New Routes Unveiled for Reliever Highway Jack Stein, Lindale News & Times | 31-May-2007
Approximately 100 residents and property owners from the Lindale and Hideaway communities turned out Tuesday night at Lindale Middle School to hear the Texas Department of Transportation's update on the proposed Loop 49 Lindale Reliever Route.
TxDOT, which is proposing the connective route between US 69 north of Lindale and Interstate 20 southwest of Lindale as a toll road unveiled two new route alternatives labeled "F" and "G" - in addition to five rouges proposed in the public meetings held in 2005 and again in 2006. "We're still int he development phase of this project, so route-wise, everything is still on the table," said TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz.
"We'll take input received from this meeting as well as the previous meetings and factor them into the route proposal we expect to make in another meeting this Fall. . . .
The project is tentatively scheduled to break ground in 2011 - much sooner than it could be started if it were not a toll road. Tolling allows the project to be funded through bond money now against future revenues the tolls will generate.
In the mean time, the first segment of Loop 49 located between US 69 south of Tyler and SH 155 southwest of Tyler is open to traffic and is registering 1,400 vehicles per day. The second segment conneting US 69 and FM 756 (Paluxy Drive) between Tyler and Whitehouse is scheduled toopen this fall. The third segment, linking FM 756 and SH 110 in Whitehouse is scheduled to break ground later this year.
TxDOT is also expanding US 69 between Lindale and Mineola from two lanes to four, with a depressed grass median, as well as expanding US 69 from Mineola to Alba. Both expantions are due to US 69's designation as a "Trunk Route" highway.
Comments about the Loop 49 project can be made in writing and addressed to Randy Redmond, 2709 West Front Street, Tyler, Texas 75702
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