Traffic Projects
There has been one good thing to happen thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak. TxDOT says that all major road projects are on schedule and could even get ahead of schedule if traffic remains low. NBCDFW reports.
Traffic numbers have dropped significantly thanks to the shutdowns, and that means workers have more time to work without fear of interfering with traffic or threatening safety. TxDOT is working hard to finish up their major projects.
In North Texas there are a number of them. The DFW Connector has been under construction since 2010. Work is proceeding on North and Southbound 121 in Coppell.
The Southern Gateway is another project getting extra focus. The goal there is to widen I-35E south of downtown and make improvements to U.S. 67 and I-20 where these roads meet. There are also improvements happening on the Texas 360 corridor and U.S. 175.
With the uncertainty around when shutdown orders will get lifted, the TxDOT has not announced the start of any new projects, nor have they said that the current project are now ahead of schedule. But the shutdowns have enabled these projects to make up for lost time.
Here’s hoping that if the shutdown does last longer than we’d like we’ll have better roads by the end of it!