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Traffic will be moving a little bit faster on Interstate 20 from mile marker 415 to 420. The Texas Department of Transportation resurfacing project is nearly done. Only the permanent stripes need to be painted, but there should be no more two-lane closures, according to a TxDOT official. HEIDI STOUT/DEMOCRAT PHOTO

August 27, 2010

I-20 resurfacing almost complete

Margarita Venegas CNHI The Weatherford Democrat Fri Aug 27, 2010, 08:17 AM CDT

WEATHERFORD —

The frustration of slow traffic on Interstate 20 through Willow Park and Aledo — and the long back-ups that go into Weatherford — has an end in sight.

Work began June 14 on road resurfacing of all lanes on I-20 from mile marker 415 to 420. With that, it brought lane closures that saw traffic trying to squeeze through one lane only going eastbound. But, that ended Thursday, said John Cordary, Texas Department of Transportation area engineer.

“The paving should have ended today,” Cordary said. “We still have to put permanent striping on.”

Painting the road stripes will cause lane closures, but not down to one lane, Cordary said.

While the resurfacing and new paving has gone on, Cordary said the department has received a few calls pertaining to the traffic delay.

But, the work had to be done because the road in that area was severally deteriorated, Cordary said.

Willow Park mayor Ken Hawkins said he hasn’t received complaints about the repaving. But, while there are still lane closures and possibly slow traffic ahead, he notes it’s best for drivers to stick to the highway rather than try to take shortcuts off the highway.

“It’s best to just be patient,” Hawkins said.

Drivers’ patience will have to extend through next year. In summer 2011, TxDOT has plans to do the same milling off of the old pavement, repaving and re-striping further west on I-20, Cordary said. The repaving for next summer will be on both the eastbound and westbound lanes from roughly the Santa Fe exit to the South Main/SH 171 exit.

However, that work may not cause as much driver frustration.

“This work will be done at night,” Cordary said.