An $18.2 million project is expected to help with traffic at the intersection of State Highway 191 and Loop 250.
The Texas Department of Transportation reported that work continued this week on a project that will relocate entrance and exit ramps, add some auxiliary lanes and rehabilitate some roadway.
The roadway improvements are expected to help with morning, evening and traffic problems that take place in the area, especially near the H-E-B grocery store located southwest of the intersection.
The reversal of ramps will give Midland drivers a preview of what to expect when the same thing happens along I-20 in Midland County. Currently, entrances from the service road take place first while the exit ramps are located as one approaches a main road (in this case, Loop 250).
Ramp reversals change this. For instance, a person driving on 191 east toward Midland will have the opportunity to exit well in advance of the Loop 250 intersection. Closer to the intersection will be the entrance ramp for those vehicles traveling on the service road.
Work originally began in October, but the project was suspended due to an error in the traffic control plans, according to TxDOT.
“The most notable part of the project will move the eastbound Highway 191 exit ramp further west,” TxDOT officials stated in a news release. “Known as a braided ramp, the new exit ramp will go over the existing entrance ramp. Braided ramps are ramps that cross over each other and are vertically separated by concrete pillars that elevate one or more of them. Braided ramps streamline traffic flow for drivers to reach their destinations.”
Ramp reversals are also called to take place in three other locations as part of the project — westbound Highway 191 between West Loop 250 and Highway 158 and on both service roads of West Loop 250 between Wadley Avenue and SH 191 (also known as Andrews Highway).
“Essentially, the current entrance ramp locations will become exit ramp locations; likewise, the current exit ramp locations will become entrance ramp locations,” the news release stated. “The ramp reconfigurations will eliminate some merging conflict points and will also allow more room for queueing on the service road instead of having traffic back up on to the main lanes.”
Other work scheduled in the project involves intersection improvements at the mid-level interchanges of Highway 191 and Loop 250,” TxDOT reported. In addition to some auxiliary lanes to provide more capacity, the intersections will be built with full-depth concrete pavement to better handle wear and tear from traffic.
The roads at the signalized intersections at Highway 158 (also known as Avalon) under the Highway 191 overpass will also be rehabilitated.
The project is expected to be completed in mid-2023.
Jones Brothers Dirt & Paving of Odessa won the project with a low bid of a little more than $18.2 million.