Over the next several weeks and months, a lot of heavy machinery will be busy at work around the Corrigan area. They will be doing a bunch of clearing work as construction will soon get underway for a massive road project on Highway 59 which will take the future Interstate 69 to the west of the town.

How Long Will it Take?

If you have a kid in 7th grade right now, he/she will have already graduated high school by the time the bypass is completed. Yup, this Corrigan Relief Route is projected to take six years before it's done.

The $172.8 million construction project will be built to interstate standards and will include the construction of new US 59 northbound and southbound lanes with controlled access.

Where Will This Relief Route Be Built?

The 6.3-mile project will be from 3.4 miles north of US 287 to 3 miles south of US 287. Work will include the construction of overpasses at United Pacific Railroad, US 287, and Union Springs Road.

Entrance and exit ramps will be added at US 59 tie-ins and at the US 287 overpass and will include the construction of four main lanes for travel.

Here's a look at where the road will eventually be built.

Contributed Photo/TxDOT
Contributed Photo/TxDOT
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James Construction Group LLC, Baton Rouge LA, will serve as the contractor for the project.

A Long Time in the Making

Planning for the Corrigan Relief Route (Future I-69) began in the late 1990s when environmental studies began but were stopped due to budgetary constraints. Project development resumed in 2012 when I-69 in Polk County was considered a top priority by the I-69 Segment Two Committee. Schematics and right-of-way maps were studied and in 2014, an open house was held for the public to view the proposed path.

Further refinements to the plan were made and presented to the public in 2015, and in 2016 environmental studies and schematic reviews were performed. A public hearing was held in 2017 to gather public comments and the Texas Transportation Commission approved the revisions and funded the project.

“This has been a long-anticipated project in the Lufkin District and it will be the biggest project as far as funding we have seen so far,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We are anxious to see this project begin as are most East Texas residents and those who travel through Corrigan on US 59.”

The Lufkin District will host a groundbreaking event to celebrate the project in early December. The Corrigan Relief Route will be built to promote public safety, improve emergency evacuations, and support freight transport.

Signage is already being put into place, and clearing crews should start as early as September 22. As this work begins, motorists should be on the lookout for moving equipment and workers near the work zone. Reduce speed and obey all traffic control.

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