News Release: from the Katy Freeway Public Information Office
TCC Awards I-10/Beltway 8 Contract
Thursday, Jul 29th, 2004
THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AWARDS THE FOURTH I-10/KATY FREEWAY RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACT
"Freeway-to-Freeway Interchange Work Associated with the Katy Freeway Reconstruction is Moving Forward"
(Houston, Texas) -- Today, July 29, the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) awarded Williams Brother’s (WB) Construction Company of Houston the fourth of the nine major construction contracts associated with the reconstruction of the Katy Freeway. The contract, referred to as Contract D, consists of the total reconstruction of a two-mile long section of I-10 from just east of Kirkwood to west of Gessner, including the eight I-10/Beltway 8 direct connector ramps.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) accepted bids for the work on July 8th. Two contractors submitted bids to perform the work; one from Balfour Beatty Construction in consortium with Flatiron Construction with a bid of $283 Million and the low bid coming from WB at $250 Million.
Work is scheduled to begin in October 2004; however the actual reconstruction of I-10/Beltway 8 direct connectors is not slated to begin until January 2007. The traffic control plan calls for the first two years of the project to be dedicated to the expansion of the I-10 mainlanes and frontage roads. Once the direct connector work begins, the contractor will only reconstruct the freeway-to-freeway direct connectors two at a time. All work related to the contract is scheduled to be complete in December 2008. More details regarding the sequencing of Contract D construction is available on the Katy Freeway website at http://www.katyfreeway.org/ContractD_dc3.html.
While the I-10/Beltway 8 Interchange reconstruction is gearing up, reconstruction of the I-10/I-610 Interchange is preparing for major transition. This weekend, in coordination with the opening of the new I-610/West Loop southbound mainlanes, I-610 between I-10 and US 59 will be closed effective 9 PM, Friday, July 30 until 12 Noon, Sunday, August 1 to complete work for the major traffic switch onto to new pavement. All I-610 southbound traffic will be detoured onto the I-610 southbound frontage roads at Woodway and Post Oak. Simultaneously, the I-10 eastbound and westbound direct connectors to I-610 southbound will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to I-610 northbound to 18th Street and U-turn to I-610/West Loop southbound.
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.
