MIDLAND COUNTY A project to build an overpass to take Highway 191 over the planned extension of Yukon Road in western Midland County between Odessa and Midland is scheduled to begin the week of June 6.
The 30-month project will have several phases that will include traffic pattern changes. The most important traffic pattern change will be moving traffic from the main lanes to the frontage roads so the overpass itself can be built. The main lane traffic and service road traffic will be separated by a concrete barrier. That traffic switch is scheduled to take place in early 2023, a news release said.
Reece Albert Inc. of Midland and San Angelo won the project with a low bid of a little more than $27.5 million.
The Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization contributed $13.12 million to this $27.5 million project, making it an MPO priority. In conjunction with this TxDOT project, the City of Odessa is overseeing a project by Parks Bell Ranch to connect Yukon Road to Highway 191 on the north side. Meanwhile, Midland County is building an extension of Yukon Road on the south side to connect Highway 191 to FM 1788. More on these projects can be found here https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/77de02df5e054099b5ca969361ed31f6.
“This interchange will provide an important connection to Yukon Road both north and south,” Permian Basin MPO Executive Director Cameron Walker said. “When complete, this interchange will improve traffic flow along SH 191 at both FM 1788 and Faudree Road in a growing residential/retail area of Odessa.”
Odessa District Engineer Eric Lykins thanked the Permian Basin MPO policy board’s leadership on the project.
“This is a great example of multiple governmental entities working together to address an identified issue in the area,” Lykins said in the release. “Partnerships like these are so important to transportation.”
The first few months of the project will be devoted to upgrading the service roads to handle main lane traffic when that traffic switch takes place.
The overpass itself will take about 17 months to build and is scheduled to be ready to handle traffic in mid-2024.
Early phasing will also require a slight detour of westbound main lane traffic in July and August 2022.
The speed limit is lowered to 60 on the main lanes and 45 on the service road within the construction zone limits. Width restrictions of 10 and 11 feet will also be in place at various stages of the project.
Law enforcement will be asked to patrol the work zone heavily at times.
The project is expected to take about 30 months to be completed and should wrap up in late 2024.
