I have noticed quite a few large trucks in Rowlett hauling dirt.  Is that from the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension project? The Eastern Extension of the Turnpike will be “below grade” much of its 10-mile length, especially the segment from FirewheelCenter in Garland to west of Miles Road in Sachse.   Contractors will dig down as much as 30 feet in some places.  During the three years of construction, more than 1.2 million cubic yards of dirt, rock, and other ground materials will be displaced to other locations.  That will be about 62,440 truckloads!

 

About 9,600 truckloads will be used to build up the turnpike in section 30 – north of Merritt Road to south of

Main Street

in Rowlett.  Haulers are already traveling

Liberty Grove Road

and

Dalrock Road

and placing the fill on turnpike right of way for future use.  About 4,000 truckloads will be brought to the landfill in Rowlett for its use in the future.  The remaining material will be sold and hauled away.  Topsoil is also being stripped away but is stored separately and will be re-spread when the major earthwork and construction are done.

 

Liberty Grove Road

was not constructed to handle the amount of large truck traffic that it is currently experiencing on a daily basis.  Some portions of the road are already in poor condition and will only get worse…and very quickly.  The City of Rowlett is making temporary repairs to

Liberty Grove Road

on an ongoing basis.   Once the truck traffic is completed, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) will make permanent repairs to

Liberty Grove Road

.  The dirt haulers must travel on designated routes in order to minimize the damage to Rowlett roads.  Trucks that are not following the designated routes are being issued citations by the Rowlett police.   Everyone is working together to ensure safety and as little inconvenience as possible during this construction period.  Thank you for your patience!

 

By now I am sure you have noticed the construction of bridge and overpass columns and supports as well as retaining walls all along the Eastern Extension route.  Contractors are also pouring and laying concrete in all segments.  Perhaps most noticeable and most exciting is the work currently being done on the IH-30 interchange and ramps near the Bass Pro Shops.  By mid-August, lanes on IH-30 will be shifted to the south to accommodate construction.  Next month, crews will be launching barges in Lake Ray Hubbard to begin construction of 372 columns to support the new one-mile bridge from southern Rowlett to the Interstate highway.  The bridge is being built by TxDOT contractors rather than by NTTA.  All segments will be completed and the new turnpike will be open in the fourth quarter of 2011, at a cost of more than $1 billion.  How exciting!

 

For a comprehensive review of local government activity during the past two years in Rowlett, go to http://www.JohnHarper-Rowlett.com and browse the reports and published articles.  Remember…Rowlett…on the Lake…on the Move!  Come join us!