Widening scheduled for portion of US 82 in Bowie County

Work to widen US 82 from Interstate 30 to US 259 in Bowie County is scheduled to begin soon, according to plans awarded in August by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The project includes widening US 82 to a five-lane road including a continuous center left turn lane from 0.1 mile west of US 259 to 0.4 mile south of Interstate 30. "Throughout construction, at least one lane of travel in each direction will be open to motorists," said Texarkana Area Engineer Tommy Bruce. This project will also include the widening, realignment and reconstruction of Interstate 30 and US 259 entrance and exit ramps.

"The overall goal of this project is to improve safety, mobility and regional connectivity," said Director of Transportation Planning and Development Katie Martin. "These improvements will accommodate future traffic volumes along the US 82 corridor."

The project will also include accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists. Sidewalks will be built within the city limits of De Kalb. In addition, the Northeast Texas Trail System along US 82 from US 259 to County Road 4105 in Malta, an area covering over seven miles, will be relocated and enhanced. "The existing trail will be relocated about 25 feet to the south," Bruce said. "Work is already underway to perform similar work on the trail from Malta to State Highway 98 west of New Boston. Upgrades include an improved 10-foot-wide surface along with other safety improvements.

The project is expected to begin in November and scheduled to be completed in 2028. Drake Companies LLC of Paris was awarded the contract with a bid of $114,513,431.

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