Work stopped last week for utility relocation, which was slowed by the right of way acquisition process, according to TxDOT.
John Obr, TxDOT area engineer, said James Construction Group of Baton Rouge was told to halt work because construction on the roadway cannot be done until utility relocation work advances.
“We’ve told our contractor that he’s on hold,” Obr said.
Obr said it could be several months before the construction company is allowed to begin work again. Although he did not have figures, Obr said the delay should not have a significant impact on the cost of the final project.
“We’re in the process of trying to gather utility construction schedules,” he said. “Once we get those schedules we can sit down with our contractor and determine when we will be able to ramp back up.”
“We’re anticipating it will be several months,” he added, explaining that TxDOT officials want utility relocation to get far enough ahead so that the construction process does not catch up again.
“We don’t know how far back this will delay the final completion date,” Obr said. “Once we can anticipate construction to restart, then we have to make sure those utility contractors stay out far enough ahead of us so we don’t catch them.”
He said that TxDOT is responsible for right of way acquisition.
“From the beginning we’ve been in the process of acquiring right of way for the project and a lot of times that acquisition of right of way can take a little longer than anticipated, and that has occurred on this project,” Obr said.
He explained that although all of the parcels of land were acquired by late spring, some by condemnation, utility companies were restricted until then on how much work they could do without land acquisition.
“Utility contractors will not come into a project for relocation of utilities until that right of way has been acquired in its entirety so that they have a complete area to work in,” Obr said.
“You can’t piece together electric lines or water lines, sewer, fiber optics, telephone lines - those utilities have to have that new right of way in its entirety purchased before they can relocate,” he explained. “And as such, they are held up on their construction until the state has acquired all the necessary right of way for that project.”
Obr added that the wet weather has had a hand in slowing the project, both for road construction and utilities.
“Weather is affecting all of our construction projects,” he said. “But in addition to affecting our construction projects, it affects those utility contractors, especially underground utilities.”
He said utility companies affected are AT&T, the city of Temple (water and sewer lines), Oncor and Atmos Energy.
Obr said utility relocation is under way, but until road construction is started again, that is the bulk of what is being done on the site at this time.
Temple city officials expressed disappointment at the project’s delay.
“I was disappointed that we were delayed on the project,” Temple Mayor Bill Jones III said. “I understand that with the complexity of the project and the amount of work that everybody tried to do to keep on moving, it didn’t make sense to keep on the job any longer until they got some of the issues resolved with utility relocation.”
John Toone, Oncor area manager in Temple, confirmed the company had been held up because of right-of-way issues along 31st street, but those issues are not holding them back anymore.
He said a stretch between 31st and South 5th streets is completed and added that the electric company is currently working through contractors at a section between 57th and 31st streets.
“We should be through with that section within a month pending unexpected things such as the weather,” he said.
Toone said utilities often have to coordinate with each other, such as when poles are dug near water lines, and when electric poles also carry cable and other lines.
The $28 million loop project is one of two major projects by the Texas Department of Transportation under way on 363. It will result in two main lanes each direction and at least three one-way access road lanes on each side. The project will result in replacement of the 31st Street bridge with a 176-foot-wide, 10-lane bridge.
James Construction Group did not return a call on Monday.
The other project is the Loop 363/Interstate 35 interchange, a $69 million project. It will create a three-level intersection with I-35 passing through the bottom level, loop access roads at a light-controlled intersection on the second level and unimpeded Loop 363 traffic on the third level.
Obr said that although utilities are being relocated as part of that project, weather has been the main concern. He expects TxDOT will catch up on that project as the summer progresses.
The contractor for that project is Zachry Construction Corp. of San Antonio.
