In preparation for the Hwy. 290 expansion project, the Texas Department of Transportation plans to refurbish the Hempstead Road corridor with a new asphalt overlay and improved signal timing between Brittmoore and Mangum roads.
"Hempstead runs parallel to Hwy. 290 and is a popular alternative route during heavy congestion or incidents on Hwy. 290," TxDOT public information officer Karen Othon said. "TxDOT realizes that motorists will be using Hempstead Road to avoid Hwy. 290 construction, and with 13,827 vehicles per day traveling on the roadway, these improvements will keep traffic moving safely and efficiently."
The project to implement an asphalt overlay over the existing roadway was awarded to Durwood Greene Construction for $3.6 million last February.
The crews will begin work on the section between Brittmoore Road and Pinemont Drive before overlaying the section between Pinemont Drive and Mangum Road, Othon said. To improve the roadway's surface, workers will first mill, or remove, the top layer of pavement later this summer. The overlay is scheduled to be complete by early 2014.
Traffic engineers are working on a plan to improve the signal timing and turn lanes at several intersections along Hempstead Road. Signals are expected to be adjusted beginning July 2014.
"[Durwood Greene Construction] will do the asphalt [overlay] first, then we want to do the signal timing after that," said Mike Zientek, senior public involvement representative with the US 290 Program. "The signal timing may not be done until next year, but the timing certainly needs to be improved."
The overall scope of the Hwy. 290 expansion project calls for the addition of main lanes and tolled managed lanes between Loop 610 and the future Grand Parkway by 2017, but work is expected to continue on the Hempstead corridor for the next 20 years. The ultimate cost for upgrading both Hwy. 290 and the Hempstead corridor is estimated at $4.7 billion.
"Safety is a priority at TxDOT, and we want to urge motorists to watch for the posted signs and slow down," Othon said. "There will be road crews and equipment close to the traveling lanes, and lane closures will be changing throughout the project as the crews progress."
According to TxDOT's final environmental impact statement made available in 2009, the Hempstead corridor—including Hwy. 290 and a portion of the Union Pacific Railroad—is one of the fastest growing areas in Texas with a projected population increase of 64 percent by 2035.
