I-35 Repair Begins in McLennan County

(TXDOT RELEASE)

Repair work has begun on 2 sections of I-35, both northbound and southbound lanes, in Waco and southern McLennan County. Concrete pavement repair will be conducted on the mainlanes through Waco from 12th Street to Behrens Circle, and mill and inlay of the pavement will be done in southern McLennan County from Woodlawn Road (north of Bruceville-Eddy) to South FM 2837 in Lorena. The first part of the project will begin with 12th Street near Baylor University and progress to the north. The work in southern McLennan County will begin later this fall.

Because the repair process requires the closure of lanes, all work will be performed between the hours of 7 PM and 7 AM Monday through Thursday nights and from 10 PM to 7 AM Sunday nights, when traffic is less congested. No work will be performed during TX/OU weekend. Message boards will be set up in advance of the beginning of work in each area to warn motorists of the upcoming lane closures.

Mill-and-inlay is the grinding down of existing asphalt (approximately 5 inches in this case) to the underlying concrete. A new layer of hot-mix asphalt is then put down to create a smoother road surface. The work is necessary to extend the life of the pavement until it can be replaced in the planned expansion of I-35, and will cost $3.5 million. Funding for the project is 90% from federal funds and 10% from state funds. The repair is expected to be complete in late spring of 2011. Contractor for the project is Knife River Corp. - South of Waco.

Motorists should take extra care when traveling through the areas under repair, and obey the posted speed limits. Watch for lane closure barricades and for workers in the work zones.



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