WACO, TX — The drive to work these days could include a few extra minutes of traffic as commuters battle construction and blocked off roadways.
“I know it takes a lot of hard work and patience and things like that, which most of us don’t have or do the best job of, but with that being said, overall I think it's going to be a great thing,” said frequent commuter and Alternative Solar Energy Executive, Steven Mitchell.
Mitchell travels up and down the intestate in-between Dallas and Austin for work, and says he has seen the growth and change within the Waco community. The executive says he appreciates the work TxDOT is doing to better the roadways.
“We’ve really enjoyed being able to get from appointment to appointment, take care of people in a timely manner, and part of that is because a lot of people have been working really hard out here in making sure we are on the right path with construction,” said Mitchell.
The five-year project in Waco began back in May 2019 and stretches for six miles. The project includes not only widening I-35, but also has a lot of other moving parts such as moving waterlines and frontage road reconstruction.
“The goals of the project is to construct four lanes on each side. It's also a complete reconstruction of the northbound and southbound frontage roads. By the end of the project, travelers will be traveling on new pavement no matter where they are driving within the corridor,” said Jake Smith, the TxDOT Public Information Officer for the Waco district.
As of September 2020, the project is 35% completed, which is right on track for the end date in 2023.
“The coronavirus, when it first started hitting March, April and there was some stay-at-home orders, the project itself has been largely unaffected by the virus and the stay-at-home orders. So beginning of March and up until now, great progress still being made,” said Smith.
Drivers can go to waco4bmap.org for updates on crashes and lane closures if you’re about to head out the door.
