PERMIAN BASIN MPO
Solving Midland and Odessa’s Transportation Challenges
Serving as a regional partnership among the United States Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation, transit agencies, elected leaders, local planning and development staff and the community across the three-county planning area.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTICE OF RELEASE - FY 2021-2024 TIP
FY 2021-2024 Transportation Improvement Plan
TXDOT UPDATES
JUNE 3, 2020
ECTOR COUNTY: The inside lane of I-20 westbound will be closed near West Loop 338 for two or three weeks starting Thursday, June 4. Please find alternate routes. Please obey flaggers and slow down in work zone.
ECTOR COUNTY: The outside lane of I-20 eastbound will be closed near JBS on Thursday, June 4, and Friday, June 5. Ramps in the area may also be closed as repairs are made. Please find alternate routes. Please obey flaggers and slow down in work zone.
REEVES COUNTY: The US 285 project in Pecos will be working around Interstate 20 for the rest of this week and next week. Ramps in the area will see alternating closures. Most work will be done overnight. Detorus will use next ramps in each direction (Colley Road or Country Club Drive). Please find alternate routes. Please obey flaggers and slow down in work zone.
Gene Powell
Public Information Officer
Odessa District of TxDOT
432-498-4746
MAY 29, 2020
Transportation. Nearly 120 miles of roads in the 12 counties will be worked on.
Each year the Odessa District seal coats select roads as part of a program to prolong the life of the roads. Seal coating offers three major benefits: it protects the road base by keeping water from seeping in; it seals cracks and stops them from spreading; and it provides a new surface which improves safety.
It is likely that loose rocks will be encountered in the work zones during the seal coat process. Motorists are urged to find alternate routes if possible and avoid work zones. Loose rocks may be present after work is completed as well.
Pilot cars and flaggers will be used frequently due to necessary lane closures. Wait times will vary depending on the amount of traffic. Motorists should obey any pilot cars, warning signs, or flaggers they encounter. Slower speeds are also advised.
Ronald R. Wagner & Co., LP, of Kendalia won the project with a bid of a little less than $7.92 million.
The following locations are scheduled to be seal coated. It is difficult to predict exact dates for each location and scheduled dates are subject to change pending weather and other unforeseen circumstances. These are only offered as a general guide. The dates are for the seal coat operation. A striping crew will follow about a week later in each location. The seal coat locations and scheduled dates include:
Week of June 1
>> Pecos County: I-10 frontage roads from Highway 18 to 3 miles west of Highway 67 (5 miles).
>> Reeves County: I-10 frontage roads from FM 2903 to 1.1 miles west of Hoefs Road (8.4 miles).
>> Reeves County: I-20 frontage roads from 9 miles east of split to 1.4 miles east of Salt Draw (19.1 miles).
>> Reeves County: I-20 frontage roads from Highway 17 to Highway 285 (4.9 miles).
>> Ward/Crane/Ector counties: I-20 frontage roads from Monahans State Park to FM 1053 (7.1 miles).
Weeks of June 8 and June 15
>> Ector County: BI-20 from west interchange of I-20 to West County Road (2.7 miles).
>> Ector County: I-20 frontage roads from 2.4 miles west of FM 1601 to Midland County line (23.4 miles).
>> Midland County: I-20 frontage roads from Ector County line to Martin County line (27.7 miles).
>> Midland County: BI-20 north frontage road from Midland International Air and Space Port to Midkiff Road (5.9 miles).
>> Midland/Ector counties: Highway 191 frontage roads from West Loop 250 to East loop 338 (13 miles).
Week of June 15
>> Andrews County: Highway 115 from juncture with Highway 176 on east side of town to NE Mustang Drive (1.6 miles).
MAY 27, 2020
ODESSA – An online presentation has been posted to www.txdot.gov to discuss the Fiscal Year 2021-2024 Rural Transportation Improvement Program (Rural TIP). To view the presentation, go to www.txdot.gov and search keywords “Virtual Public Meeting – Rural TIP Odessa District 2021-2024,” open the search result, and click on VIDEO.
