News Release: from the Katy Freeway Public Information Office
Katy Frwy-Contract A Begins
Thursday, Sep 18th, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2003
CONTACT:
Raquelle R. Wooten- Katy Freeway Public Information Officer
281-589-5852 / 713-806-3318 or email: WootenR@pbworld.com
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON THE SECOND OF NINE CONTRACTS FOR THE KATY FREEWAY RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
'Multiple Mainlane Closures along I-10 in the West Houston Segments of the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program'
(Houston, Texas) -- The second of nine construction contracts for the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program is now underway. The segment of the freeway from east of Grand Parkway to the Harris-Fort Bend County Line (Contract A) officially began construction Thursday, September 18. The project involves the reconstruction of the existing mainlanes and frontage roads of I-10 (from just east of Grand Parkway to the Harris-Fort Bend County Line.) The existing roadway consists of three mainlanes and two frontage road lanes in each direction. The construction project will widen the mainlanes to 4 lanes in each direction and add a third continuous lane to the frontage roads.
Like the first of the nine contracts, the initial work includes an asphalt overlay of the existing mainlanes, ramps, and shoulders. Accordingly, beginning Monday, September 22 Balfour-Beatty Construction will start the overlay work on the westbound mainlanes and in doing so alternating lanes of the freeway will be closed nightly between from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Upon completion of the westbound lanes the contractor will start the overlay on the eastbound lanes. Barring no inclement weather delays the overlay work is expected to take approximately two weeks per direction to complete.
While Contract A is just getting started, Contract B between Grand Parkway and SH 6 is well underway and additional lane closures are planned between Grand Parkway and SH 6 as a part of the on-going major drainage system installation work. Over the course of three consecutive weekends, beginning the weekend of Friday September 26 at 10:00 pm, east and westbound mainlane traffic will be detoured off of the freeway at three different locations: 1) between Barker Cypress and Park Ten; 2) between Park Ten and SH 6; and 3) between Barker Cypress and S. Greenhouse. The detours are necessary to install 7'x3' drainage culverts across the freeway. The contractor anticipates completing one full freeway crossing (from the North side right of way line to the South side right of way line) per weekend.
Balfour-Beatty Construction was recently awarded Contract A, the portion of the freeway East of Grand Parkway to the Harris-Ft. Bend County Line, won with a low bid of $83 million. Additionally the I-10/I-610 Interchange (Contract F) was awarded to Williams Brothers Construction of Houston for $263 million. Construction on Contract F is anticipated to begin around October 1. For more information on the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program, including up to date information regarding other lane closures along the I-10 corridor, please visit the Katy Freeway website at www.katyfreeway.org or contact the Katy Freeway Public Information Office at 281-589-5924.
