Westbound lanes to open next Wednesday

Published Thursday, March 27, 2008

By Brandon Evans

Newspaper editor Horace Greeley termed the phrase "Go west, young man" in 1850.

For the past few years, Wise County drivers have been waiting and waiting to "go west" in the westbound lanes on the ongoing U.S. 380 widening project between Bridgeport and Decatur.

But beginning on Wednesday, April 2, Wise County drivers can finally travel in the westbound lanes on this stretch of U.S. 380.

After suffering a slight, additional delay due to a bizarre blizzard and heavy rain, Bill Nelson, area engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation, said he expects to put all westbound traffic on the north side of the highway come Wednesday.

"Weather permitting, westbound traffic will be moved on the morning of Wednesday, April 2," Nelson reported in a March 24 memo.

Nelson cautions all drivers to remain aware of the changes.

"Drivers coming off intersecting roads on the north side of U.S. 380 are asked to observe new stop signs to be in place soon," Nelson said. "After the switch is made, workers will remove temporary striping and traffic barrels from the westbound lanes at the Decatur end of the project."

Once the westbound lanes open, Nelson expects the eastbound lanes to be reduced to a single lane for approximately two weeks while work crews re-stripe the lanes.

Also, drivers can still expect "lane closures in both directions on a daily basis as the contractor completes grading and other work on the project."

Nelson also stressed that parents of green drivers remind their children of the change and to remember the basic traffic lesson of "look both ways before you cross the street."

The Bridgeport end of the project still requires a bit more work before completion. The eastbound lanes of U.S. 380 in Bridgeport will remain one lane between Landwin and Overland drives for as long as 30 days while paving in the center of the highway is completed.

Also, traffic on and off of U.S. 380 Business will be limited while the crossover is completed in stages. The crossover at John's Drive will not be open during this 30-day period. Residents of the Hartsell-Frost addition must use the Overland Drive and U.S. 380 Business crossovers in the interim.

The project is expected to reach completion by early to mid-May barring any further weather-related delays.