The presentation will include both audio and visual components. The presentation discusses the Rural TIP process and what projects are being planned over the next four years in the rural sections of the Odessa District. The presentation will include contact information for questions as well as information on how to comment on the Odessa District’s Rural TIP plan. The presentation will remain online throughout the comment period which ends at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Formal written comments on the Rural TIP are encouraged and can be sent to:
Texas Department of Transportation Odessa District
Attention: Gabriel Ramirez, P.E.
3901 E. Highway 80
Odessa, Texas, 79761
They can also be emailed to gabriel.ramirez@txdot.gov. All comments must be received (or postmarked) by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2020, to be part of the official record.
The Rural TIP is TxDOT’s four-year plan for projects in rural areas. In the Odessa District, the Rural TIP for the next four years includes projects in all 12 district counties outside the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization boundaries, which includes the cities of Odessa and Midland and surrounding urban areas. The 12-county Odessa District includes Andrews, Crane, Ector, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward and Winkler counties. The Rural TIP includes all regionally significant projects to be funded in the Odessa District during the next four years, including those eligible for federal funding.
The Rural TIP is both a mechanism used by TxDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to fund projects for the next four years, and the first step on the road to producing a Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
The online virtual meeting is being held pursuant to Title 43, Texas Administrative Code, Section 16.102, which provides for public comments about the program. The presentation is being presented virtually in the interest of safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have any general questions or concerns regarding the Rural TIP, please contact Gabriel Ramirez, P.E., Advance Planning Engineer, at (432) 498-4645 or at gabriel.ramirez@txdot.gov.
For more information, contact Gene Powell at gene.powell@txdot.gov or (432) 498-4746.
MAY 22, 2020
HIGHWAY 349 PROJECT TO START AFTER MEMORIAL DAY
MIDLAND – A project to reconstruct nearly 20 miles of Highway 349 in southern Midland County is scheduled to start the week of Memorial Day. The project extends from County Road 140 to the Upton County line.
The project will consist of removing several inches of the road, rebuilding the roadbed and replacing the road surface. All three existing lanes will be reconstructed.
The plan is keep a lane of travel open in both directions throughout the duration of the project. A width restriction of 11 feet will be put in place in the work zone. Some short closures may happen as traffic control devices are set in place.
The speed limit will be about reduced to 65 miles per hour in the work zone.
The project is expected to take about year and should be finalized in Summer 2021.
Motorists are reminded that state law requires them to obey any warning signs and any flaggers in the work zone. Safety is a top priority for TxDOT. We need the traveling public’s help to ensure the work zone is kept safe and free of crashes. Large, slow-moving vehicles may inadvertently enter a lane of travel. Slowing down and giving extra space between vehicles is key to a safe working environment.
Jones Brothers Dirt & Paving of Odessa won the project with a low bid of a little less than $28 million.
For more information, contact Gene Powell at gene.powell@txdot.gov or (432) 498-4746.
MAY 22, 2020
TxDOT URGES DRIVERS TO PLAN SOBER RIDES AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
USTIN – As COVID-19 orders are relaxed in many parts of the state and more Texans return to the roads, TxDOT’s “Plan While You Can” campaign is reminding drivers to make a sober ride part of their Memorial Day weekend plans.
“The long weekend should be an enjoyable start to summer, and we understand more and more people are beginning to venture out,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “But if you plan to drink alcohol, please know it is vital that you plan ahead for a sober ride. Without a doubt, planning for a sober ride home, will help prevent senseless tragedies and save lives.”
During last year’s Memorial Day weekend* in Texas, there were 360 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes in Texas. Those crashes killed 16 people and seriously injured another 34.
Driving under the influence of alcohol not only risks death or serious injuries, but it can also be costly. Drivers can face up to $17,000 in fines and fees, jail time and loss of their driver’s license. Instead of getting behind the wheel, here are some alternative options:
Designate a sober driver.
Contact a cab or ride-share service.
Use public transit.
Spend the night.
“Plan While You Can” is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel, like wearing a seat belt, driving the speed limit and never driving after drinking or using other drugs. Nov. 7, 2000 was the last deathless day on Texas roadways. #EndTheStreakTX asks all Texans to commit to driving safely to help end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways.
